1/5/2024 0 Comments Money budget planner bookYou can also also use your bank statements to fill in the amount of each recurring bill (if it varies slightly each month, I usually write down what it is when the bill is on the higher end) and the day of the month it comes out of the account. If you don’t already have a list of your recurring payments, look back over your last few months of bank statements (most banks provide them online these days!) and write down each bill that you pay on a recurring basis. What if I don’t know what recurring payments I have? Recurring contributions to savings (like a general savings account or a retirement fund).Regular charitable giving (like to churches or non-profits).Tuition or lesson fees (like kids’ music lessons, sports teams, or clubs).Subscription services (like Netflix, magazine subscriptions, or meal services).Utility bills (like electric, gas, water, and sewage).Insurance payments (like homeowner’s insurance, car insurance, or health insurance).Loan payments (like rent or a mortgage, car payment, or student loan).This includes anything we pay on a yearly, quarterly, or monthly basis. The next thing I wanted to have in our Budget Binder was a list of recurring expenses. Paying off those student loans will feel better than an extra meal out ever could! Tracking Recurring Expenses with the Budget Planner Then, for example, if we’re really tempted to go out to eat instead of just grabbing something from home, we think of our goal. If we’re looking at them each day or week when we’re tracking expenses in the binder, we renew our commitment and drive to reach them. These goals and action steps are in the front of the binder for a reason– they’re there as a constant reminder of what we’re working toward. However we decide to do it, it’s not enough to just set the goal. Or maybe we can cut down on our budget in other areas like clothing or eating out to come up with the extra cash. Maybe we can get an extra little side job to make some additional money to put toward the debt. Maybe we’ll plan to make a double payment each month. We’ll write it down on this page, give ourselves a timeframe in which to complete it (by the end of December 2024), and then we’ll list the action steps that we are going to take in order to reach that goal. Let’s say we’ve set a goal to pay off our student loans in the next year. When Donnie and I take the time to sit down together and write out our financial goals, it puts us on the same page, and we are much more likely to achieve what we set out to do! Goal setting is oh-so-important to me, especially when it comes to finances.
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