Bullet Journaling My Way Back Into Financial Health

Although I write for a living, I enjoy it in my spare time as well. In fact, I’ll journal about, well, just about anything most of the time. More recently, I’ve fallen in love with the idea of bullet journals. You can use them to organize just about anything. Here’s how bullet journaling can help your overall financial health.

What is a Bullet Journal?

A bullet journal is similar to a “regular” journal. It differs in the fact that you aren’t writing out long sentences. In fact, you are using short-hand and bulleting your ideas or recording information in a quick fashion. It helps with rapid logging, keeping track of tasks and events. Some individuals also use bullet journals for organizing ideas for a project or book as well. But how do you use this style of journaling to improve your finances?

Bullet Journaling for Finance

Bullet journaling can be a great way to track a number of things in your financial life. Here are just a few things I’ve been tracking in my finance bullet journal…

1. Budgeting –  You can easily jot down your budget in a bullet journal. I go over my budget monthly and bullet point my expenses, savings, debt payments, and entertainment costs. See my bullet journal here.
2. Track spending – If you’re going to use a bullet journal to budget, you should also use it to track your spending. This is one of the easier ways to use bullet journaling for finance. Each time you spend money, add it as a bullet to your spending page. This can help you become aware of how much you are spending each day.
3. Goal making – Everyone has financial goals. The front of your finance bullet journal is a great place to list these. This way, each time you open your journal you’ll be reminded of what you’re working towards.
4. Keep track of savings goals – You can use bullet points in your journal to tally up your savings over time. This can help motivate you to reach your goals.
5. Record debt payments – If you have debt payoff goals, you can also use your journal to track progress. Each time you pay off a debt, subtract it in your bullet journal from your overall debt.

Other Bullet Journal Uses

Finances aren’t the only thing you can use a bullet journal for. In fact, bullet journaling is great for tracking a number of things. Here are just a few more ways to use your bullet journal.

1. Fitness – Set fitness goals and track your workouts using a bullet journal. This can help you stay on track as well as remember what has done well over time (i.e. revisiting old workouts and nutrition plans).
2. Meals/meal planning – Bullet journals are great for tracking and planning meals as well.
3. Inspirational quotes – Create individual pages for inspiration. For instance, create a page for when you need to be motivated then fill that page with quotes that motivate you.
4. Travel – Make a checklist in your bullet journal before you visit a new place. This will help ensure you see everything you wanted to see while you’re traveling.
5. Planning – Bullet journals are also great for general planning. If you are getting ready for a big event or working on a large project, a bullet journal can be extremely helpful.

Bullet journaling can be extremely beneficial for staying on top of things. Whether you’re wanting to get fit (physically or financially), or you simple want to better organize your thought, a bullet journal can help you get the job done.

Readers, have you ever used a bullet journal? What did you use it for? Was it helpful? 

Read More

• Budget Exercise: How to Get Fit For Free
• Is It Easier to Budget as a Minimalist?
• How to Practice Self-Care on a Budget
• Budget Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Amanda Blankenship

Amanda Blankenship is a full-time stay-at-home mom. Her family recently welcomed their second child, a baby boy, into the world. She loves writing about various topics, including politics and personal finance. In her spare time, Amanda loves to play with her kids, make food from scratch, crochet, and read.