January 2013 Challenge {Finance: Week 5}

This week {across all challenges} it's all about sharing what you've accomplished this month!

If you have a blog {or other way to share a URL}, you can share through the link manager below. If you do not, you can comment on this post to share.

January 2013 Challenge {Time Management: Week 5}

This week {across all challenges} it's all about sharing what you've accomplished this month!

If you have a blog {or other way to share a URL}, you can share through the link manager below. If you do not, you can comment on this post to share.

January 2013 Challenge {Home Management: Week 5}

This week {across all challenges} it's all about sharing what you've accomplished this month!

If you have a blog {or other way to share a URL}, you can share through the link manager below. If you do not, you can comment on this post to share.

January 2013 Challenge {Meal Planning: Week 4}

This week {across all challenges} it's all about sharing what you've accomplished this month!

If you have a blog {or other way to share a URL}, you can share through the link manager below. If you do not, you can comment on this post to share.

January 2013 Challenge {Finance: Week 4}

Today I'm sharing my favorite resources for managing finances.

Mint.com
Perhaps you've heard of Mint? I have been using it for quite a few years now and absolutely love it. Here's my financial confession: we don't balance a checkbook. *gasp* I keep receipts, but I'm far too lazy to take the time to add/subtract from a check register. Everything is online, after all. I monitor our bank accounts closely, so I don't see the big deal. Mint helps me with this by nicely managing all of my bank, credit card, and student loan accounts in one place. I can see transactions and balances. I can categorize so I can see our spending "trends" each month. {A little to heavy on the dining out "trend" last month. Oops!} Besides all of the cool stuff I've already mentioned, Mint has a smartphone app. I absolutely LOVE this. I can easily log in to the app and see our current cash balance {as well as that lovely negative debt balance - which actually has, at times, caused me to rethink purchases}. Our bank accounts would be a mess if it weren't for Mint - seriously.

Capital One 360
Hear me out. I'm not trying to "sell you" on a bank - I just really love Capital One 360 {formerly ING Direct}. We've had an account with them for 3 years now. We also have an account with a local bank, but I love CO360 more. The whole reason for opening this account was so we could save money. Save in a place with a decent interest rate. Save in a place that's "out of sight, out of mind" - CO360 is an online bank. They have a super cool smartphone app as well. The app lets me take pictures of checks to deposit them. They currently have a promo where you get $20 for signing up. It was seriously one of the best decisions we've made to open an account with CO360. I have 3 savings accounts and one checking - all with zero fees. Why have 2 accounts? We use our local bank for spending cash {Chris' paycheck is automatically deposited in this account} and the CO360 account for savings and bill pay {my paycheck is automatically deposited in this account}.

Pageonce
Pageonce is bill management made easy. I linked up all of my bill accounts - credit cards, utilities, insurance, rewards accounts, and even magazine subscriptions. I like that I can log in and view all of my accounts in one place. Pageonce has a smartphone app that is great. I really love that they will send me bill reminders automatically. If I haven't paid the bill at the time of the email, I'll star it in my Gmail account so I get to it ASAP. Since I check my email all of the time, I see that reminder constantly.

Credit Sesame
Credit Sesame is the ultimate tool for viewing all of my debts and my credit score in one place - for free! They analyze my creditworthiness and current debt, and then give me advice on ways to lower payments and save money when looking for a new loan or credit card. I mostly use this website for keeping up with my credit score. I want to make sure I'm keeping things in excellent standing so that when we're finally ready to buy a house, we can get the best rate possible.

My Total Money Makeover
I completed the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University online last year. Very eye opening. Then Chris lost his job in April and we lost track of the importance of paying off the debt. Now that we're in steady jobs, I decided to sign up for the year subscription to Dave Ramsey's My Total Money Makeover. A parent at my school had talked to me about the difference it's made in their life over the last year, and I knew that I needed Dave in my life again. I set up a budget through the website for January. I also set up our debt snowball. I used Christmas money to totally squash a small credit card amount we had. With the debt snowball, you take the amount you were paying on the lowest amount a month, and add it to the next lowest payment. You keep going and going until everything is paid off. Genius. {Read more about Dave Ramsey's Debt Snowball Plan.}

January 2013 Challenge {Time Management: Week 4}

Confession: I'm not very good at planning for the future. I'm stuck in the present. There are a few ways that I setup my "future self" for success.

