Consider this your personal self-care directory.

Brainstorm practical self-care rituals that you can complete in:

10 minutes or less: These are quick and simple activities that can be done anywhere, at any time. Having a go-to list of easy self-care options on hand ensures you can prioritise your well-being, no matter how busy your schedule may be. It's the best way to overcome the "I don't have time" excuse.

30 minutes or less: These activities require a little more time investment and may need to be pre-planned and scheduled into your day. Some of these activities can be done during your lunch break or form part of your morning ritual. 

60 minutes or more: These activities require the most time investment and generally need to be pre-planned and scheduled into your week. 

Categorising these activities makes it easier for you to choose an activity based on your current needs and how much time you want to dedicate on any given day.

It also alleviates decision fatigue when you’re unsure of the best way to recharge in ten minutes.

Naturally, there will be activities that fall into all three categories. To avoid duplication, consider how each ritual makes you feel. What part of your wellbeing does the activity contribute to most? 

For example, yoga is celebrated for its many mind, body and spiritual benefits. However, the mental health benefits may be of greater significance to you, so you would add that to the mind section. 

To help you get started, we've included three prompts:

1) What helps you slow down? What activities feel calming or peaceful to you?

2) What activities or rituals leave you feeling strong and energised?

3) What simple pleasures bring you comfort and joy?

Completing this exercise is a great way to reflect on what self-care means to you. It can help you feel more confident about integrating self-care activities into your daily life.

• Include activities, rituals and routines that have yielded positive benefits in the past. Having a reliable set of habits and routines in your planner reduces decision fatigue, allowing you to focus on elevating your mood and overall wellbeing.
• Use the Notes section of the Self-Care Menu to list resources, such as your go-to YouTube channel for workouts, or your favourite apps for guided meditation. This is your “bookmark” for listing online and offline resources. Alternatively, you can use the Notes section to list quotes, mantras and affirmations that resonate with you—words of wisdom you can lean on throughout the year. 
• Leave room for activities that resonate with you later in the year. You don’t need to fill it all in at once. You can slowly add to it over time, based on your experiences throughout the year. 
• Ask your partner or your loved ones if they can recall specific self-care activities that put you in a more relaxed or energised state. Sometimes, we just need a little reminder of what works. 

• 20 ways to prioritise and practise self-care
• Self-care cheat sheet for busy bees: 20 insanely easy rituals to boost your wellbeing in less than five minutes

Use this space to map out the adventures, experiences and activities you want to try in 2025. 

Consider the following categories: travel, adventure, education, entertainment, contribution, creativity, health, family and relationships. 

A traditional bucket list typically features once in a lifetime, travel-related experiences. However, we recommend expanding your definition.

Expand your definition to include things you've always wanted to try at home, like growing your own produce or things you've always wanted to do but never had time for, like learning how to play the piano or Marie Kondo-ing your house. 

Keep it fun, satisfying and realistic. 

We've replaced the list format with a more visual layout. Think Bucket List meets vision board. Personalise this space with stickers, magazine cutouts or any other visuals that inspire you.

There are two ways to use the shaded area:

You can use it to mark in tentative dates or actual dates of completion. The former gives you a timeline to work towards. The latter provides a record of your bucket list experiences. 

• Keep it realistic by assessing the time and financial investment involved.
• Personalise your list and keep it relevant to your interests, goals and values.
• Include a combination of small, medium and large bucket list experiences and adventures.
• Share your list with others to keep you socially accountable.
• Think about whether you want to fly solo or do it with someone else.
• Personalise this space with stickers, magazine cutouts or any other visuals that inspire you.

• How to make a Bucket List you'll actually do

This section invites you to look beyond specific targets and consider how you want to spend your year.

There are 6 prompts to guide your reflection:

1) How do you want to live each day?

2) How do you want to feel?

3) What do you want to focus on?

4) What do you want to achieve

5) What do you desire?

