Binder Series: Finance Binder- Part 1

I am so excited to start this series, it has been something I have wanted to do all year.... it has just taken me this long to get it going.  Every since I started my File Cabinet System, I have wanted to revamp how I handle my current papers- papers that I need right now and that can't be filed away.  I originally used my file cabinet for these papers, but the system just was not working for me... so now I introduce you to my Binders.  I LOVE THEM!!!

Here is all of them!  At least the ones I have done.  Still have 4 to do (I believe).  I also want to do side binder banners.  I just haven't had the time.

Each one was pretty easy to create. I got some different binders from Office Depot (plus what I had already).  I choose some different colors one to give the space some color and to help tell them apart.  I got the binders that have the pockets on the front, back and side, to put a cover page and banner so I can know what binder it is.  I also got dividers with pockets.  Then I printed my documents from the sites and set to putting them together.

Printables:

Most of my printables come from Nest Effect, Clean Mama, or Life Your Way.I will try and tell you where I got the printable from and the name of it to help you find it on their sites.  I do plan over the next few years to create my own.  I do like the ones I am using- these sites do a great job- but I am very particular and it will be nice for my printables to fit what I need exactly.

Here is the one for this week. (Sorry its on it's size, I took them with my Iphone and it wouldn't rotate it once I got it to the computer).  I chose yellow to help cheer me up- money saddens me!

My tabs, in order are:

Budget

Income

Spending

Savings

Bills

Debt (broken down into general debt, credit card debt, student loans, and other loans)

My cover sheets are from Nest Effect.

1. My monthly budget sheet.  Right now I have a generic one from Nest Effect in here, but I actually use one that I have on Excel.  I won't print it and put it in there a few days before the new month. (These binders are for 2013, I am using my old system till the end of the year.)  I do this because if I need to add categories or some categories are no longer relevant I am not wasting paper by printing them now and then having to reprint them to change what I need.  Example: Right now we don't need a rent category... we are living rent free right now... But towards the end of 2013 that will (hopefully) change.  But I don't want to have categories in my monthly budgets that I don't need, so that category won't be added till I need it.
2 Yearly Budget Sheet.  Again, right now there is a generic one from Nest Effect, but this is just holding space till I print my 2013 Excel document I use.  I use this sheet to keep track of budget totals from month to month.  This helps me plan for the next month (if I am continually spending 300 dollars a month on gas, I know to budget that much each month.  If for some reason we are continually under budgeting a certain category I can add to it for the next month.  Etc.).

3. Next is a Gift Tracking & Budgeting list.  This is from Nest Effect.  Here, I can keep track of how much I spend on gifts- birthday, Christmas, etc.  This is good to help me plan how much to budget for gifts and know what I can spend for each occasion.

4. Health Care Costs.  I have two copies of this sheet.  It is from Life Your Way.  I am not thrilled with this sheet, it will be one of the first I replace with my own creations.  It just doesn't do what I need it to, but it is the closest I have found.  I have a deductible for my insurance- separate for in-network and out of network.  On these sheets I keep track of my portion of health insurance costs, so I know how much of my deductible I am using.  

1. Income Sources.  This is a printable from Nest Effect.  I keep track of every single income source- stuff that I know about.  Why?  It helps me get an idea of how much income I will get each month- which is useful for creating my budget.  Plus if all of a sudden one month we have income that is much higher than normal I can look here and see what it is.

2. Total income for the month.  Nest Effect.  This is where I put down an income or deposit for the month and the type (C income, K income, gift etc.).  I have one for each month.
3.Total income for the year.  Nest Effect.  Help me plan for next year.  I can also see our income trends.

1. Spending Log.  Nest Effect.  Basically a check register, but I use it for every penny we spend- credit card, cash, check, debit, etc. It has a category column so it helps me figure out my budget

2.  I love this sheet...Online Deals Purchased. Nest Effect.  A place to keep track of items you get from groupon.com or livingsocial.com or other such places.  You can write when they expire and check it off when you use them... Never waste the money again!

1. Savings log... keep track of your balances in your different savings account.  We only have one right now- emergency fund.  But we do plan to start another in 2013 to start saving for rent and having our own place again... and anything else we want to save for (vacation, car, etc.)  I plan to use these sheets to keep track of my breakdown of that account too (200 in rent category, 55 for vacation, etc.)


Come back on Thursday to see my last two categories- bills and debt.

Read Part 2 here!

How do you organize your finances?  Do you have a great system in place or does your need
 some work?


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