When it comes to setting up your budget it helps to have somewhere pretty to keep it and make it fun!
Budgeting doesn’t have to be boring and with no color. There are lots of monthly budget templates and budget planners that will keep you financially organized and enjoy it to boot.
We’ve sorted through the best budgeting planners to get you started on your financial journey. There are so many popular planners out there such as the Living Well Planner.
By the end of this article, you will have plenty of options for the best budgeting planner specifically for you.
Table of Contents
What Are Budget Planners?
Budget planners are generally planners with budgeting – in which you can write your budget out.
The content that they have inside them will vary from where you buy them from.
It will help guide you through setting up your budget and keep you accountable as you go through month-to-month.
If you are new to budgeting these will be perfect for you. It is easy to get overwhelmed with starting budgeting and it helps to have everything laid out in front of you.
Why Should I Use a Budget Planner?
Managing your money is massively underrated. If you look at very rich people such as players in the NBA or NFL, plenty of them end up losing all of their money and going bankrupt.
More money does not equal good money management or that suddenly all of your money problems will go away.
It’s vitally important to make sure that you are using your money to give yourself the best life that you are able to.
This means making sure that your bills are covered, having some money to enjoy yourself and making sure that you are covered for the future.
Budgeting will help you cashflow Christmas and birthdays, it will help you save up for your family vacation and have savings for retirement.
Best Budget Planners & Binders
The Budgeting Binder / The Savvy Couple
Cost: $27
This colorful budget binder is our creation! We wanted to make something that would be incredibly helpful for you on your journey.
We used our budgeting skills to pay off $25,000 worth of debt in 5 months and wanted to help you to do the same.
This is a 20+ page printable and digital binder that will help you to:
- Start a budget that actually works
- Track your spending
- Prepare for emergencies
- Pay off your debt
- Help you live a less stressful life
There are plenty of reviews for you to have a read through and see if it sounds like the budget planner for you. We have included everything that we believe will help you with your budgeting journey.
The Extra Income Budget / The Money Fox
Cost: $19.50 for printable
$37.50 for physical planner
This budget planner is from our friend Francesca over at The Money Fox. There are 2 different covers available – a flower cover and a stripey cover.
This budget planner is set up with Francesca’s unique budgeting method in her signature pretty pink style.
There are 245 pages and this is available either in physical format or as a downloadable printable. It also comes with a handy guide for those who are new to budgeting.
Francesca paid off her debt as a single mom using this planner and went on to use it to budget for other goals such as saving for a house deposit and vacations.
The planner includes 4 budget sheets per month for those who are paid multiple times a month.
BoxClever Press Budget Planner
Cost: $16.99
This is one of the highest-rated planners with budgets on Amazon, so we are confident that this would be one that you’d like.
A bonus of this planner is that it has a hardback cover which should protect it – handy if you are taking it around in your purse with you everywhere.
It’s another one with a pretty, floral design that you will want to fill out. Another little feature that we like is that there are pockets inside that you can use to store your receipts.
Your Balanced Monthly Budget Planner / Kimberly Palmer
Cost: $7.88
The creator of this budget planner knows her stuff – she is the former senior money editor for the U.S. News and World Report.
We love the shape of this planner as it’s easy to write in due to how long it is. The cover band is removable – it has a discreet design on the outside.
Inside the planner, you will find user-friendly monthly tables which let you record and manage your expenses by category, as well as see the big-picture impact of day-to-day decisions.
The daily trackers are especially well laid out – this would be a really easy way to keep on top of your spending.
BoxClever Press Budget Planner
Cost: $19.99
If you do a search for the best budgeting planners, this one will always come up. This is the very popular Clever Fox Budget Planner which comes with a set of stickers.
It works best for those who are paid monthly and therefore do a monthly budget.
This stylish updated budget planner includes 12 months of financial planning with pages for setting financial goals, monthly budgeting, expense tracking, and monthly reviews.
It is updated so that you can start at any time. It comes with a pocket to keep your receipts in.
If you want a simple planner that you can carry around with you each day, this could be the one for you.
Mead Organizer Expense Tracker
Cost: $15.67
If you aren’t sure where to start with budgeting then this could be the best budget planner to begin with, as it’s so simple.
It focuses on expense tracking which is one of the most important parts of any budget.
For those who want to keep all of their expenses in one place that’s easy to find it all together, this is for you (for example business expenses).
You can choose from either pink or purple covers for this planner. Another great touch that they’ve added is the fact that they give you a link to download more pages if you need them.
Limitless Mindset Budget Planner
Cost: $16.95
Along with this budget planner you also receive cash envelopes, stickers, and a pen!
This is a good beginner budget planner if you are after something which is simple and not too overwhelming.
The front cover is made of PU leather and it includes 2 thick front and back pockets perfect for bills, receipts, and money.
Each month is color-coded and every page is organized neatly to help keep you on track.
Looking through the reviews it appears that the debt tracking isn’t as good in this planner as it is in the other planners we’ve looked at, so this is something to bear in mind.
May Designs Budget Planner
Cost: $24 plus any additional customization
The Budget Journal is a great way to track your finances by documenting income, monthly bills, and weekly expenses. If you are interested in planning for expenses and staying on top of your budget, this budget journal is perfect for you.
There are 80 pages with 18 months total of budgeting template pages. This is a pretty and nicely laid out budget planner.
There is also the option to customize the front cover which is a fun touch. There is a lot of space to write in your finances, so this is perfect if you have a lot to write down.
Ashley Shelly Budget Notebook
Cost: $13
There are a few different cover options available for the budget notebook – black herringbone, blush stripe, floral, blueberry geo and Chambray stripe.
The notebook will last for 13 months on a monthly budget, 6 months on a bi-weekly budget, and 3 months on a weekly budget.
The pages inside are:
- All Bills List/Annual Bills List
- Savings Tracker
- Financial Goals
- Purchase Wish List
- 13 Full Spread Layouts for Budgeting
- Debts Overview
- Debt Repayment Plans (7)
- Note Pages (5)
- Logins/Passwords List
We love the notes sections too, for writing down any thoughts that you have about your budget or spending.
Be Your Best You Notebooks
Cost: $10.99
When I first looked at their range of products, I thought it was a bunch of cash envelopes. It’s actually mini planners and trackers in different colors!
There are different planners based on what you want to track e.g. there are workout ones, habits, and sleep, etc.
We are looking at their budget notebook, which is a really easy to use system.
It includes:
- Designated boxes for your monthly budget goals and expenses
- 13 monthly charts to track your daily expenses
- Printed on high quality 60# bright white forest friendly paper
- Monthly charts help you see your progress over time
