How Using A Bullet Journal Can Help With Your Budgeting & Everyday Finances 

Wellness is one of the top priority goals in life for young and the elderly alike today. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the world has woken up to the fact that we each have to take personal responsibility for our own physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Self-care has become one of the most important master-plans in life. It is a crucial contributor to overall wellness, stress-reduction and finding peace and happiness. 

When we talk about wellness, it’s not just physical or mental. It includes spiritual, environmental, social and financial health as well. 

With this aim in mind, there are a number of tools, programs, procedures and methods to ensure that self-care is not a passive process, but a proactive and conscious route to wellness. 

A very effective, simple and satisfying method is journaling. Writing a journal or diary has been in vogue for centuries, and it allows you to share your innermost thoughts and feelings in the most non-judgmental and confidential way possible. A great side-effect of journaling is that it’s also a fabulous stress-buster. It allows you to connect with yourself regularly on a deep level, and reveal your true self without fear or embarrassment. Journaling helps to clarify your thoughts, make sense of the day’s events, and think back and forward while being rooted in the present. It can also serve as a planner and to-do list that keeps you organized and on top of your daily schedules. 

Today, the concept of journaling has expanded to encompass much more in the form of Bullet Journaling or BuJo. Find ideas on how to journal at Rest and Digest. 

Bullet Journaling and Financial Wellbeing

A large majority of people report that money worries are one of the biggest causes of stress in their lives. You may think that being a millionaire or a comfortably well-off person frees you from these anxieties. However, stress about money management and budgeting can still bother you, no matter how huge your bank balance. 

It is not easy to discuss finances or your money situation with everyone, especially your personal finances and goals. Professional financial advisers may give you the right advice to achieve your long-term goals, but you may still feel anxious and stressed about how to manage daily budgeting and everyday finances. 

Finances, saving and spending patterns are largely learned early in life. Later, you may have to live on a shoestring budget as a student, and when you finally get a job, it seems like freedom! This is where you could find yourself in trouble if you’re not careful. 

When we talk about financial wellness, it’s not just about remaining debt-free. It’s also about planning for retirement, feeling financially secure, planning for luxuries and holidays, balancing your income and your expenses, and taking advantage of the latest financial instruments and information. 

BuJo is a ready reckoner where you can get instant updates about your present financial status. It is where you record your income, and list your expenses every day. From this daily record, you can easily plot patterns and trends. You can spot your financial behaviors, and link them to other emotional patterns in your life. 

For instance, many of us take comfort in retail therapy when we feel stressed or depressed. It usually ends with buying stuff we don’t need or want! With the help of your BuJo, you can recognize and pre-empt such behaviors and find a more effective coping method. 

Very often, at the end of the month, we are clueless about where our money went. Most times it has been spent on necessities and legitimate expenses but because you can’t remember the details, it sets off a stress spiral. Noting your expenses in your BuJo keeps you on the ball. You can evaluate your financial behaviors and take the required steps to course correct or improve. 

Another great way that bullet journaling helps is to serve as a reminder of upcoming big-ticket or important expenses. You may have a vacation, anniversary or family event coming up. Or your insurance premiums have to be paid on time to avoid penalties or lapse. If you have important investments to make, your BuJo notes will show you the way forward. 

Bullet journals allow you to categorize and organize your expenses under different headings. This way, you know exactly where the large outgoings are and possible ways in which you can cut costs. 

If you’re the kind of person who runs up large credit card bills, your BuJo helps to keep track of these expenses. This way you can design your future spending patterns so that some expenses go into the next billing cycle and don’t get clumped together creating financial stress.

Looking at the larger picture, BuJo allows responsible, accountable behavior. It gives you the opportunity to reflect on your past, present and future financial status, celebrate your successes, learn from your mistakes and make the most of the financial resources available to you.