• Home
  • GET THE BOOK
  • Start Here
  • Blog
  • Free Resources
  • Shop TBM
  • Courses

The Budget Mom

Real Women. Real Life. Real Finance

  • Home
  • Products
    • Live Rich Planner
    • Budget By Paycheck
  • Blog
  • FREE RESOURCES
  • COURSES
  • GET THE BOOK
  • Shop TBM

A life you love on a budget you can afford.

Here on TBM®, I provide you with simple, easy-to-follow solutions to help you budget your money, pay off debt, save more, and crush your financial goals. But more than that, I give you the tools to start doing the things that matter most to you, on a budget that actually works!

How to Stay Motivated on Your Financial Journey With a Visual Board

April 4, 2019
FINANCE 101

Share407
Pin1K
Share
Tweet
Email
1K Shares

Your financial vision board can be the perfect tool for keeping you on track with your spending and saving goals. Seeing is believing, and this continual reminder in your line of sight will keep you motivated and focused on achieving your new reality.

I get asked a lot about how I stay motivated on my financial journey. From paying off over $77,000 of debt to saving to buy my first home with cash, my financial journey can feel long and defeating at times.

There a lot of tools & methods that I use to keep myself on track and excited for my financial journey, one being discovering my WHY and purpose. Beyond that, constant motivation and reminders are critical to my determination and dedication.

Today, I wanted to share my financial visual board with you. Being able to see where you started versus where you are today is a fantastic tool to remind yourself that you are making progress, even on the days where you feel you are not getting anywhere with your money.

  • Read: Lifestyle Inflation: Getting What You Deserve

What is a Financial Vision Board?

“The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.”

We have the power to change our lives. We do this by creating a vision and taking the necessary actions to make it a reality. But our lives are so hectic that often we lose sight of “the big picture.” Creating a vision board is an excellent project and a daily reminder of the life you want.

A financial vision board is merely a bulletin board in your home that gives you a real image of your goals, plans, dreams, ideas, and things that motivate you. It is not as all-encompassing as your budget binder, but it's excellent for keeping you – and everyone else in the family – motivated and encouraged!

The benefits of making a vision board are both practical and psychological.

  • First, the practice of writing everything down – debt, income, bills, budget, plans, etc. – helps you to see concrete goals to be achieved. Suddenly, what seemed impossible in your head now feels manageable. You can see the reality of your dream life, and how you will achieve it.
  • Second, having your goals in front of you every day gives you a psychological boost. A visual board removes the temptation to procrastinate and encourages you to keep taking steps toward freedom.

“Some people dream of success while others wake up and work.”

Research shows you are more likely to be successful when you write out your goals. It helps you focus your energy on making them a reality. And you are MUCH more likely to be successful if you display them in attractive, image-driven ways that motivate you.

This is the beauty behind the concept of a vision board.

But, before you can make a financial vision board, you have to know your financial vision.

  • Read: How to Stay Motivated on Your Financial Journey

Your financial vision board can be the perfect tool for keeping you on track with your spending and saving goals. Seeing is believing, and this continual reminder in your line of sight will keep you motivated and focused on achieving your new reality.

Put Your Financial Goals on Paper

Chances are if you’re already thinking about a vision board, you’ve done the groundwork. But if you haven’t, there is no better time to reduce your stress and regain power over your own life than now.

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

Gather all your financial paperwork. Write down all your income sources and amounts. Make a budget. Learn how to implement the cash envelope system – this system is so vital for budget success!

Set specific, realistic goals and outline the steps you will take to achieve them. If you are going to tackle debt with the snowball method, arrange your debt in a list from smallest to largest.

If you are saving toward a down payment on a house, make a note of how much you need to save each paycheck for reaching that goal. Just remember to keep it manageable.

Becoming financially secure is a journey. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen if you stay committed.

“Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better.”

If you are in debt and are having difficulty making ends meet, look at ways to cut back and save money. What can you do without? When you add up all the luxuries we come to think of as necessities, you’ll be surprised how much money you can save! And once you make a visual board, you’ll be surprised how much fun it can be to save as well!

