Budgeting 101: Getting the Best Budget Planner

Have you ever wondered how sometimes money slips swiftly through your fingers?

This is because when we don’t keep track of our finances, we tend to forget setting
aside money for priorities and end up spending on the unnecessary stuffs which could
place us in a tight position the moment we find-out our spending is greater than that of
our income.

Not to mention not being able to spare a dime for your savings account.

So, if you want to change this lifestyle and switch into a budget-friendly one wherein you
can track and trace your finances as well as help you set aside budget for your priorities
then the first move you can make to act on this is to get your own budget planner.

It’s a starter to help you and your wallet get back on track by organizing and managing
your finances effectively.

Today we’re going to take a look at the best budget planner options available for you, its
best features, what qualifies as the “best” budget planner and monthly budget
application options too for those who prefer using their mobile devices for budgeting.

So, buckle up as we delve into the interesting world of budgeting!

Related Reads: How to Budget and Save Money to Transform your Finances

What is a Budget Planner?

Just like a normal planner that organizes, dates and lists special events—a budget
planner tracks all your financial data.

It can be used to organize monthly bills and subscriptions, track receivable cash and
plot the date on which it is collectible, trace outstanding debts and record the balances
left as well as record monthly savings made and lastly, jot down special notes about
your financing.

In this manner, all cash inflows and outflows daily, monthly and yearly can be tracked
for your convenience (ease of access to your financial data) and of course you could
manage your finances knowing every penny that comes in and out of your pocket.
Why do I need a Budget Planner?

Keeping track of your finances might be difficult without a planner since there’d be too
much information to remember which could lead to you forgetting about them especially
the relevant ones.

It’s much convenient and safer to know what expense should be set aside first in their
order of priority.

In that way, you won’t miss on your payables and receivables and will make your life a
lot easier and fewer worries to think about.

This means that you’d already know which money would go to your savings account, for
your monthly bills and the money that would go to yourself that is, having full control on
where your money is going.

Therefore, the best positive impact of budgeting would be getting the best and worry-
free life that you deserve.

What Budget Planner is the Best for Me?

Typically, any budget planner would work for everyone.

However, if you have personal preferences or standards as to choosing your budget

planner then that would work too.

The important matter here is that the budget planner you’ll pick would be useful to you
and if it could, motivate you on managing and organizing your finances!

If you prefer the bright coloured ones or the ones with lots of pockets or the floral ones
then pick it!

Remember, your budget planner is a personal tool to help you in your finances so
choose what sparks joy and motivation to help you live the best live you could possibly
deserve.

What Qualifies as the Best Budget Planner?

Let’s take a look on what features should a “best” budgeting planner include.

Feature Description
A good budget planner should include a space for you to track
your monthly expenses whether in utilities, food, gas. etc. This is
Expense Tracker
because it should give you a birds-eye view on your expense
and know which part of it might be adjusted in the future.
For you to be able to budget efficiently, you should know how
Income Tracker much is coming in your bank account so you could manage your
finances.
This spot can be a calendar on which you can mark with stickers
on to know which dates has this expense/debt to be paid so you
Monthly Overview
wouldn’t forget any important reminder since going over your
planner page by page might take some time.
An important part of the planner on which you can write down
your goals weekly/monthly/yearly and go check on it if it has
Goal Page been fulfilled by the end of the date set. This will help you
remind to budget effectively since you have goals that you want
to achieve.
Pockets are really important to keep notes, receipts and other
papers that could potentially affect your finances or for simply
Receipt Pockets
just for tracking. 1 pocket would suffice but it’s much to have a
few more so your papers are organized.
This spot will be your space for checking the total accumulated
Savings Checker
savings over the past months.
A space for you to track dents and balances left until they are
Debt Tracker fully paid will help you budget how much money you’re going to
set aside for it monthly.
Who says budgeting can’t be in style? Pick the planner that suits
Fits your Style
your style to spark motivation as well!
It’s much nicer to get an undated planner so that you can just
Undated Planner
start your budgeting technique any time you want.

6 Handpicked Budget Planners for You

We handpicked 6 best budget planners for you to help you kickstart your budgeting
plans today.
1. Clever Fox Budget Planner | Cost $19.99

Pros Cons
Undated planner + List your goals Lacks empty spaces for other notes
Compact + w/ Stickers + No bleed paper Rather small (A5 Size)
 Pocket for receipts and bills + Pen loop
Organizes monthly and yearly

The first budgeting planner to make it into our list is the Clever Fox Budget Planner.

It features the necessary spots to help you organize your finances like a monthly budget
overview, monthly budget, strategies and tactics upon managing your finances, trackers
for both savings, debt and expense as well as your financial goals, budget and tacker
for special occasions like Christmas and your yearly financial overview.

It has a calendar where monthly bills and receipts can be noted.

Pockets where important papers can be tucked.

It’s compact, elegant, hard-covered and comes along with 23 other colours to choose
from.

This will suit those who prefer the simple yet classy type of planner.