Google Calendar
Okay, so I know I've talked about Google Calendar a lot already, but the reminder and repeat event features are amazing. I have birthdays set up with both in my GCal. All I had to do was set up the birthdays once a few years ago, set them to repeat yearly, and add a 7 day in advance email reminder. Now I can send out cards - on time - every year.

Monthly Calendars
I have lots of printed monthly calendars - bills, curriculum planning, personal planning - to name a few. I print the whole year at once so that I can write anything that comes up down right away. No excuses with Post-It notes all over the place anymore. =]

Monthly Checklists & Yearly Planners
I like to plan out major cleaning and organizing projects by month for the year. Everything gets a deep clean once or twice a year, depending on need. When I assign each month a task, it makes everything more manageable and ensures it gets done. I've created an annual planner document to share with you! I use it to plan out my monthly to-dos, such as cleaning schedules, blogging themes for each month, etc.

Your challenge today is to plan out projects, events, etc. for the year that you're currently aware of or in need of planning.

January 2013 Challenge {Home Management: Week 4}

Today I'm sharing my favorite resources for home management.

Blogs & Pinterest
Blogs are one of the best places to get inspiration for getting your home in order. When I find something that inspires me, I pin it on Pinterest. My favorite blogs are...

• A Bowl Full of Lemons
• Bower Power
• The Crafty Scientist
• eighteen25
• The House of Smiths
• IHeart Organizing
• Just Organize Your Stuff
• Pinch a Little Save-A-Lot
• Pretty Organized
• Simply Organized

Roboform
Since I'm online a lot, I have tons of accounts with various websites. I'm always bouncing back and forth between websites, having to log in to access my accounts. I've been using Roboform for years and it's by far my favorite password & form fill software I've used. It saves me time from typing everything in - such as my name, address, email address, etc. when registering for things. Also, being that websites now sometimes require a capital letter, number, special character, etc. for a username and/or password, it helps me keep track of that info. I purchased the pro license a few years ago and it was definitely worth it. Whenever they have updates, it updates for free - no need to constantly purchase the new version.

Cozi
I absolutely love Cozi. It's a great tool for managing information among family members. Some of the features are calendar, shopping and to-do lists, reminders, meal planning, and more. All of these things can be set up for an individual or shared with other family members. They even have phone apps! Have teenagers? Click here to read the list of ways you can use Cozi with your kids!

Family File Box
Our file box helps keep us organized - both personally and when it comes to mail/papers to file. I have a monthly calendar hanging on the front with bill due dates written down. The hanging files in my box are: printables, scan, recipes, Tiffany, Chris, outgoing mail, to file, paper, coupons, taxes.

Shaklee Basic H2
Basic H2 is super concentrated, so a 16 oz bottle can create 48 gallons of cleaner. You can mix Basic H2 with water to create all-purpose, window, and degreasing spray cleaners. I absolutely love the degreaser. It works so well - especially with microfiber cloths.

What are your favorite home management tools/resources?

January 2013 Challenge {Meal Planning: Week 3}

Back in August 2011 I shared how I organize my recipes in binders. I've since changed things a bit. Check it out.

I print a lot of recipes. I used to subscribe to a lot of recipe magazines. I still subscribe to the Betty Crocker and Pillsbury magazines. I wanted one place to keep everything, so I consolidated.

I have two binders - one for entrees, one for everything else. The entree categories I have in one binder are: beef, breakfast, fish, one dish meals & stews, pasta, pizza, poultry, sandwiches, & soup. The categories I have in the other binder are: appetizers & snacks, beverages, bread, desserts, & side dishes.

I used to keep the small recipe cards in a photo album. This works great, but I just wanted to consolidate, so I moved everything into the binders.

I purchased Martha Stewart Home Office 4 pocket sheet protectors from Staples. They come in a 10-pack for $3.99. They have a little flap over the top where the cards slip in, so they don't fall out. I love it. My only complaint is that they won't hold my 4" x 6" cards, so I ended up taping those cards to sheet protected pages within the binder.

Printed recipes are simply hole punched and placed in the binders.

Recipes from magazines or too big to fit in the card sheet protector go on colored paper in sheet protectors.

Recipe binders aren't for everyone. They take a lot of work to put together, but I've noticed that at least for me {personally} they're the easiest recipe system to maintain and use.

For more recipe binder ideas, check out these posts from other bloggers...

• TaDa! Creations
• CleanMama
• Delightful Order
• Prudent Baby
• The Kitchn

Your challenge today is to organize your recipes! You choose the way that works for you... Binder? Photo album? Pinterest? Recipe box? Files? Please share what method you use to organize your recipes.