Once you have defined your goals and have all the steps in place to achieve them, you can funnel your creative juices into crafting and designing your vision board!

  • Read: My Debt Story – Accomplishing the Unimaginable

Your financial vision board can be the perfect tool for keeping you on track with your spending and saving goals. Seeing is believing, and this continual reminder in your line of sight will keep you motivated and focused on achieving your new reality.

How to Make a Vision Board

Your financial vision board can be whatever you imagine it to be, from magazine clippings on poster board to a colorful hand-drawn chalkboard, to some crazy elaborate design you will undoubtedly discover on Pinterest!

This project can be as large or as small as you choose. It can encompass every financial goal and plan you set in place, or it can be tailored to fit your space and needs.

  • Some like to keep things strictly financial, with charts of diminishing debt and yearly budgets with pockets for bills and receipts and payoffs.
  • Others like to cater theirs to monthly or quarterly goals to include meal plans, calendars, and to-do lists.
  • Still, others like to make their boards motivational and fill them with quotes and dream houses and vacation photos and personal rewards and visual reminders of what they’re working toward.

Your board should be appealing to YOU. Choose colors, fonts, images, quotes, charts, and envelopes that make you feel happy. The board is yours – let it inspire you!

Where Should I Put my Financial Vision Board?

Simply put – your vision board should be displayed in a high-traffic place where you will see it – and look at it – every day.

The ideal place might be next to the back door where you hang your coats and keys, or on the front of the refrigerator, or over your desk where you check email and pay bills, or in front of your elliptical or treadmill. Wherever that “sweet spot” is for you.

For even more exposure, you could take a picture of it for your desktop wallpaper, or print a copy for your budget binder. Seeing it often is a positive way to help you make changes and form new habits for a better life.

“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took  a long time.” – Steve Jobs

Your financial vision board can be the perfect tool for keeping you on track with your spending and saving goals. Seeing is believing, and this continual reminder in your line of sight will keep you motivated and focused on achieving your new reality.

My Favorite Vision Board Resources

I use a lot of pictures on my vision board. My son is front an center in most of them. I also like to use the tracking charts from Debt Free Charts. Coloring in my lines after I make a savings contribution or debt payment is surprisingly satisfying and one of the number one things I look forward to on my financial journey.

I have also made my own financial progress trackers that you can get for free in my free resource library.

Your Financial Vision Board Helps Form Your Reality

Once you get your board finished, revisit it regularly. Update as things change, whether weekly or monthly. Visually celebrate when small goals are reached. Remember: it’s not the vision board that works – YOU are the one doing the work – and you deserve to be inspired and celebrated.

Your financial vision board can be the perfect tool for keeping you on track with your spending and saving goals. Seeing is believing, and this continual reminder in your line of sight will keep you motivated and focused on achieving your new reality.

Share407
Pin1K
Share
Tweet
Email
1K Shares

Filed Under: Tagged With: BUDGET, DEBT, FINANCIAL GOALS, GOALS, MOTIVATION, SAVING, TRACKING, VISION BOARD

Previous article:
« The Hidden Dangers of Tax Refund Anticipation Loans
Next article:
10 Easy Ways to Save Money this Easter »

Comments

  1. Tess says

    April 5, 2019 at 8:29 am

    I am totally going to make a vision board! So many goals! So many dreams!

  2. Darwin says

    April 7, 2019 at 11:53 pm

    I agree that we are all human and tend to lose sight of what is most important in our lives. This has inspired me to start a vision board for spending quality time with my children. I am now motivated and will be setting goals for family time and marking them off on a monthly basis!

Hello, I'm Kumiko, but everyone just calls me Miko. Welcome to my blog, The Budget Mom. I am an Accredited Financial Counselor® , and mom to a rambunctious boy. Come along with me as I strive to live a life I love on a budget that I can afford. Read more about me.