2. Mead Organizer Expense Tracker | Cost $14.99

If you prefer a larger planner which is spacious enough for notes and other important
bills and receipts as well as a cheaper organizer then this planner is for you.
 Pros Cons
Undated monthly planner Pages might be loose since it’s a binder
Budget friendly + Best for starters Thin paper (might bleed)
Spacious for other important notes
Comprehensive Expense Tracker
12 different pockets to store bills etc.

It features a monthly pocket for bills and other important receipts to store them by the
month on which they are due or paid which helps you organize your important papers
and access them easily.

The monthly worksheets help you monitors your monthly expenses and it has a
calendar which can give you an overview of important events like due dates and when
receivables are ready for collection.

The checklist can be used for other important reminders which require detailed
explanation on top of the overview calendar.

A large space on the left side can be used for other important notes or reminders that
you want to store in your planner like landline numbers etc.

It has three tech lock ring binders with fabric gusset and two strap locks to keep your
planner in place.

It features 2 colour options for you which are purple and pink.
3. Your Balanced Budget by Palmer, K. | Cost $7.99
 Pros
Straight-forward and Simple
Daily & Monthly Tracker
Compact and lightweight
Undated + Yearly Review
Cons
Lacks pockets for bills etc.
No space for other important notes
No monthly calendar to write reminders
Lacks spot for financial goals

This is a very straight-forward and simple planner for organizing finances.

It features a daily to monthly expense tracker that separates your fixed expenses like
bus fare, groceries etc. from other expenses.

You can also keep track of how much you’re earning daily from wages and your other
source of income i.e., small business or earnings from commissions.

This planner suits those who prefer to know the daily impact of their spending as well as
controlling it to save more.

Using this planner will give you an overview of how your decisions everyday can impact
your finances and what measures you can do to change any habit or spending that you
find to have a huge impact on your finances and act on it.

It also features a yearly review page where you can assess your financial management
performance at the end of the year and whether or not you have improved on managing
it effectively.

However, it doesn’t have space for other important stuffs like pockets for tucking bills in
one place, calendar for reminders as well as a monthly reminder on important events.
So, if you prefer keeping all important documents relating to your budgeting/financing
then check out the planners available above with those features.

Despite its lacking features it still serves its purpose of helping you budget effectively
and on top of that it costs lower than most of the planners available in the market
compensating the features it lacks.
4. Boxclever Press Large Budget Planner | Cost $19.99

Pros
Undated (start anytime!)
Daily and monthly tracker + reflection
page
Monthly calendar + bill tracker
13 robust pockets for keeping bills
Yearly overview + list future goals
Cons
Spiral-type; pages might tear/not intact
Large; difficult to carry around anywhere
1 line space only per date (for trackers
etc)

A high-rated budget planner in Amazon!

This all-in-one planner features monthly tracker for income, savings and budgeting as
well as a monthly calendar for an overview of your monthly financing activities.

Monthly calendar has space enough for a wide variety of notes that you might need to
jot-down on specific months.

It features a bill tracker to keep track of important payment due dates as well as large
monthly pockets to store those bills with different colourful designs per pocket.

It has a daily tracker that can help you identify bad spending habits and possibly correct
them to help you manage your finances properly.
 Pages to track expenses for special occasions available as well to know the total
spending you’ve made in these occasions as well as setting budget for these events.

Special pockets are allotted for occasions so that tracking will be a breeze.

This planner is equipped with all the important features needed for a budget planner to
help you properly organize and manage your finances.

It has a page for yearly review to look back and see what you’ve achieved during the
year and a page for future goals as well.

The planner is beautifully crafted with a stunning pattern and has a page marker to
navigate easily to where you left off.

This budget planner suits those who prefer large spaces for notes and other important
stuffs while getting a very organized planner for managing finances.

5. GoGirl Budget Planner | Cost $16.99

A very compact all-around all in one planner that organizes finances and notes in one
page allowing you quick access on the important stuffs with just one flick of a page.
 Pros Cons
Compact and Portable + small yet
Smaller than a regular A5 planner
spacious enough for important notes
Creatively plan w/ free stickers
Income, savings, expenses tracker
Monthly review of financial performance
Different colours + budget friendly
Pen loop + 2 ribbon page markers
Pockets for bills + bleed resistant paper

It features a monthly budget page to list and total your expenses, a monthly budget
review to check on areas that needs improvement with regards to your finances.

It has a monthly page allocated for important reminders, goals as well as a brief
summary of your expenses such as your purchases and incoming bills.

It also comes with a monthly tracker for your income, savings and expenses as well as
spending for special occasions like Christmas allowing a smooth and organized flow for
your finances not leaving an important detail behind.
 The planner is undated which allows you to start anytime and it comes with a user
manual to guide you in using the panner as well as bonus stickers to help you creatively
plan your finances.

One amazing perk of this planner is that it’s compact and portable enough to carry it
anywhere you want and there are 12 varieties of colours to choose from as well
depending on your choice of colour.

This planner would suit those on-the-go people who frequently travels, for college
students or if you simply prefer the small, compact and well-organized planner then this
one is for you.