6) What changes do you want to make?

For example, you might want to become a better listener, improve your relationship with your partner or be kind to yourself and let go of the incredibly high expectations you impose on yourself.

This exercise is perfect for those who want to step into the year with a bit more clarity and purpose. It can serve as a precursor to goal setting or it can simply be space for you to journal and explore how you feel about the year ahead.

You can use the lines on the left to journal your intentions or simply brain dump anything that comes to mind.

The four boxes on the right are for refining and categorising your list of intentions. When you flip back to this section, you won’t need to read over your scribbled thoughts. You can cast your eyes over these four boxes that clearly state your intentions and the areas you want to focus on in the coming year.

Examples of categories you might use:family, career, hobbies, fitness, personal development, mental health, relationships, parenting, education.

You may have intentions that span more than four categories but having those four boxes encourages you to focus on a few core areas at a time.

• Give yourself time and space to quietly reflect on the prompts provided. You might like to burn a candle or incense and make yourself a cup of a tea to set the mood.
• Write what comes to mind without judgment. Dig deep, be honest, and allow your answers to flow.
• If you’re itching for more than four categories to categorise your intentions, you can halve each box and use each box for two categories. 

What's the difference between 2025 Intentions and Mission Statement?

The 2025 Intentions section is for the more abstract, less tangible intentions you might have.

Examples:

• Become a better listener
• Improve relationship with partner 
• Be kind to myself
• Let go of unrealistic expectations
• Go with the flow 

The Mission Statement framework is a goal-setting framework best suited for concrete goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. It's designed to help you map out a plan of action for your biggest goals. 

Examples:

• Run the Melbourne marathon in October 2025.
• Buy an investment property in Geelong by December 2025.
• Sell the family home by 30th March, 2025.

Take a moment to reflect on what you truly want to achieve in 2025. Start by reviewing key areas of your life: health, personal growth, career, family, and relationships. If you're feeling unsure or need some direction, turn to the 2025 Intentions section for a guided journaling exercise to help you clarify your goals and aspirations.

Then, define your goals using the SMART philosophy: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

Example: Run the Melbourne Marathon in October 2025.

A study by Dr. Gail Matthews, a professor of psychology, found that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals simply by writing it down. 

Think about why you want to pursue each goal. Dig deep to uncover your true motivations. When in doubt, you can flip back to this section of your planner and remember why you started.

Tip: revisit this list and add to it throughout the year. There might be “reasons” that you haven’t yet thought about or consciously admitted. 

Example: Run the Melbourne Marathon in October 2025

Why: It gives me more incentive to be active throughout the week. I really want to improve my fitness and stamina. I want to make new friends in the neighbourhood and this will be the perfect opportunity to join local running groups. I want to raise awareness for mental health. My confidence will improve when I start to see progress. That amazing feeling of accomplishment I’ll feel when I cross the finish line. A sense of pride.

Identify the fears that are causing some level of self-doubt. Also consider the fears that have emerged in the past.

The “worst case scenario” exercise allows you to transform your fear of the unknown into something clearly defined and manageable. Once you rationally analyse these scenarios, it becomes clear that there are many things you can do to prevent or repair the potential damage. It allows you to also see other viable pathways to your goal. 

Taking the time to evaluate the cost of inaction can be a powerful source of motivation. It can reveal the emotional, physical and financial impact of abandoning your mission. 

Tip: journal about it and talk to your inner circle as they may be able to lend a different perspective.  

Example: Run the Melbourne Marathon in October 2025

Worst case scenarios: knee/ankle injury

Practical steps to prevent these outcomes: invest in the best runners on the market, stretch before and after runs, pace myself and listen to my body—if there are any pains/minor injuries, get it treated immediately. 

Practical steps to repair the damage: see the required specialists, rehab. I’ve also got health insurance which will cover most of it. 

All the ways in which your life will improve once you start working towards this goal: I'll have a fitness routine. I'll feel fitter, stronger more energised. I'll make new friends through local running groups. 

