The slinking fund is what I use also. I have for around 20 years. You are right it is a lot of work but it helps mentally to know there is money when a car messes up and you have to pay the bill.

I just binged watch all of your budget videos and read all of the comments and I just want to say THANK YOU for replying to comments. There is nothing more frustrating than KZreadrs who post informative/instructional videos and than never answer any questions! Your budget videos have been so motivational and I just ordered my first EC.

@rosemariewooley8298

5 жыл бұрын

Julie Berry n

Thank you for sharing covering the additional months at the glance in the beginning ! I hadn’t thought of that but it’s always bothered me 💕 appreciated

Please do this for 2020 too! It’s so helpful 😊

Haven’t even watched but so excited. Laughing at myself that I roughly laid mine out but didn’t want to finalize without seeing your awesome ideas

@courtneyclick5991

5 жыл бұрын

As always, super helpful. Thanks Jen!

@brotherbloat36

5 жыл бұрын

Same 😆

You are so organized!! This video makes me want to order that planner and set it up identically to yours. 😂 It flows so well, and maximizes all of the space! Thanks for sharing!

You have really inspired me to budget better! Thank you for these videos! You are a blessing!

Thank you so much for sharing! I was keeping all by budget info in a note book bc I didn’t want to clutter up my planner. I love this!

Excellent setup. Took away some great ideas for my planner. Thank you.

I love how you set up your Finance Planner. I have kept track of our finances consistently for 13 months now and it feels wonderful. I am now ready to move on to using a book I’ve watched lots of videos and yours is the best! I can’t wait to use some of your ideas for us.

Thanks for this! I’m about to setup my 1st Deluxe Monthly Planner

Thank you for the inspiration - I have watched this at least 3 times since you have posted as I am terribly hopeless at being creative and setting up my budget planner as well as you have!

Love your simplicity and functional set up! Enjoyed watching

I love this! It's a beautiful set up and I track a lot of payments. I'm paying off 3 credits and just started on my student loans. So having it situated the way you do is the perfect setup.

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

Yesssss get those student loans! You can do it! Thanks for watching

Jen, this has totally inspired me to get my finances in check and come up with a system to get a better savings plan in place. Thank you so much for your wonderful channel and Instagram! I am on the EC train now, and I am looking forward to ordering my own budget planner!

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

YAY! I love hearing stuff like this!!!

Thanks for the great ideas. This is my first year using Erin Condren Life planner and I love how you set it up. I'm taking some of your ideas for mine. God Bless you and your family.

Thank you for the inspiration! I am considering this planner to use and the way you use it really speaks to me. I will probably rewatch this a couple of times when I actually start with the budget planning. Thank you for being so helpful! This newbie can really appreciate it!

Excellent overview! Thank you for sharing!

Love love love these videos! Thank you for sharing. Will you do a video on how you manage your cash flow for the month?

This was a great video, I love your setup and your handwriting is gorgeous.

Was so waiting for this! I have my planner and will be setting it up. You make it so clear and easy to understand and with our situation we both have full time jobs and husband has a weekend 2nd job , he has his account I have mine but I think I can track both of us in this format and tract 2 sinking funds with the extra pages in the planner. Hope you do more as they Year progresses. It seems to be very helpful- thank you

Havent even watched yet but I am soooo excited for this! 😊 Getting my EC for Xmas!

I like the extra pages. I was just going to use it as my budget planner again but when I noticed the extra pages, I've decided to use it as my life planner and budget planner. Everything in one book :)

Thank you Jen! Very informative. Will try to implement some of your ideas for my planning since I am very disorganized 🤗🥰

Ahh, so great! Your plan made my functional brain happy sigh! I'm actually tracking some things differently as an entrepenuer (like my mini paycheck to paycheck budget and variable income sources), but I too will need a full spread to track expenses so I'm happy for the extra pages! I also personally love watching people actually LAY OUT their pages and yours is never a bore. Thank yooou! ❤

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I sped it up so much it cut the video from 2 hours to 33 min 😬 but I didn’t want to leave it out!

This will be my first year using an Erin Condren. Thank you for the inspiration. :)

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Love this - note- I used a blank page from the planner - sticky tape the back and used to cover 2018- the lines give me even spacing.

Thrilled to see the new setup! I have just recently ordered my new E.C.deluxe monthly. Can,t wait for it to get here! now I know how I want to set it up. Thanks for being such a great mentor! I was wondering if there is anyway you could raise the volume on your vids ? I have a hard time hearing you most times even with my volume turned all the way up . keep up the good work and have a very merry Christmas! love from Alabama .

