![]() ![]() The first time I added our monthly bills to a calendar I noticed the majority of them fell in the first 2 weeks of the month. This can be eye-opening when you first do it. Here are some common bills you’ll want to make sure you add: Make sure you’re including all your fixed expenses, as well as any irregular bills like insurance or vehicle registration. In order to see which bills need to be paid with which paycheck, you’ll need to add their due dates and amounts to your calendar. With calendar budgeting, you can turn the page or swipe over a month to see which bills will need to come out of which paychecks. Sure we stayed on budget toward the end of last month, but then we wouldn’t have money budgeted for the start of this month. Using a traditional budget to forecast our month would always leave us short as we started the next month. We get paid every 2 weeks so our second pay period usually crosses over into the next month. My favorite aspect of a budget calendar is how easy it makes paycheck budgeting. Whether you get paid weekly, bi-weekly, twice a month, or once a month, you’ll want to add your payday(s) to your calendar and make a note of how much you expect to be paid. You can also track any automated savings that are coming out of your bank account. Your calendar budget doesn’t have to be complex.Īt a minimum, you just need to make a note of your income and your monthly expenses. To get started you just need to gather the information you want to track. The reason a budget calendar works so well is that it’s so simple to make. If you’re constantly checking your calendar app or you use a physical planner to manage your life, those might be better places to build your budget so you remember to actually use it. I’ve found it easier to adopt a new habit by tying it into something I already do. If you’re not diligent about checking into the app regularly, it defeats the whole purpose. If you’d like to try out a dedicated app here are some to look into:Īs much as I love new technology and playing with apps, be careful if you go this route. There are also some apps that offer calendar budgeting. You may want to create a separate “calendar” for just the budget so you can turn it on and off if your days get too crowded. If that’s the case, you can also use it for your budget. You may already have your work and personal life scheduled out in Google Calendar or some other online calendar. Or if you prefer a budget calendar with more advanced options (like a spending tracker and bill organizer) you can find a monthly budget calendar printable PDF in my free Budget Guide. If you’re a pen and paper kind of person, you can just grab whatever calendar or planner you have laying around. ![]() You can DIY it with either paper or digital calendars or you can use an app designed specifically for calendar budgeting. When it comes to making a budget calendar you’ve got a few options in terms of your format. All you need is a blank calendar to start. One of the best parts of using a budget calendar is how easy they are to make. You’ll be more confident setting aside money knowing you’ll have enough to cover the bills coming due before you get paid again.Ĭalendar budgeting is a great way to start building your sinking funds and emergency fund. Having a clear picture of your inflows and outflows makes it easier to save money. The calendar budget helps to guarantee you have the funds available when the credit card or other bill needs to get paid. This means you’ll always know when something is due and can be sure to pay it in time. Keep on Top of Your BillsĪnother key benefit of a budget calendar is the ability to see your bills and paydays at a glance. With a calendar budget, you can easily see that splurging on dinner and a movie today will affect your ability to pay the bill coming due in 2 days. ![]() Traditional budgets may give you a feeling that certain expenses are coming up but there’s a disconnect that makes it all too easy to spend without awareness. Improve Cash FlowĪ calendar gives you a good overall look at your obligations and expected paydays so you can better manage your cash flow. There are several benefits to using a calendar to budget your money. You may or may not want to track all of your outflows on your calendar. This will give you clarity into your financial situation at a glance. The primary things you’ll add to your budget calendar are your paydays, your bill due dates, and any automated savings withdrawals. Just as you track your activities in a calendar, you can track your income and expenses. It’s a way of integrating your budget into your life that’s more intuitive. As the name implies a budget calendar is simply a calendar you use to manage your budget.
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