Friday Favorites: Android Apps

I have a Motorola Razr cell phone that runs the Android operating system. I absolutely love it.

Today I am sharing my favorite Android apps!

• Alarm Clock Plus
• Amazon
• Best Wallpapers HD
• ESPN ScoreCenter
• Evernote
• Facebook
• Flixster
• Foodspotting
• Gmail
• ING Direct
• Instagram
• Mint.com
• Pinterest
• Scramble with Friends
• Shazam
• Slacker Radio
• SwiftKey 3
• Timeriffic
• Wells Fargo
• Words with Friends
• Yelp
• Zedge

What are your favorite Android apps?

January 2013 Challenge {Finance: Week 3}

Paying bills can be a pain. Due dates. Minimum payments. Mailing checks.

I have some bills on auto-pay. They're the same amount every month and come out on the same day - it's just easier that way. The others - such as rent and student loan payments - are paid manually. I suppose I could put the student loans on auto-pay now that Chris and I both have steady jobs. After all, I think we'd receive a 0.25% interest reduction if we do. Something to look into...

I remember, growing up, my father did his bills every Thursday night after dinner. He'd pull out the bills he'd received in the mail that week, along with a calculator, stamps, and checkbook. I remember thinking it was the most ridiculous thing he did all week - writing out all of those checks. I feel the pain now, except mine is all paid online.

Before this month, I didn't really have a bill paying system in place. I've always paid on time, but I generally will pay bills within the week before they're due. No reason, really, it's just how it's always been. I have bill reminders set up with Google Calendar so that Chris receives them, too. Manilla also sends me bill reminders...as well as Mint and PageOnce. {There is no reason I should ever pay a bill late with all of those reminders. haha}

I get paid on the 15th and 30th/31st. Chris gets paid the 7th and 21st. We have two bank accounts - each receives one of our pay checks. We use my pay for bills and savings and his for spending {groceries, gas, etc.}. It works out nicely because we only use one debit card for spending. Since we use my pay for bills, I'm now doing my bill paying every 15th and 30th/31st each month. The plan is to pay the bills within the next 15 days on payday. So far {I started on the 1st this month so I'd have things paid off until the 15th} it's working well.

Your challenge for today is to create a bill paying system. Weekly? Bi-weekly? Monthly?

January 2013 Challenge {Time Management: Week 3}

I like having a routine, as I'm sure most people may. I like knowing that everyday, during the week, I get up at 5 a.m., leave for work at 6 a.m., arrive at 6:30 a.m., and my day goes smoothly from there. If this routine is thrown out of place, my whole day feels off.

Yesterday, this routine was thrown out of place. I can't get into the school until 7 a.m. this week due to maintenance. I tried to sleep in yesterday...and failed miserably. It threw off my whole day. Things just felt strange. I know it's not a huge deal, but I'm a creature of habit - I like a routine. I like predictable.

Now I know routines/schedules are not for everyone. To each their own. Routines/schedules can be helpful though if you are forgetful {like me}, need to better manage your time {like me}, or have a to-do list the size of Texas {like me}.

While I have my daily work-related routines, I also have a schedule at home for things to accomplish each day of the week so I don't feel so overwhelmed.

Mondays are for finance review and grocery shopping.
Tuesdays are for cleaning the kitchen.
Wednesdays are for cleaning the bathroom.
Thursdays are for cleaning the bedroom & living room.
Fridays are for blog planning.
Saturdays are for relaxing.
Sundays are for meal planning, laundry, and school planning.

It works for me. Creating this weekly schedule keeps me sane and on top of the important home management areas in my life. There wasn't a lot put into creating this schedule. I just picked out the areas that I was struggling with at home and things that I knew needed to be taken care of on a weekly basis.

Your challenge for today is to designate certain days of the week for a specific task or area. What areas in your life need prioritizing once a week?

January 2013 Challenge {Home Management: Week 3}

I can't even imagine how much record keeping must go into having kids. Medical records, school records, medication logs for sick kids, etc. If this sounds familiar, having a family section in your home management binder may be something to consider. In a binder, the information is easily accessible and all in one place.

Since I do not have children of my own, I don't have a section like this in my binder.

One printable I've made that may be of use for this section in your binder is the medication tracker.