Your videos are so helpful!💚❤️

Just found you and started following you. Love all the tips you use. I use the life planner for normal day to day but bought the deluxe planner yesterday to start using for our finances. Thank you for all the great tips. You have given me some great ideas. An welcome to Georgia. :) We moved here almost 18 years ago.

LOVED THIS VIDEO!

Thanks for taking the time to do this! I’m motivated to budget again. I’ve been slacking after becoming debt free and finishing the FFEF.

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

It's so hard to keep the motivation after all of the heavy lifting is done! But that's where the REAL power begins!

I love the extra pages in the middle. I didn’t add more note pages. I am still working on spreads for the back pages.

I’m new to EC, I just received my first Deluxe Monthly Planner today (after watching your 2018 videos). I have been tracking my family’s budget on a spreadsheet app on my phone for a few years now. But I think I’m really going to prefer using pen and paper. Thanks for your tips! I can’t wait to start using mine

This was sooo helpful!!!!! I'm glad I watched. I learned some new tips and where to get a new planner as the one I have is like a textbook binder. Thanks so much for doing this video!!

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

I'm glad it was helpful!!!!

@brotherbloat36

5 жыл бұрын

I use a 2 inch binder as well 😁 I love it. The thing I did different for 2019 is I actually bought some stickers and washi tape to make it look pretty

Hi Jen! I have a question about first of year budget setup that I haven,t heard anyone on utube talk about. that is doing your equity tracking and asset management. Could you do a video on this subject? love watching your content keep up the good work! Happy holidays!

Hey Jen Can you make a video showing how you use or place the extra tabs in your planners/notebooks? And how you space them out? Thnx. Love the videos btw. Annick

Very helpful. Thank you!!!

This is so insightful, thank you for sharing. I said ahhhh at the idea of putting sticky notes on the pages in advance to map out what I’ll put where. Brain Dumping in advance makes so much sense, it just didn’t occur to me. ** I don’t think tracking is arbitrary, doesn’t it help you get an idea on where to set sinking funds goals. I hate you have preemptively remind people if they don’t have anything nice or constructive to say they can just move on, this was really interesting and helpful, I stayed until the end! Thanks again!**

Just got my EC Deluxe planner today. I watched your video a couple of times, putting stickies where you did. I figure since you've been doing this a while, you worked out all the "kinks". I am excited to begin. We don't have much debt, and have money saved already, so I am skipping some steps, but we're doing a cash based budget and so far, I find I am not spending my spending money quite as easily as I would using the debit card!! Thanks so much for the tips and tricks. So helpful.

Can you do an update on how this setup is working for you? Do you like it better than previous years?

Love your videos!! I don't understand the two page idea of tracking your out going sinking funds. Could you please explain what is different from the sinking funds page and the tracking of your outgoing sinking funds pages?

I love your set up

Glad to see you back. Thank you. I use a lot of your ideas and I am now in the process of setting up my EC Monthly Budget Planner for 2019. I’m new at this type of planning, started in September. I’m having problems with the weekly tracking of my cash envelopes. I noticed you don’t mention cash envelopes, ie groceries, restaurants, household goods, personal. How and Where do you track those funds?

Really good tips! i've been having a planner for years and its good to have an open mind to do things different. Your way of doing it reminds of a passbook but in a fun way hahahaha... btw i switched from a deluxe planner to a life planner for the first time. I wasn't a fan of the new layout :(

Where were you able to find the other tabs you added to your budget planner ? Or was that DIY

Thank you for sharing!

The monthly overview idea and sinking funds tracking are great! #borrowing

Thank you for sharing how you set up your budget planner. You have inspired me lol! I bought an EC petite budget book, but I think I need the EC deluxe monthly planner. Do you have a video or pictures of your your budget planner for 2018?

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

I have a video review! I use my DMP much more, so I don't have a ton of examples of the petite planner, I'm sorry!

Thank you for posting this! I got some great ideas! I have Watched both your sinking funds video and your budget planner video a bunch of times. They’re awesome. In your budget planner video, you mention that your income is variable (so is ours) and you note that you’ll discuss in a later video how you decide what comes out of each paycheck and when. Or how you decide what comes out of each. Did you mention it in another video? I rewatched the sinking fund video but I’m not sure it’s in either of those. I also would love to hear more about how you have your accounts set up for sinking/saving/checking. Thanks for your help!

@SimplyNarshaaa

5 жыл бұрын

Clarissa Gottshall-French Same! I have a struggle with predicting monthly that I have well over the amount needed for my monthly expenses + sinking funds, but because multiple come out in one week, which may be more than what I made that week, I’m not sure how to plan for that properly! Also, when do you put away your sinking funds (end of the month?) So helpful, thank you!

