Our Financial Planning Calendar 2011

What is a Financial Planning Calendar?

It’s a tool for planning out the year financially, by looking ahead and figuring out what financial management you’ll need to do, and also when and where you’re going to be spending the most money. Items I generally include are things like, how much we want to devote to our long-term financial goals (saving, retirement, paying off debt), what big events are coming along that we’ll have to pay for (weddings, vacations), and how much we want to budget for times of the year when people spend the most money (Birthdays, Anniversaries, Thanksgiving, Christmas, other Holidays).

Sitting down and planning this out with my husband is one of the highlights of the new year, because we get to talk not only about our plans for that year, but also about our goals and dreams and long-term plans.

So what does our 2011 Financial Planning Calendar look like?

January 2011 February 2011 March 2011
  • $400 to Emergency Fund

  • Review Cashflow
  • Review Retirement Contributions
  • Create Savings/Debt-Payoff Plan
  • Starting receiving W-2s/1099s
  • $400 to Emergency Fund
  • Valentine’s Day – $200

  • Research life insurance
  • Get Free Credit Report and Score (Experian)
  • Receive any outstanding W2s/1099s
  • Buy TurboTax 2010 – $60
  • File Taxes (MI – $25, CO – $29)
  • $400 to Emergency Fund
  • Husband’s Birthday – $75
  • Wedding Anniversary – $100
Table Cell
April 2011 May 2011 June 2011
  • Emergency Fund Done!
  • Start Debt Pay-off – $400/month
  • Use Tax Refund for CC Debt ($800?)
  • May Birthdays: 1 x $25
  • Mother’s Day – 3 x $25
  • Debt Payoff – $400

  • Put together Inventory of Belongings
  • June Birthday’s – 1 x $25
  • Father’s Day – 4 x $25
  • Bridesmaid Dress – $110
  • Debt Payoff – $400

  • Check Finances: YTD Review
  • Find second job?
  • Get Free Credit Report (TransAmerica)
  • Renew lease; Rent goes up ($15/month)
Table Cell
July 2011 August 2011 September 2011
  • July Birthdays – 1 x $50, 1 x $25
  • Debt Payoff – $400
  • Extra Paycheck! ($900?)
  • August Birthdays – 1 x $25, 1 x $10
  • My Birthday! – $75
  • Weddings – 2 x $150
  • Finish Paying Last CC! – $400
  • September Birthdays – 3 x $25, 2 x $50
  • Save up for Puppy! – $250

  • Start Masters Degree (??)
Table Cell
October 2011 November 2011 December 2011
  • October Birthdays – 1 x $10
  • Saving for Puppy! – $400

  • Get Free Credit Report (Equifax)
  • November Birthday’s – 5 x $25
  • Visit Family in SD – $400?
  • Thanksgiving – $100

  • Get Puppy! (Rent goes up $35/month)
  • Christmas – $400
  • Skiing – $250

Notes:

Emergency Fund

    Current (1/13/11): $180
    Planned: $400 / month will get us to $1,000 by late March

Debt Pay-off

    Current: $1,862.43
    Planned: $400 ÷ month will get us to $0 by 8/20/11

Other Savings

    Birthday Savings: $550 ÷ 12 = $45/month

    Trip Savings: $500 ÷ 12 = $40/month

    Christmas Savings: $400 ÷ 12 = $35/month

    Miscellaneous other: $300 ÷ 12 = $25/month

    Total: $145/month

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