financial goals

Why are financial goals important?

Financial goals, priorities, and planning can be one of the more stressful aspects of “adulting”.  There are always bills and credit cards and somehow life always has an unexpected expense just around the corner.  New tires?  Plumbing repair?  Holidays or birthdays right around the corner?  It seems that there is always an unexpected expense lurking around.

Bills and Savings

Managing your money is all about the in-come versus the out-go. In order to meet your financial goals, you have to either increase one side of the equation or reduce the other.

Financial Goals

Are you trying to reduce your fixed or flexible expenses in the new year?  Maybe you hope to take a closer look at your overall spending.  Is this the year you pay down your debit?  And in the midst of all of that, do you need to work on your savings account?

For better financial organization, it’s all a matter of balance — budget planning, expense tracking, debt reduction, and savings tracking.

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Set your financial goals and priorities starting today!

Get your financial workbook today!
Get your financial workbook today!


Frequently Asked Questions

What are your financial priorities?

Do you need to focus more on savings, retirement planning, college tuition, debt reduction? While we can never really remove all of the financial stress from our life, knowing what to focus our efforts on can go a long way to reducing that stress.

What is the importance of financial goals?

According to Financial over Fifty, there are 9 benefits to having financial goals. These include strengthening your motivation and commitment to your financial health, improving your money mindset, and building confidence for your future.

What are some financial goal examples?

  • Reducing credit card debt – You can choose to either focus on paying off the largest interest rate card, the smallest balance, or the largest monthly payment. Either way it will eventually put money back into your wallet.
  • Increasing the percentage of retirement contributions – The statistics are mind-boggling when you look at the difference that can be made by at least contributing the percentage that your employer will match.
  • Building a savings cushion – Home repairs, property taxes, car maintenance all require funds. and in the grand scheme of financial priorities, it is “healthier” to be able to pay cash instead of using a credit card. Ultimately using a credit card can end up making that expense 15-25% more expensive once you factor in the interest you will pay.

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planner organization ideas

Planner organization ideas for your calendar

I’m always on the lookout for planner organization ideas.

Planner organization ideas – the best way to calendar

Ah, the calendar.  Also known as one of the most important parts of your planning system.  But what all needs to go into this key component?  Deciding which method of calendaring is best for you really depends on the level of detail your schedule requires.

  • Daily is best for folks who juggle multiple priorities, need a stricter schedule, or have a schedule that really benefits from hour-by-hour scheduling.  (Personally, my days are not conducive to that level of detailed scheduling.)
  • Weekly is usually a good “medium” level of scheduling.  I tend to like this one myself – working on a to-do list over the course of 7 days instead of a specifically daily list.  Sometimes I sneak in a daily page, if I have a particularly hectic day to organize.
  • Monthly was my option of choice last year when so much of the year was spent inside the walls of my own house.  But since life seems to be moving forward again, I will probably go back to a hybrid of monthly and weekly.

Planner organization ideas – using printables

While you can create your own or buy a pre-made calendar, printables make it so much easier to get started.  Plus, when you browse printables, you can even get some new planner organization ideas! And don’t forget to download your free printables in my library.

  • monthly habit and water tracker
  • project planner page
  • weekly planner page (several different designs)
  • one-page monthly
  • budget planner

Within the first five pages of my planner, I always include these Year at a Glance and Year in Color pages. The Year in Color is a great way to track your moods throughout the year.


Frequently Asked Questions

What should every planner have?

This is obviously personal question. There are two main criteria about what it needs to include:

  1. What do you need to track or calendar?
  2. How do you plan to use your planner?

Firstly, I prefer a paper planner myself. I like the tangible aspect (plus so many beautiful planners and stickers). I generally prefer a monthly calendar system, but will occasionally supplement that with a weekly planner page. And I like to carry mine with me so that can dictate the size that works best for me.

The main things that your planner needs to include (and everything else is based on your needs):

  • A calendar system (whether that be daily, weekly, monthly, or a combination)
  • A note-taking system (that can include graph paper, dot grid, lined pages, or blank pages)

What is the best way to organize my planner?

This is such a subjective question but I prefer my calendar at the beginning and my notes at the end. I also like to have a few notes pages within the month as well.

How do I use my planner to organize my life?

The BIG question! It’s all about creating the habit of using your planner. If you have the “perfect” system set up but continually forget to use it then it really isn’t helping. If you can, try to start your day and end your day with at least 10 minutes of “planner-ing”. In the morning, work on your plan for the day and in the evening, work on your plan for the next day(s).


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gift planner

Do you plan out your gifting – for the holidays and for the year?

Is it just me, or does everyone plan gifts in advance?  Not every gift is planned out; every so often I come across something that I just have to get for someone.  But I love my gift tracker pages!  It comes in so handy for planning when I need to get the nephews’ gift cards or the mother-in-law’s scarf.  Not to mention how wonderful it is during the holiday season.  Especially if you tend to buy gifts throughout the year, it’s terrific for keeping up with what you’ve already bought.  You can also take advantage of sales when they happen throughout the year and just mark down what you’ve stashed away.  (Erin Condren seasonal surprise boxes, Paper Me Pretty stationery subscription, and Current Catalog card sets, I’m looking at you!)  Whether you are planning for birthdays at any time during the year or the holiday season specifically, the whole process is so much easier when you plan ahead!

Within the first five pages of my planner, I always include these Year at a Glance and Year in Color pages.

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2022 Year at a Glance and Year in Color
is your planner ready

Is your 2022 planner ready to go?

It’s October and 2022 is right around the corner.  I’ve already started next year’s planner!  I love checking out what options are available from my favorite places like Erin Condren but I also like to shop around for other items.  Some of my favorites include Sunshine Sticker Company, Planner Kate, Coco and Opal, and Paper Planner Club.  It’s always so much fun to decorate with the tabs and stickers!

But the first thing you should do is sketch out what you want your planner to look like for 2022.  Do you want to focus on your financial goals?  Do you need to improve your calendar system?  Do you want to keep better track of birthdays?  Do you want to start journaling?  Do you need to focus on project planning?  Do you want to start a home business?  Once you decide a path for 2022, you can fill in the pages that you will need.

If you want a full printable planner, check out this beautiful 2022 dated planner!  So much easier than dating or making your own!  It includes a full annual calendar, Year at a Glance, dated monthly pages, a weekly planner page, a project planner page, a bill payment page, and two different notes pages.  You’ll be ready for the entire year!

Get your printable calendar today!
Get your printable calendar today!

Within the first five pages of my planner, I always include these Year at a Glance and Year in Color pages.

2022 Year at a Glance and Year in Color