@rodrigogratao3736

5 жыл бұрын

I am in the same boat also! Please let us know in detail if you can! Thank you Jen

Hi Jen! I started budgeting in October. I've taken the Total Money Makeover class and got my EC monthly. I'm really enjoying the process. Would love to see an update sinking fund categories as things keep coming up that I didn't account for (i.e. stamps, cleaning products). I think it will just take me a few months to get in the swing of things. Thanks for your videos!

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

Look back! Pull your last years' worth of statements and find every hiding category! Chances are, the surprise categories are all things you've already spent over the last year!

@beautyloves33

5 жыл бұрын

If you follow the cash envelope method you could always make one for miscellaneous for things like that! Then if you don’t use it, you can “rollover” whatever cash you want to the next month or save it (or a little bit of both)

What size planner do you use?

Hi Jen! I am completely obsessed with this planner. It's my second year using the monthly deluxe and I have to say it's my absolute favorite planner. I'm curious to know if while doing the baby steps and paying off your debt, did you still add money to a sinking funds account or did you only focus on your debt first?

Hi Jenn...what are the round, scalloped (are they stickers?) called and how do I find them at Erin Condren? Thanks!!

Hey Jen. Which format of the deluxe monthly do you use? The 7x9 or 8.5x11?

You have probably mentioned this on IG or here, but I cannot remember where. What type of pen do you use?

If you said it, I've missed it - sorry. :) Where do you put the actual money for your sinking funds? Is that what you cash to put in envelopes or in a bank account? Thank you!

How do you track your spending for your ‘cash’ categories in your planner for groceries, fun money, gas etc?

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

I don't! My favorite part of using cash! I track how much I withdraw, and then I don't do anything after that. When it's gone, it's gone, and if I have leftover, I just keep it in my wallet.

How much does it cost for the extra 40 pages? Do you end up using all 80?

Will you be doing a new video for your 2020 set up?

Informative..tfs miss your videos..

Jen could you expand on “things to optimize” and “general account information”. What do you put on this page. Thank you so much for this. It is very helpful.

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

Terra Shewmaker of course! Things to optimize is just going to be a list/working page for expenses we are looking to lower. General account information is like login and account number info.

Hey there! Which size do you use? 7X9 or 8 1/2 X 11? Thanks!

@misssonjam

5 жыл бұрын

wondering the same...im about to oder one but have no idea which size to get

I find your videos so interesting and now a question occurred to me: do your sinking funds only exist on paper and you keep all your money in the same account or do you have different accounts for every sinking fund?

@clarissagottshall-french6960

5 жыл бұрын

Lorelei Lee I’d like to hear more about this too please.

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

They’re all in one account!

@loriv828

5 жыл бұрын

She had a great tip in another video to put the sinking funds in a checking so it’s easy to transfer without penalties. Savings accounts have monthly electronic transfer limits. So simple, yet so genius!

Do you use the large Erin Condren Deluxe Monthly or the smaller size? What made you decide on that size?

Don’t know if you’ll reply or if someone else will...but any advice for someone trying to pay off a student loan but has to make monthly payments on it? I can ask for a 6month grace period but then they tac on interest in the mean time?? Trying to pay lump sums?? Any advice? BTW just watched this at least 5 times to organize my planner like your I’m just. Starting to budget this month going forward!! Love your videos!!

@TheTinyHerd

5 жыл бұрын

List your debt lowest balance to highest. Then just pay the minimum on everything except the smallest debt, and throw everything extra you can at the smallest. You'll pay it off faster and then can take the minimum+extra from the first debt and move that to paying extra on the next debt. That's the debt snowball! Hope that makes sense.

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

You're correct, interest will still accrue over a 6 month grace period! Take as much as you can and pay as quickly as possible!

Can you post pictures of your inspiration pages? I'd love to see what quotes you used.

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, I'll share on IG!

Your handwriting is pretty

Thank you so much for doing these videos each year they are so helpful. Can you post a picture or two of your quotes pages when done so we can read them all and maybe adopt them as our own? Maybe on Instagram please?

Hey Jen, what kind of Health instance do you have since both of y’all are self employed

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

Stacy Exum we have a short term health policy! It does not cover pregnancy or pre-existing conditions, but that’s not a concern for our family, so we are lucky. I also save the difference between this and a full policy for medical expenses beyond what they cover - and I’ve had to use about half of it so far.

