Keeping a close eye and control over the finances is not always easy for the elderly or the people who are less tech savvy than our digital world requires. Sure, you can write down your expenses and make lists, but you may never get a bigger picture of your finances if you do not use a centralized method of keeping things in check. One of the seamless ways to achieve this isby using a printable calendar. Let us see today how you can make the best of it! How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar

1. Pick the Right Printable Calendar for Your Needs

Not all printable calendars are the same. You can go to calendartable.com and use the database to select the best timetablefor your needs. You should get a landscape format for a monthly calendar and research this resource as they also offer you completedays of the week/month explanations. You will want a calendarmarking weekend days or national/religious holidays for you to know when banks and institutions work or not. For a financial planning goal, this database has some of the most comfortableand most intuitive printable calendars to use.

2. Mark the Bill Dates, Costs, and the Payment Dates

One of the hardest financial issues we all need to handle better isbills. Place your printable calendar in a place where you can see it and use it on a daily basis (fridge door, living room coffee table, bedroom desk, etc.) At the beginning of the month, note down the arrival date of the bills, one after the other, and the money they require.

• If you have a bill of $20 on 5 October and you plan to pay it on the fifteenth to stay within the deadline, circle the payment date, soyou have a reminder to pay it and schedule your day around that payment.

3. Use the Calendar to Mark the Recurrent Payments

Keeping the pace with your credit card bill, mortgage payment, loans, car payments, and so on is hard. Most people fall behind such duesbecause of poor money scheduling only to spiral down further into financial troubles.

• Use a unique color pen to mark on the calendar the recurrent payments you need to make each month and make sure you plan your budget around those payments. If you know the sums in advance, write the amountsnext to each date, as seeing the numbers will help you calculate better your budget and help you make moreconsistentcash flow.

4. Use the Calendar to Schedule Other Payments and Expenses

One of the most significantproblems of our time is that we cannot get a firm grip on our finances because of variableexpenses. However, as we all know, planning is mandatory for all of us. Just as a daily schedule is essentialfor senior citizens for a higherquality of life, so is a regularbudget schedule for young, adult, and elder people alike.

• Circle your shopping dates on your calendar. Whether you shop daily for basic groceries or you spend your Saturday for a week worth of food and household items, note the money you spent on each shopping trip.
• At the end of the month, you can make a quick inventory of the items you still have (and you may have bought in excess) or the thingsyou feel were too expensive for their quality/practicalvalue so you can search for cheaper alternatives.
• Noting down the money,you spent on food will give you a better idea on how to plan your finances better next month. Americans spend vast amounts of money on food– too much money, in fact – and if there is a place to start making changes, your fridge and pantry is that place.

5. Mark the Casual/Entertainment Expenses on Your Calendar

While we do not encourage anyone to become Scrooge any time soon, keeping track of your dailyexpenses or the ones you use for entertainment may give you a better idea where your money goeseach month.

• If you eat out, go out often, attend events, etc., write down on the calendar the things you did and how much they cost (drinks with friends – $30; theatre and dinner out – $60, );
• Keeping an eye on your leisure, entertainment, and everydayexpenses (clothes, guilty pleasures, etc.) will help you put some money aside for some events/activities you want to experience, allowing you to rearrange your budget depending on such needs. For instance, if you planned a trip for Labor Day or Columbus Day, circle the dates in advance, plan your budget for that particular weekend of fun, and redistribute your daily or weekly budget according to the expenses you prepared for the trip;

A calendar is an excellent tool for planningyour budget. Even if there are no holidays this month, at its beginning, write down in your printable timetable the activities you cannot skip and their costs. Doctor appointment, meeting with friends, concert attending, the visit of your family from another town, a book launch you want to attend and buy the newly released book, and so on – they all come with costs, be them bus tickets or dry cleaning bills.
We know life is full of variableexpenses, andwe have to adapt and adjust in real time, but we can, andwe should think ahead and mark down important dates and sums for events/activities that we know will occur for sure.

Conclusion

Far from becoming a person obsessed with every spent cent, planning our monthly budgets is a reasonable thing to do in this economy. The printable calendar can stay up and visible for the entire family to see and offer input. The calendarcan help you save money (as you look atwhat you spend and how), but it is more of a guidance tool. After a few months of using a printable calendar, you can look back at your expenses and make a better assessment of your past and future finances.
By Sean Blaney
Sean Blaney is the co-founder of CalendarTable.com. Among other things, Sean’s business provides access to highly personalized calendar printout formats so people can add photos, quotes or other inspiring material. That way, they can get the most out of the day, week or month, depending on how they plan their time.
How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar
How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar

How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar

How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable CalendarHow to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar How to Keep Your Finances in Check Using a Printable Calendar