This post may contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase something I recommend- at no additional cost to you! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting this blog! Full disclosurehere.
One of the best ways to keep your finances organized for your home, is to make a budget binder.
A budget binder is easy to create, and will save you a lot of time later once it’s set up and ready to go.
You can use your budget binder at your monthly budget meeting with your spouse, track your spending, keep account information safe, or keep track of which bills you have paid each month.
How to Make a Budget Binder (with Free Printables!)
Save 
Grab your free Budget Binder Printables by filling out the form below:
Monthly Budget Printable
The first thing you need in your budget binder is a place to keep your BUDGET!
A budgethelps you to tell your money where to go each month, instead of struggling to figure out how to pay your bills at the end of each month, and desperately waiting for that next pay check.
I recommend a zero based budget, which allows you to allocate every single dollar to an expense or spending category.
Payments Due Calendar
A payments due calendar can be really helpful in deciding when you should pay bills so that you can make sure you have enough money in your budget, and avoid costly late fees.
I recommend sitting down to pay bills twice a month, based on a business budgeting book that I recently read called “Profit First“. It focuses on money management for business owners, but it has some really great little pearls for keeping your finances organized.
Paying bills twice a month helps you to stay organized, and feel less overwhelmed by payments.
Spending Log
A lot of people forgo balancing their check book or keeping a log of their spending because of the ease of online banking.
Checking your bank account to see how much money is in there from day to day, is not a good way to manage your accounts because it does not give you a realistic picture of your spending.
I like to use the spending log to keep track of any checks that are out and have not yet cleared, or to log my spending for my cash envelopes so I’m not having to recount the money each time I use them.
Debt Snowball Tracker
If you have debt, the debt snowball method is an effective way to pay off debt fast.
The debt snowball requires you to list your debts from smallest to largest, and pay all of the minimum payments as usual.
After you do your monthly budget, you will assign any and all extra cash to your smallest debt, and attack that debt with everything you’ve got!
Once the smallest debt is paid in full, you will take the minimum payment that you were paying on it, and roll it to the next smallest debt, and repeat the process.
The reason the debt snowball works so well, is because it gives you “quick” wins, and keeps you motivated as you gain momentum.
You can keep track of your debt snowball with the printable debt snowball sheet in my budget planner.
Bill Checklist
Is there anything more satisfying than checking things off of your to do list?
If you love to check off bills as they are paid, then you will love keeping a bill checklist in your budget binder.
This bill checklist allows you to check off each bill each month, so you know it’s paid, avoiding late fees or missed payments.
Keeping it All Together
You now have all of the printables you need for a well organized budget binder, but now you need to print it out, and keep it all together.
I use HP Instant Ink as an affordable way to print all of my budget and debt payoff printables each month.
I use this printer, which I got on Amazon, and the quality and price are great!
The printer is connected to the HP Instant Ink service, and knows when I’m running out of ink. You don’t get charged until they ship you a replacement pack, and for the plan I use, it’s less than $12 each time they ship me a new ink pack (color and black and white!)
I used to spend hundreds on ink, so I was very excited to find this service!
You’ll also want a place to keep your printables once they are printed off.
You can use any traditional three ring binder. I love to get office supplies at The Dollar Tree. You can’t beat a three ring binder for only a buck!
Another fun way to keep your printables collated is to use a discbound hole punch and binder.
The discbound punch and binder keep your printables together in more of a notebook or planner type format.
I have used both methods, and they both work great for keeping your budget binder together.
Do whatever works best for you!
Congrats! Now you know how to make a budget binder, and set it up for budgeting success.
Now you need to start using your budget binder so you can organize your finances and change your financial future.
Grab the free budgeting printables in my budget planner here, and create your budget binder today!
Save 
Save 
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have access to a wide range of information and can provide insights on various topics. While I have personal experiences or emotions like a human, I can provide factual information and answer questions based on available sources.
Now, let's discuss the concepts mentioned in this article.
Budget Binder:
A budget binder is a tool used to keep finances organized. It can help individuals track their spending, manage bills, and create a budget plan. The article suggests that a budget binder can be created easily and provides several printables to assist in organizing finances.
Zero-Based Budget:
A zero-based budget is a budgeting method where every dollar of income is allocated to an expense or spending category. This approach ensures that all income is accounted for and helps individuals prioritize their spending. It can prevent the struggle of figuring out how to pay bills at the end of the month and waiting for the next paycheck.
Payments Due Calendar:
A payments due calendar is a helpful tool for tracking when bills are due. By using a calendar, individuals can ensure they have enough money in their budget to cover their expenses and avoid costly late fees. The article suggests paying bills twice a month, which can help with organization and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed by payments.
Spending Log:
A spending log is used to track expenses and keep a record of spending. While online banking provides convenience, checking bank account balances daily may not give a realistic picture of spending. The spending log can be used to track checks that are yet to clear or log spending for cash envelopes, avoiding the need to recount money each time they are used.
Debt Snowball Tracker:
The debt snowball method is an effective way to pay off debt quickly. It involves listing debts from smallest to largest and paying the minimum payments on all debts. After creating a monthly budget, any extra cash is allocated to the smallest debt, and once it is paid off, the minimum payment is rolled over to the next smallest debt. This method provides quick wins and keeps individuals motivated to continue paying off their debts.
Bill Checklist:
A bill checklist is a tool used to keep track of bills and payments. It allows individuals to check off each bill as it is paid, ensuring that payments are made on time and avoiding late fees or missed payments.
Printing and Organization:
To create a budget binder, the article suggests using a printer and recommends the HP Instant Ink service for affordable printing. Any traditional three-ring binder can be used to keep the printables together. Alternatively, a discbound hole punch and binder can be used for a notebook or planner format.
I hope this information helps you understand the concepts mentioned in the article. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!