I am open to creating free printables to share with you for the family section of your binder, if you leave a comment below with a detailed description of what you're looking for. I need info such as the title and section/row/column headings of what you're logging. {No guarantees that I'll make every request, but those that are most popular, I'd be happy to create. So if you see an idea someone else has already mentioned that you're interested in, comment with the same so I know there's a popular demand for it!}

Important information about your home is also an idea of a section to have in your binder. Home service contact info, account numbers, paint colors, room measurements, etc. can all be collected in this section.

I'm still living in an apartment, so I don't have home decor/renovation type info my in section. In my binder, everything in this section is filled with sensitive information. I have the following documents in my home section currently:

• vehicle maintenance log
• home services
• membership information
• important account numbers

Your challenge today is to add important family and/or home information to your binder. Also, if you have printable ideas for the family section, leave a comment and let me know!

January 2013 Challenge {Meal Planning: Week 2}

I think meal planning can be challenging. Without any resources to streamline the process, it can be a headache - resorting to the same recipes over and over every week {making meals boring}. The internet is an amazing resource for meal planning. Today I'm going to share my favorite resources. {All of the resources mentioned in this post I have personally used and I have had positive experiences with.}

eMeals
eMeals is a sponsor here at The Nest Effect. {I do choose my sponsors carefully and only accept partnership with those that I am able to try out myself to ensure it's a good fit.} I have a one year membership to eMeals {which I received as compensation for being part of their blogging network}. We're looking to cut food costs in 2013 so we can start tackling our student loan debt. A meal plan definitely helps accomplish this. While I've been meal planning for years, eMeals automatically chooses meals for me that match with the weekly sales at my grocery store - saving me money each week. I was able to select that our family size is just two, so the meal sizes are smaller {less waste}. We're using the classic meal style right now - but I may later switch to the low fat plan. The recipes are quick and simple to make - which is a must for me with my busy schedule. Even Chris has no problem whipping up dinner with the simplicity of each recipe. Save 15% on an eMeals subscription with coupon code newyear.

Pinterest
I love Pinterest for so many reasons - one is meal planning. I have boards set up for meals. I print the recipes I find on Pinterest after trying them - if we like it - then delete the recipe off my board. I like this process because it allows me to find new recipes to try and see them visually, rather than bookmarking and going through them all to find something I want.

Recipe Blogs & Websites

• Allrecipes
• Betty Crocker 
• Chef in Training
• Eat Yourself Skinny
• Epicurious
• Skinnytaste

Recipe Apps

• Allrecipes {Android, Apple, Kindle, Windows}
• Betty Crocker Cookbook {Android, Apple}
• Big Oven {Android, Apple, Kindle}
• Cocktail Flow {Android, Apple, Kindle, Windows} 
• Cookbook by Slow Sense {Windows}
• Epicurious {Android, Apple, Kindle, Windows}
• Everyday Food {Windows}
• Jamie Oliver {Android, Apple, Kindle}
• Pepperplate {Android, Apple, Kindle, Windows}
• What's For Dinner? {Android, Apple, Kindle}

Magazines

• Betty Crocker Recipes {print}
• Cooking Light {print, Android, Apple, Kindle}
• Every Day with Rachael Ray {print, Android, Kindle}
• Food Network Magazine {print, Android, Apple, Kindle}
• Taste of Home {print, Android, Apple, Kindle}

Templates & Resources

• Microsoft Office {search "food" or "meal plan"}
• Grocery & Meal Planning Set {my editable/fillable set in my Etsy store}
• Meal Planning Resources {things I've pinned on Pinterest}
• Meal Planners {from Money Saving Mom}

Your challenge for today is to find a new meal planning resource that you like and subscribe {websites, blogs, or magazines}, download {magazines, apps, or templates}, or search {Pinterest or templates}. Look for something that will be easy for you to work with when meal planning.

Friday Favorites: Pocket

Have you heard of Pocket? {Formerly Read It Later.}

I've been using this service for years. I first discovered it as an add-on for the Firefox web browser. Pocket allows you to save webpages on the internet for later viewing. I use it for any articles I'm interested in reading or referring back to, but don't want to pin on Pinterest or save to my bookmarks. Pocket can be accessed from the internet or from apps for iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, and other devices. The cool thing about the add-on for Firefox, is when I'm on a webpage I want to save, all I have to do is hit the Pocket button in my browser window. It's automatically synced to my account, which can be accessed from any device.

If you're looking for a way to easily organize articles and videos you want to view later, Pocket is definitely the way to go.

