The 2024 Budget Binder That Will Transform Your Finances (2024)

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by Fanny Camota

Are you struggling with your finances and living paycheck to paycheck in 2023? Want to stop spending money you don’t have! Then it’s time to take back control of your money.

When I can see the whole picture of my current money situation, I can make better, smarter choices. That’s where a budget binder comes in!

I created my budget binder system, Budgeting Made Easy, to feel more in control of money.

What is a Budget Binder?

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A budget binder is a system to organize your finances. It’s not just a budget but my Budget Binder, Budgeting Made Easy, will help you track expenses, organize bills, set financial goals, pay off debt, and plan for the future.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed with not having enough money for each bill, paying off debt, and knowing whether you have extra to spend on fun stuff, then you may enjoy the peace of mind that using a budget binder provides.

How does a budget binder work?

A budget binder keeps your finances all in one place. It helps you plan for upcoming bills so you won’t be surprised.

A budget binder also helps you figure out how much money you really have. When you can see how much you make and how much money you need to set aside for bills, then you can make decision based on a budget and real numbers, not on emotions.

What should be included in a budget binder?

A budget binder should include:

  • Monthly Budget
  • Expense Tracker
  • Bill Tracker
  • Financial Goal Setting
  • Debt Tracker
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Budgeting Made Easy is my ebook that guides you through creating a budget and has printable worksheets to help you create your own budget binder!

Here’s a quick guide on creating a budget.

How Do I Organize Monthly Expenses?

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In Budgeting Made Easy, I have a Daily Spending Log that has categories and days of the month filled in. All you have to do is write in the amount spent.

Popular expenses to track are groceries, eating out, entertainment, and gas.

How Do I Use a Budget Binder to Track Expenses?

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This is the most important worksheet for me! I use a Bill Pay Checklist to keep track of upcoming bills.

I put bills in order by due date and when each bill is paid, I check them off. For bills due a few times a year, I block off the months so that I can see which month they are due.

How Do I Use a Budget Binder to Pay Off Debt?

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My Debt Eraser Tracker (pictured above) is a good place to track debt and your debt payoff progress.

I divide the boxes into 2. The top half shows the amount I’ve paid and the bottom half is the remaining balance.

In the video above, I explain further about how to use the Dave Ramsey Debt Snowball method to pay off debt.

GET BUDGETING MADE EASY

What Supplies Do I Need for a Budget Binder?

How to Create Your Budget Binder

Go through Budgeting Made Easy and choose pages you want to use. I have blank options for certain pages so that you can fill in your own categories.

Print the worksheets you want in your binder, then hole punch them, and put them in your preferred order.

I like to keep the Checkbook Register and Bill Pay Checklist towards the front of my budget binder, since I use these the most!

How to Use Budgeting Made Easy, Budget Binder

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Read through Budgeting Made Easy. After each chapter, I have a challenge for you to complete with corresponding worksheet(s).

I also explain how to use each worksheet in Budgeting Made Easy.

Watch the video above for a visual explanation on how to use some of the worksheets – like the Bill Pay Checklist, Debt Eraser Tracker, Checkbook Register, Financial Goal Setting, and Income Brainstorming Worksheet.

1. COVER PAGE

Place this on your binder cover.

2. MONTHLY BUDGET PLANNER

There are 3 different versionsso you can customize your budget.

3. DAILY SPENDING LOG

Use this to track expenses, easily. There are2 versions, 1 that’s filled in with categories that correspond to the Monthly Budget Planner, and a blank template for you to customize your categories.

4. BILL PAY CHECKLIST

Use this to track monthly bills, how much is due and when.

5. NON-MONTHLY BILLS CHECKLIST

Track bills that come a few times a year.

6. DEBT ERASER TRACKER

Keep tabs on your debt payments and formulate a plan to pay off debt. Watch the video, at the top, to see how I use this Debt Eraser Tracker to pay off debt.

GET BUDGETING MADE EASY

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7. FINANCIAL GOAL SETTING

Set financial goals and plan for the future.

8. ACHIEVING GOALS WORKSHEET

Plan out how you’ll achieve your financial goals.

9. INCOME BRAINSTORMING WORKSHEET

Brainstorm what expenses you can cut and ways to earn extra money.

10. CREDIT CARD TRACKER

Store your username and passwords all in one place. This is handy if you have multiple cards.

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11. CHECKBOOK REGISTER

This is a cuter way to track your checkbook activity.

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Where Can I Get Budgeting Made Easy?

Go to Budgeting Made Easy to buy my ebook and printable worksheets to help you create your own budget binder. Also, check out my new digital budget planner, Budgeting Made Easy Digital.

GET BUDGETING MADE EASY

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Related posts:

Digital Budget Planner for iPadThe Living Richly on a Budget ShopHow to Make a Budget Binder (with Printables)The Free Practical Guide to Start Your First Budget

3 Comments on The 2024 Budget Binder That Will Transform Your Finances

  1. Good morning, I want to know if you can fill my budget amount on the ebooks and then print it later. I do not want to fill the budget amount manually on the budget papers. Regard Leon

    Reply

    • I think you may able to write in it on an iPad app like Good Notes, but I haven’t tried it.