@stacyexum9332

5 жыл бұрын

Would you recommend if the person have no health insurance to just save money every month just for medical expenses

Question: So because all of your money is accounted for (sinking funds, taxes, etc)...do you "disregard" the checking account balance and rely on paper for your "true balance"? If so, do you log on often to double check your math or confirm your balance? I'm trying to figure out an option that works for our family. Thank you.

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

I don't NEED to, but I check it daily. I have caught mistakes a few times (wrong charges, refunds not posted, checks not cleared), and I am just in the habit of checking all the time. I'm sorry that's probably not helpful!

Since I discovered you about a week ago, I have watched quite a few of your budgeting videos. They are so helpful and well done, so thank you! I have a question for you: You mentioned once that "experts say you should have X amount of money saved for car maintenance" or home maintenance. I have tried to locate a source for recommended amounts the majority of us would need in a sinking funds account. I know everyone will be different depending on circumstances, but I would appreciate getting a "rule of thumb" figure so I can have a place to start. I am in the queue for Dave Ramsey's book at the library. Does his book mention any of these things? Thank you!

@clarissagottshall-french6960

5 жыл бұрын

Jeanne Schmidt I think his book does mention them. It’s also something you can easily find on google. He has free resources on his website. I think it goes by percentage, like “you should spend X % on Y.”

@jeanneschmidt491

5 жыл бұрын

I will check it out. Thank you!@@clarissagottshall-french6960

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

Great question! Experts recommend $75-150/month per car (based on age and condition), and 1-3% of your home's value annually for home maintenance. If you live in a VERY high or low cost of living area, $1/square foot per year is another recommendation I've heard. We are right in the middle :)

@jeanneschmidt491

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Jen. I just got Dave Ramsey's book on my Kindle and I will be setting up my finance planner, similar to the one you shared with us. Can't wait!@@JenPlans

Would you ever be open to a conference call to review someone else’s finances? I’d really like to hear your take on how I could be managing more wisely!

You quickly mentioned liking some other resources once you've established a budget and eliminated debt. Can you list some of those?

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

YES! All of these books I linked here! www.amazon.com/shop/influencer-e7db133a

After your debt free and you have your 3-6 emergency fund. I would be interested in hearing other sources of where you get your budget information.

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

Part of it is education (I have business degrees that had plenty of finance courses), and I read everything I can get my hands on. I have a list of favorites here! www.amazon.com/shop/influencer-e7db133a

noooooooo I was binge watching and I didn't know this was the last video. I am so sad lol

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

LOL! Adding more soon!!! Thank you for watching!!!

where can I get the colored dots?

@HaysTS3116

4 жыл бұрын

www.krissyann.com. small transparent dots...she has a few different sizes and styles to choose from

@gxp5962a

4 жыл бұрын

@@HaysTS3116 Thank you.

Do anyone have any other ideas for the year at a glance page? I am setting up my planner for 2019 and its the only page I have nothing for. I only have 2 sinking funds that come out quarterly, so I just include it into my budget. I want to use the space productively but can't think of any other uses. I did cover up the 2018 portion of the page by gluing on a blank piece of paper. ALL IDEAS ARE WELCOMED!!! Thank you!!!

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

It would be a GREAT place to track monthly goals! You could highlight or cross off dates for things like no spend, building up savings, paying a certain amount to debt!

@artnasl

5 жыл бұрын

@@JenPlans love this idea! My husband and I are working on new goals each month, so that's a perfect idea! Thanks!!!!!!

Ugh really wish I had gotten this one instead of the petite one.... I would go ahead and order, but it takes SOO LONG to receive EC orders even if they aren’t personalized😩😥

@as052909

5 жыл бұрын

you can get the basic one at staples no extra pages but it served me well last year

I would add a medical tracker in your notes pages

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

ssarabia 212 I should have mentioned that in the video! I keep that in excel because there are so many and w deduct them all!

@rodrigogratao3736

5 жыл бұрын

Interested to know how you track that in the excel sheet! And what do you track?

Maybe you can pass this along to EC change the texture of the paper in the planners. It feels ashy to me .

Zoom in

To much repeating of same info. I kept fast forwarding and still talking about the same thing. Sorry

Thrilled to see the new setup! I have just recently ordered my new E.C.deluxe monthly. Can,t wait for it to get here! now I know how I want to set it up. Thanks for being such a great mentor! I was wondering if there is anyway you could raise the volume on your vids ? I have a hard time hearing you most times even with my volume turned all the way up . keep up the good work and have a very merry Christmas! love from Alabama .

@JenPlans

5 жыл бұрын

vivian davis I would be happy to but I don’t know how 😩 I’ll try to find a video editor friend to ask!