6. Undated Budget Planner by Limitless | Cost $16.69

 Pros
Undated + comprehensively organized
Cash envelope system (w tracker)
Stylus-pen + pen loop + elastic closure
Goal tracker + stickers
Quickly monitor progress + cost friendly
Cons
No empty calendar
Lacks extra spaces for notes
Spiral-type (Pages might fold)

This planner is one of Amazon’s best choices as it features the cash envelope system
unlike any other planners.

As we all know, the cash envelope system organizes your bills according to their
specified category whether for expenses, savings, debt and special occasions so as to
not mix them up with each other.

The budgeting planner features a spending, savings, debt, bill, income, review and goal
tracker which is pretty much all the possible tracking organizers for your finances and
monitor your progress.

The planner comes with 3 cash envelopes to track your monthly budget by category
hence, a good overview on your spending and would help you spot the bad habits.
It also comes with a pen-stylus that can be used in your journal and devices, a pen-loop
to hold pens in place, inner pockets to store bills as well as cash envelopes and stickers
for better organizing.

The planner is crafted with PU leather hardcover in elegant black colour with 2 pockets
in the front and back.

This would suit those on-the-go people who prefers having a compact all-around-
planner which is comprehensively organized with a stylish look.

Best Budgeting Mobile Applications

If you prefer organizing your finances through the use of your mobile devices (on which
you already have) then budgeting apps are available as well.

These applications are often free to use and is quite handy since you carry your phone,
tablet or laptop anywhere which means you carry around with you your budgeting tool.

We will list down our top 2 budgeting applications as well as its features to help you
kickstart your mobile budgeting today!

1. Mint by Intuit | The Best Virtual Planner

Virtual Budget Planner Spending Tracker Monitors Credit

Tracks your spending
Go digital and get rid of
activity and notifies when
spreadsheets.
you overspend.
Informs when there are
chances on credit reports
24/7.

Offers a wide variety of features to help you organize your finances, budget properly,
and improve spending habits.

The application offers tracking monthly bills so as to not skip a due date.

Safety measures are employed to keep user-date safe with 256-bit encryption and
multi-factor authentication to protect your privacy.

In a nutshell, Mint automatically organizes your financial transactions from savings,

expenses to monthly payables to make your life easier and an overview of your overall
cashflow.

The application is absolutely free to use however has in-app advertisements and some
technical glitches and errors which are common in virtual applications.
2. PocketGuard | Budget App for Overspending

Checking Tabs Tracks Bills & Lowers All Accounts in One

Rate Place
Monitors overspending.
Helps you pay before due Link accounts to keep
Presents chart on which
dates & negotiates for them in track all in one
expense eats up the most
lower bill rates. app.
dollar!

Simplifying personal financing by helping you control your money, improve spending
habits and grow savings for the future.

Automatically syncs your bank account for real-time tracking on how much money you
currently have available for spending after setting budget for bills, debts, savings and
other necessities.

The name itself implies on guarding your pocket hence, PocketGuard.

It allows you to see which expense incurs too much money and find ways to improve on
that spending.

PocketGuard ensures users of their privacy and information safety through pin codes,
biometrics and an encryption with the same level as of the banks.

The basic version of the app is free however, to avail all the features and maximize
experience with PocketGuard, you can choose to avail the monthly subscription of
$4.99 and unlock the Pro version.
… Planner or Mobile?

Budgeting Planner Mobile Applications

Pros Cons Pros Cons
 Intangible + start
 You need to purchase  Technical issues like
 Tangible (physical) immediately through app
first glitches
download
 Equipped w/ more  Increase screen time
 Hassle to carry around  You can carry anywhere
organizing essentials (screen radiation)
 Costly in the long-run
 Allows for a time away  Lacks other budgeting
(purchase planner  Mostly free
mobile/electronic device tools
yearly)
 Can be motivating to  Can be confusing to
really start budgeting use.
 Keeps records of your
 Small screen
finances yearly
 Difficult to obtain data in
 Easy to obtain case device needs
information reformat or transfer of
devices
 You need to avail the
 Includes inside pockets
Pro version to unlock all
to tuck bills and receipts.
features

I think it all depends on your personal preference whether or not you’re settling on
mobile applications or getting a tangible planner.

As long as it achieves the goal of helping you organize, track and budget your finances
then the method used doesn’t matter anymore.

However, the tangible budgeting planner could encourage motivation on properly

managing your finances as well as reduces screen time since we’re already too caught
up with our electronic devices.

It’s much nicer to spend some time jotting down important reminders in your tangible
planner, tucking bills and setting financial goals—you’d find it more fulfilling.

At the end of the day, the decision is up to you as long as it helps you achieve your
financial goal and it makes your life easier.

Final Thoughts…

There are a wide variety of tools to help you start your budgeting plans today and it all
goes down to which method works for you and make your life easier.

You also have to take note that these are just “tools” to help you budget effectively but
the determination and discipline needed to effectively plan and budget your finances
depends all on you.

These planner options either physical or virtual would definitely help you kickstart your
budgeting plans today!
You just got to choose which one works perfectly for you!