Determine the primary steps you need to take in order to complete your mission. This can be relatively broad steps or more specific to-dos. Setting realistic target dates will also help you prioritise and focus on what is most important, allowing you to better manage your time throughout the year. 

Tip: use the Mission in Progress section located on each Pre-Week Planner to break down the larger steps into smaller tasks you can complete each week. 

Example: Run the Melbourne Marathon in October 2025

The first few steps might include the following:

Register for the marathon
Research beginners training plan
Research best foods to eat before, during and after running
Invest in proper running gear

Set realistic milestones. This allows you to break down your mission into smaller goals. Reaching each milestone is an indication of significant progress which should be acknowledged and celebrated. It builds confidence and bridges the gap between where you are now and the end goal. 

Tip: use your Curation sticker set to mark your progress in your weekly spread.

Example: Run the Melbourne Marathon in October 2025

Milestone #1 Running 10km 

Milestone #2 Running 20km 

Milestone #3 Running 30km 

Milestone #4 Completing the Melbourne Marathon 

This space is for you to outline how you'd like to celebrate accomplishing your mission—whether it's dining at your favorite restaurant, indulging in a spa day, or planning a well-deserved holiday. You can also include smaller rewards for reaching each milestone along the way.

To keep you motivated, we've added a progress bar to each Mission Statement worksheet. Tracking your progress visually can be incredibly inspiring, and the simple act of shading in the bar as you move forward will feel both rewarding and satisfying!

• Seek out people who have already done what you want to achieve and learn from them.
• Use the "Mission in Progress" section of the Pre-Week Planner to regularly check in with your goals and plan specific tasks that will move you closer to achieving them each week. This section helps you stay focused and ensures that you're consistently taking action toward your mission.
• If you own Curation Mini, you can schedule in goal-related tasks under "This Week's Priorities" on your weekly spread.
• Stay open minded and flexible in your approach. Be prepared to modify and adapt your plan of action. Your mission may change as you grow and that’s okay. 

• 10 powerful tips for pursuing and achieving your goals (free eBook)
• If a goal is starting to feel impossible, here’s how to reframe it
• Stop setting random goals—create goal "categories" instead
• The Saint Belford Podcast: Ep #4 - 10 powerful tips for pursuing and achieving your goals

What's the difference between the Mission Statement and 2025 Intentions?

The Mission Statement framework is a goal-setting framework best suited for concrete goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. It's designed to help you map out a plan of action for your biggest goals. 

Examples:

• Run the Melbourne marathon in October 2025.
• Buy an investment property in Geelong by December 2025.
• Sell the family home by 30th March, 2025.

The 2025 Intentions section is for the more abstract, less tangible intentions you might have.

Examples:

• Become a better listener
• Improve relationship with partner 
• Be kind to myself
• Let go of unrealistic expectations
• Go with the flow 

Use this framework to workshop your habits and establish a game plan for building healthy habits that stick.  

Define the habit you want to build. Consider the duration of the habit and what days your habit applies to. Is it a daily habit, a Monday and Thursday habit or a weekly ritual? Your habits are much easier to track when they are specific.

You may also choose to include rules like holiday and sick day exceptions.

Tip: use this formula to define your habit: [habit] at [time] in [location].

The goal is to make a plan for exactly when and where you will complete your new habit. This provides clarity and helps alleviate decision fatigue.

Example:Meditate daily for 10 minutes at 7am in my bedroom

Elaborate on why each habit is important to you and why it deserves your time and energy. Be 100% honest. This list is just for you. The reasons listed will help keep you motivated and determined.

Tip: Educate yourself on the short and long-term benefits and consider the negative consequences of not adopting this habit. You can also revisit this list and add to it throughout the year. 