RECENT YOUTUBE VIDEO

The Budget Mom

The Budget Mom
It’s time for another Real Life Budget. I asked my readers to submit their REAL information. Real spending, real debt, and real savings goals.

I am taking those real-life numbers and showing you how I would organize and budget that information using my Budget By Paycheck® Method.

If you would like to submit your budget information to possibly be picked for a Real Life Budget that we will show on YouTube, please reach out to budgets@thebudgetmom.com.

Diane is a single mom who is a Database Administrator for an IT Department at a local college. She lives in Queens, NY, and eventually wants to move to a lower-cost of living area in the future. 

Diane submitted her information because she is struggling to organize and tackle all of her larger short-term goals.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
02:15 Why & Personal Story
04:20 Income 
04:37 Fixed Expenses
05:48 Variable Expenses
06:31 Debt
07:53 Savings Goals
10:18 Budget By Paycheck Method
14:51 My Recommendations

➡️ HOW I TRACK MY SPENDING: https://bit.ly/3aIe89I
➡️ HOW TO USE A BUDGET CALENDAR: https://bit.ly/2IzF2Vj
➡️ FINDING YOUR WHY: https://bit.ly/3aJUryj
➡️ THE BUDGET MOM'S FINANCIAL FREEDOM STEPS: https://bit.ly/3cfJXsp
➡️ HOW TO GET STARTED WITH THE CASH ENVELOPE METHOD: https://bit.ly/2vQJaO5
➡️ HOW TO CREATE A PLAN OF ATTACK TO PAY OFF DEBT: https://bit.ly/2wDETxF

ABOUT ME

Kumiko Love is a single mom who empowers women everywhere to regain control of their financial lives. An Accredited Financial Counselor with over nine years of experience in the finance industry, she founded The Budget Mom, a community of millions of women on a path to financial fulfillment.

She's also the creator of the wildly popular Live Rich Planner® and Budget by Paycheck® Workbook. Love has been featured on Good Morning America, the Today show, CNN, CBS, ABC and in USA Today, US News, World Report, Huffington Post, Money Magazine, Parents Magazine, the Washington Post, and Real Simple. She lives in Spokane Valley, Washington.

YOU CAN FIND ME AT:

📝 WEBSITE: https://www.thebudgetmom.com
📘 FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/thebudgetmom/
📸 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thebudgetmom/
📌 PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/thebudgetmom/

GET STARTED

➡️Start Here: https://www.thebudgetmom.com/start-here/
➡️Courses: https://courses.thebudgetmom.com/
➡️Free Resources: https://bit.ly/2PDmTHz
➡️GET 10% OFF my popular Budget-by-Paycheck Workbook - Coupon Code TBMYOUTUBE https://bit.ly/3FEdZFp

Soundstripe License Code: LBWMAQPEPWYVFKT3
Load More... Subscribe
Free Resource Library

Recent Posts

  • To Pay Off Debt or Not to Pay Off Debt: The Pros and Cons of Using Home Equity
  • The Secret to Personal Finance I Never Learned About in Business School
  • Don’t Overpay for TV and Internet: How to Shop Around for the Best Deals
  • 4 Simple Tricks to Stick to Your Grocery Budget
  • Celebrate Without Breaking the Bank: How to Save for Special Events

Blog Categories

Amazon Associates Disclosure

The Budget Mom, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

  • Cart
  • Shop Policies

Start With My Friday Newsletter

Every Friday I send you a short helpful email with my popular Friday freebie. Join my 500k+ subscribers!

About

  • Home
  • ABOUT TBM
  • Contact
  • Start Here

Important

  • DISCLAIMER
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Subscribe

Favorites

  • YouTube
  • Blog
  • Live Rich Planner
  • Budget by Paycheck

Start With My Friday Newsletter

Copyright ©2023, The Budget Mom®
This website contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link, I may receive a commission. This website is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program where I earn advertising fees by linking to amazon.com.
  • How financially fulfilled are you? Take this 2 minute quiz to get your score!
    Click Here to Start