* This post is not sponsored. I just simply really love this service!

January 2013 Challenge {Finance: Week 2}

Budget - a word that automatically makes me feel anxious. I've never been a fan of having a budget because, honestly, we never follow it. It seems like a great idea, but always falls through for us.

Dave Ramsey has been the turn around for us with money management. For us, his plan makes sense.

Dave Ramsey has a free budgeting tool and free budgeting printable worksheets on his website. He also has great information on budgeting here. I started using his free budgeting tools before subscribing to My Total Money Makeover.

I wrote a post last year about budgeting and sell printables/fillable budgeting forms in my Etsy store. Here is one of the monthly budget worksheet pages {from the finances & home information set}. The expense categories are based on Dave Ramsey's budget plan.

This fillable form is from the finances set.

Your challenge today is to create a budget.

Disclaimer: I am not a financial expert, nor am I claiming to be. What works for me, may not work for you.

January 2013 Challenge {Time Management: Week 2}

Daily schedules aren't for everyone - I get that. I only have one during the summer when I'm off from school so I'm not on my computer all day and night. =]

If you find yourself wasting a lot of time throughout the day, then you may want to assess and prioritize your time and then create a daily schedule for yourself. Last January I actually covered both of these topics in a the January 2012 challenge. Both posts have free printables to help you with this process.

Money Saving Mom has a really great series on Time Management 101.

Today's challenge is to create a daily schedule, if it's something that will work for you!

January 2013 Challenge {Home Management: Week 2}

Organization is my strong point - cleaning is not. If I don't have a schedule to follow, it doesn't happen.

Why have multiple cleaning schedules? For me it's simply to ensure things get cleaned on a regular basis. Here is how I break down my cleaning schedule.

Daily
My daily cleaning routine pretty much only includes cleaning up dinner and making sure the sink is empty at the end of each night. There isn't anything worse than waking up in the morning and trying to get breakfast and my lunch for work made and having to deal with dishes in the sink. It's such a time waster for me in the morning.

Other daily tasks that you may want to add to your list include: laundry, wipe down kitchen and/or bathroom, sweep floors, etc.

Weekly
I mentioned last week that I am now using a weekly plan that I add cleaning tasks to for each day so I'm getting a little done each day. It makes it much more manageable for me. I include tasks like clean microwave, tidy up desk, clean stove top, etc.

Monthly
I have a monthly cleaning checklist in my home & life binder. I include tasks like wash blankets, vacuum furniture, clean inside of the freezer and refrigerator, etc. I mark off each task for each month, once completed. I'll be adding these tasks to my weekly plan to ensure they are completed.

This is what my monthly checklist looks like.

 

Seasonally
Just like the monthly cleaning checklist, I have one for seasonal cleaning tasks. I include tasks like clean out medicine drawer, clean windows and blinds, flip mattress, vacuum behind furniture, etc.

This is what my seasonal checklist looks like.

The forms featured in this post are available {in a different font, but same colors} in the cleaning & organizing set in my Etsy store. I recently dropped the price down to $7.


Your challenge today is to create a cleaning schedule. Choose the different time categories that work for you and start scheduling.

January 2013 Challenge {Meal Planning: Week 1}

Making dinner was always a struggle us. I don't like cooking. I'm not very good at it and always seem to find a way to mess it up. Then there was the issue as to who was making dinner each night - and what we were going to have. Most of the time, we'd end up just going out. Lots of wasted money there.

We finally started meal planning on a weekly basis and agreed that Chris would cook every night since he works from home and I'm on clean up duty. I'd rather clean up than cook, so this deal has worked out well.

Why meal planning? It saves time and money each week. We menu plan - together - before we go grocery shopping for the week. We also go grocery shopping together. While shopping, we come up with new meal ideas for another week and stock up on anything that is on sale and doesn't go bad quickly. We do not plan out breakfast or lunch. I have an English muffin for breakfast everyday and usually take left overs or a salad for lunch. But if you make breakfast and lunch for your family everyday, this may be a good option for you.

Tip #1 - Choose a specific day to meal plan each week and add it to your calendar. You'll be more consistent at meal planning because it becomes part of your weekly routine. 


Tip #2 - Meal plan before grocery shopping for the week. Add ingredients needed to your grocery list so you have everything you need for the week. You won't have to run back to the store to pick up dinner anymore!

This is the grocery list I use. It makes shopping easy since everything is categorized for me already. This document {in a different font and in color} is fully customizable with your own categories and available for purchase in my Etsy store.

