{Scroll down to read more about how to use this page.}
Click here to print the Freedom Account Page in color with categories filled in (as shown above).
Click here to print the Freedom Account Page in black and white with categories filled in.
Click here to print the Blank Freedom Account Page in color.
Click here to print the Blank Freedom Account Page in black and white.
The Freedom Account Page is a money management tool that we use to keep track of our expenses (regular and irregular). (I know there are much more technologically advanced ways to do this. I am just a nerdy pen, paper and calculator kind of girl. Those of you proficient in Excel are not allowed to laugh.)
You can read more here, but basically we have two checking accounts. Our main account is for everyday expenses like gas for the car, groceries and miscellaneous spending. The Freedom Account is a second checking account for bills and irregular expenses.
You can use any method you choose to keep up with the category amounts (readers have suggested Mint.com), but the key is to have a second checking account to which you transfer the money from your paycheck immediately. You can even set up an automatic transfer. Moving the money from your main account keeps you from spending money that you need for bills and other necessities because you see it in your checking account balance.
Each pay period, we leave the money in the main account for the above mentioned items and transfer the rest of the money into the second account into categories as follows (these numbers are examples):
KEY TO SYMBOLS
*paycheck dates
+ deposit
– withdrawal
= balance
Header (blue row at the top) -Weekly deposit amount in parenthesis above each category.
Line A– current balance as of 2/24= $600. Balance of each category to the right.
Line B-$376 transfer from paycheck; balance=$976. Deposit amount noted in each category ($250 added to rent, etc.). The number to the right of the / is the current category balance.
Line C- Cell phone bill payment subtracted from overall balance and category balance
Line F- Another paycheck deposit; categories updated
Line M- Adjustment-after life insurance was paid (line L) we had a $2 surplus. I moved this to the clothing category.