      Reply

    • Hi Leon,

      These printables can be used in GoodNotes, with an iPad and Apple Pencil. You can write in the printables and then print them from there. Hope that helps.

      Reply

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The 2024 Budget Binder That Will Transform Your Finances (12)

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The 2024 Budget Binder That Will Transform Your Finances (2024)

FAQs

What is the budget binder method? ›

“A budget binder involves manual budgeting and tracking of spending and possibly even cash envelopes to break out that budget.” You can keep your cash envelopes in a binder for easy access and also use the budget binder to plan and keep track of the following: Monthly income and expenses.

Are budget binders worth it? ›

A budget binder is a tangible way to monitor your finances, track where your money is going, and see where you can cut back to build your wealth. With a budget binder, you can consolidate your finances, set goals for your savings, and monitor the spending habits of your family in one place.

How does the 50 20 30 rule distribute your income? ›

One of the most common types of percentage-based budgets is the 50/30/20 rule. The idea is to divide your income into three categories, spending 50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings.

Does Dave Ramsey have a budget planner? ›

You can follow your progress literally, by purchasing color-coded wallets into which the observant Ramseyan places that month's precisely allotted cash. If you prefer to run your system out of your checking account(s), Ramsey offers budgeting software for $99 per year.

What is a good budget method? ›

In the 50/20/30 budget, 50% of your net income should go to your needs, 20% should go to savings, and 30% should go to your wants. If you've read the Essentials of Budgeting, you're already familiar with the idea of wants and needs. This budget recommends a specific balance for your spending on wants and needs.

What is the disadvantage of binders? ›

If your binder is too small or too tight, it can:
  • Restrict breathing.
  • Irritate your skin.
  • Break skin around the edges of the binder.
  • Cause overheating.
  • Bruise or fracture your ribs.
Apr 30, 2023

What is a cheap alternative to binders? ›

One of the most common ways to chest bind without wearing a binder is with a sports bra. Not only is this a less restrictive option than a binder, but you probably already have a sports bra or two, so you wouldn't need to purchase anything new.

How do you make a homemade budget binder? ›

Put a few empty vinyl binder sleeves in the front of the binder to collect receipts. Insert your binder dividers and label them by month. Print a monthly calendar for each month and insert them in each monthly section. Create a monthly budget of your income and expenses in a spreadsheet.

What is the 70 20 10 rule money? ›

The 70-20-10 budget formula divides your after-tax income into three buckets: 70% for living expenses, 20% for savings and debt, and 10% for additional savings and donations. By allocating your available income into these three distinct categories, you can better manage your money on a daily basis.

How much money should I have in my savings account at 30? ›

Fidelity Investments recommends saving 1x your salary by 30. At the end of 2021, the average annual salary was $49,920 for 25 to 34-year-olds and $58,604 for 35 to 44-year-olds. So the average 30-year-old should have $50,000 to $60,000 saved by Fidelity's standards.

Is 4000 a good savings? ›

Are you approaching 30? How much money do you have saved? According to CNN Money, someone between the ages of 25 and 30, who makes around $40,000 a year, should have at least $4,000 saved.

What is the #1 rule of budgeting? ›

The 50/30/20 budget rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must have or must do. The remaining half should be split between savings and debt repayment (20%) and everything else that you might want (30%).

What are the 4 Dave Ramsey funds? ›

And to go one step further, we recommend dividing your mutual fund investments equally between four types of funds: growth and income, growth, aggressive growth, and international.

What is the best budget breakdown? ›

Try a simple budgeting plan. We recommend the popular 50/30/20 budget to maximize your money. In it, you spend roughly 50% of your after-tax dollars on necessities, including debt minimum payments. No more than 30% goes to wants, and at least 20% goes to savings and additional debt payments beyond minimums.

What is binder method in real estate? ›

Finding tenants can be a timely and expensive process. McNeeley has a strategy that helps keep his tenants happy and his real estate business profitable. He calls it the "binder strategy," and it involves his tenants setting their own price. He typically uses it whenever he acquires a property and inherits tenants.

How do you make a budget saving binder? ›

Put a few empty vinyl binder sleeves in the front of the binder to collect receipts. Insert your binder dividers and label them by month. Print a monthly calendar for each month and insert them in each monthly section. Create a monthly budget of your income and expenses in a spreadsheet.

How does the 100 envelope challenge work? ›

It works like this: Gather 100 envelopes and number them from 1 to 100. Each day, fill up one envelope with the amount of cash corresponding to the number on the envelope. You can fill up the envelopes in order or pick them at random. After you've filled up all the envelopes, you'll have a total savings of $5,050.

How do I start a cash budget binder? ›

If you want to try out cash stuffing, follow these steps:
  1. Step 1: Make a budget. Allocate your income into designated spending categories, accounting for wants, needs, debt repayment and savings. ...
  2. Step 2: Label the envelopes. ...
  3. Step 3: Stuff the envelopes. ...
  4. Step 4: Only spend what's in the envelopes. ...
  5. Step 5: Repeat.
Mar 1, 2024

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