Tip #3 - Keep a list of your family's favorite meals handy. This makes meal planning a breeze. I have some of our favorites in my home & life binder, under the meal planning category, along with the ingredients needed for that recipe. While I'm planning, I can choose a meal and quickly view what I need to make the meal, without having to go through my recipes to find the info. I also have a list of dinner ideas that simply lists meal choices. The images below are examples of what mine look like. These documents {in a different font, but same colors} are available in the grocery & meal planning set in my Etsy store.

Tip #4 - Plan as far in advance as you need. I plan by week. Others plan for two weeks at a time or by month. I have planned out a whole month in advance before. It was last year right after Chris was laid off. We planned the whole month of April to have money. It worked wonderfully and I wouldn't be opposed to it again, but for now weekly is good.

Tip #5 - Choose a system that works well for you. You can plan online with something like Google Calendar or on paper. We plan on paper and post it in the kitchen. This way, we're always able to quickly look at the weekly menu and see what we need to take out of the freezer, if needed.

This is the page I use to write down our weekly meals. {Download}

Ultimately, meal planning is a necessity for us because it saves us time. I suggest trying it to see if it works out for you and your family.

Your challenge today is to try out some of these tips, if you think they'll work for you. Save the printables that go along with meal planning. =]

Friday Favorites: Fonts - Part 12

I love fonts! My favorites recently all come from the same designer - Kimberly Geswein. Her fonts are free for personal use. {I purchase commercial licenses to use them in my work that I sell and use in freebies.} Here are my go-to fonts for everything I'm creating.

All fonts can be found on Kimberly Geswein's website.

January 2013 Challenge {Finance: Week 1}

The most challenging part of my life: finances. Everything is up and down constantly. It doesn't help that Chris and I have unreasonable amounts of student loan debt. {You honestly have no idea.} But, there's no turning back. I can't dwell on it anymore. We just need to chug along and pay it.

I completed the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University online last year. Very eye opening. Then Chris lost his job in April and we lost track of the importance of paying off the debt. Now that we're in steady jobs, I decided to sign up for the year subscription to Dave Ramsey's My Total Money Makeover. A parent at my school had talked to me about the difference it's made in their life over the last year, and I knew that I needed Dave in my life again. I set up a budget through the website for January. I also set up our debt snowball. I used Christmas money to totally squash a small credit card amount we had. With the debt snowball, you take the amount you were paying on the lowest amount a month, and add it to the next lowest payment. You keep going and going until everything is paid off. Genius. {Read more about Dave Ramsey's Debt Snowball Plan.}

I can understand and sympathize with those in debt. I get it. It just flat out stinks. But financial freedom comes with being organized first, and then conquering each debt, one by one. I'm obviously not an expert here, nor am I claiming to be. I just know from my own experience and the words of readers that having everything all laid out is eye opening and motivating to get rid of it once and for all.

Due to the sensitive information included on my financial forms that I have in my home & life binder, I don't have photos of the forms in my binder. I do have screenshots of the forms though {& some free printables for you}.

What I've included in the finance section of my binder...

* bill & payment checklist *

This form is the most popular in my Etsy store. I created a special vertical version to share with you. {It will only be available on my blog for download for one week - so download it now!}

* loan repayment log *

Now's the best time to fill out the loan repayment logs for each loan debt you carry. You'll be able to track your repayment through the whole year with this document. {Download}

* budget forms *

Since I'm now using the Dave Ramsey website for this, I print my budget from there. Dave Ramsey has some great free budgeting forms on his website you can download.

* monthly calendar *

I use a monthly calendar to lay out when all of my bills are due. I write the company and the amount due on the due date. It gives me a good idea of when everything is due. {Download}

* extra income *

On this document I log all extra income I receive each month. This includes everything other than that earned through my Etsy store. {Download}

This is all that I've included in my finance section so far. I pay all of my bills online, other than rent, so I don't have a need to file bills. If you're looking to create a bill binder specifically, check out this post from my friend, Katie, at Building a House of Love.

If you're looking for more printables related to finance, check out these sets in my Etsy store: finances & home information set and finances set.

Today's challenge is to organize your bills and/or financial info to make tracking your finances {or debts} easier this year. Create folders, binders, files, etc. - use what makes sense for you and choose a method that will be easy for yourself to maintain. Don't choose a method that will be a chore. Trust me, you most likely will not follow through if it's too much work.