How to Use Bullet Journals to Manage Money

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As I get older I’ve realized that the only way to make a life that I love living is to be more intentional with my finances. This means actively tracking how much money I make, how I spend it and ultimately how much money I save. Over time I have learned how to use bullet journals to manage money more efficiently and effectively and I’ll give you a few suggestions on how to start.

Using bullet journals to manage money is one of the best methods I’ve used yet. There are many apps and spreadsheet templates out there but bullet journals are simply easier and more accessible to everyone. You don’t need fancy equipment to use a bullet journal and I have listed down the supplies I use for my journals.

I should warn you that this will take some effort because bullet journals require that you actually think and write down about whatever you are tracking. That’s probably why they work so well.

First thing first if you haven’t started using bullet journals here are some of the supplies that you will need to set one up.

SUPPLIES THAT YOU WILL NEED TO SET UP YOUR JOURNAL:

There a few super affordable supplies that you will need to start using the bujo system. I have listed them down below and I have also linked some of them to Amazon for great deals.

A bullet journal. I like this journal because it is easy to use and easy to customize.
Washi tape. These are a lifesaver!
Pens and highlighters. You will need these multicolored pens to write and highlight different tasks.
Sticky notes that can be used as dividers as well for easy reference. If you want to add a sticky note and also mark the page the dividers are very helpful.
Stencils are for the artistic planner who wants to use symbols and standardize their journal to look the same. For example the lettering stencil can be used for titles and headings.
Whiteout. If you make a mistake or priorities change whiteout is great for erasing things and modifying them as well.

The best way to use bullet journals for managing money is to divide them into categories.

Budget bullet journal for all your budgets. Create a monthly or weekly budget on your journal and track it.
Spending bullet journal. Track all your spending daily or weekly on your journal.
Saving bullet journal. Create a visual tracker of your savings and check off milestones as you reach them. It’s so rewarding!

These three categories enable me to see at a glance exactly what I am doing with my money on a daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly basis. Here are some of the best examples of using bullet journals to manage finances.

Table of Contents

Bullet Journals for Managing Money:

Debt Payoff Journal

The simplicity of this journal is what I love most. It’s straightforward and easy to use. It’s a great example that we can copy for paying off debt. Also on the next page there is an emergency fund tracker to safeguard your future.

Debt payoff has been a long time goal of mine because I want to ensure that I don’t owe anyone money. It gives me peace of mind knowing that my money is all mine. Also when you think about debt to income ratio it will help you when you try to buy a house and make big life investments.

Bullet journal to manage money — **Source**

I’ve also linked Dave Ramsey’s steps here to help building your journal.

Savings Tracker Bullet Journal

Bullet journals are very similar to visual boards. I struggle to save sometimes but this tracker below is a great motivator. The money that you decide to save can be more or less because it’s customizable.

Cross off each level as you increase your savings and make sure that you create affirmations that boost your motivation to save.

There are ways that can push us to our savings goals faster here.

Spending Tracker Bullet Journal

This one is like a self motivator and resolve booster and I loved it! I think I would actually copy this page and stick it on my dresser as a daily reminder. Customize the journal to encourage yourself not to spend. Notice how the owner has reminders like, “You have plenty of clothes”. If you struggle to stop spending this is a great bullet journal idea. Here is a list of things I stopped buying to save money.

Budget Bullet Journal for Couples

These two budget journals are great for singles and couples as well. Their simplicity is what drew me to them. I think that couples who manage their finances together are more successful in their wealth management than those who don’t.

Bullet journals for managing money — **Source**

Here is another great example of how a couple would track their money using a bullet journal.

Save $100 a Month Bullet Journal

Seeing this journal makes me optimistic in terms of saving goals because it shows you that you are capable of saving successfully. Start small or even go big and do $500 a month!

All in One Budget Tracker

This is one of the more clever bullet journals for managing money I’ve seem. From this design you have a visual of everything that you did with your money. It has a spot for what has been saved in the bank and goals for saving. Just below that you can set up a budget and track it. On the right side there is space exclusively for tracking expenses.

Monthly Budget Bullet Journal

See below how easy it is to create a journal that shows your personalized information. You could practically plan for anything on a journal from month to month.

The next one is also great for people who like minimalism. Simply set up a block for the budget section then draw a line and set up account balances. On the right side track daily, weekly or monthly usage.