Example: Meditate daily for 10 minutes at 7am in my bedroom

Why:
This will be my daily reminder to slow down and check in with my mind and body. This will help me listen to my body and my needs. If I don’t build this habit, I will continue feeling stressed, tense and unable to tune into the needs of my body. 

Cues are internal or external prompts that the brain strongly associates with a particular habit, like an object, pre-existing routine, specific time, location, emotional state or another person.

For example, a yoga mat in the living room could be your daily cue to practise yoga. The water bottle on your desk could be your cue to stay hydrated. The floss on your bathroom counter could be your cue to floss in the evening.

What are some cues you can put in place to remind you to take action?

Can you set up automatic reminders or leave certain objects around to remind you?

Tip: Choose cues that are specific, consistent, automatic, and unavoidable. Ensure these cues are present on the days you plan to complete your habit, so they naturally prompt you to take action without extra effort.

Example: Meditate daily for 10 minutes at 7am in my bedroom.

Cue: recurring alarm that goes off at 7am

Every habit can be broken down into smaller steps, even things as simple as brushing your teeth. Go through the motions of completing your habit to figure out what steps are involved. 

How can you simplify or minimise the number of steps involved?

The fewer steps involved, the easier it is to complete and the more likely you are to repeat your habit.

Tip: eliminate “in the moment” decision making by making decisions ahead of time.

Example: Meditate daily for 10 minutes at 7am in my bedroom

Steps: grab phone > search for app > open app > choose meditation > press play > meditate 

You can eliminate “searching for app” by positioning it on the front screen and you can also choose your meditation in advance if you want to keep this habit as streamlined as possible. 

What will be your immediate reward for completing your habit on any given day? Rewards teach you what habits are worth remembering—they increase the likelihood that you’ll repeat your habit.

Think about all the everyday activities that you actually enjoy and which ones you could repurpose into rewards to reinforce your habit. It might be enjoying your morning coffee, watching Netflix or jumping on social media. In order to repurpose these activities into rewards, they need to be done or experienced immediately after you complete your habit.

Tip: when choosing rewards, make sure it’s consistent with the person you want to be. Completing your gym routine and rewarding yourself with a pack of chips and a can of coke might not be ideal if you’re striving to be the healthiest version of yourself. 

Example: Meditate daily for 10 minutes at 7am in my bedroom
Reward: morning coffee

What actions do you need to take before you can effectively build this habit. This might include investing in certain tools, doing some research or purchasing a membership. Just make sure your preparation doesn’t turn into procrastination. 

Example: Meditate daily for 10 minutes at 7am in my bedroom.
Prep: research the best meditation apps, download/purchase subscription, set recurring alarm. 

Example: Run 5km at 7am around Albert Park 3 times a week.
Prep: buy a good pair of runners, buy a fitbit and create running playlist.

Example: Practise 1 hour of yoga 3 times a week at Wonder Yoga.
Prep: research yoga studios, sign up for a membership, buy appropriate activewear for yoga.

Lastly, use the Habit Tracker on each Weekly Spread to track and record your progress. 

• Announce your intentions to family and friends to keep you accountable and enlist their support.
• Start small. The idea is to make your habit so easy in the beginning that you can’t say no. 
• Use the Habit Tracker on your weekly (or daily) spread to track the habits you're working on. Tracking your progress visually increases focus, motivation, and self-awareness, while also providing a clear reminder to complete your habits each day. There's something truly satisfying about seeing your progress unfold!

• Download your FREE eBook: Curating Habits That Stick
• The Saint Belford Podcast: Ep #3 - 5 reasons why your habits aren't sticking (and what to do instead)
• The Saint Belford Podcast: Ep #18 - How I broke three of my worst habits
• How to establish a daily meditation ritual using the Habit Curator framework

This is where you can begin to mark important dates, key events and monthly reminders. This provides you with a birds eye view of what to expect in the coming months. 

Tip: use your Curation Sticker Set to make your monthly planner more meaningful at a glance. 

Unique ways to use this section:

• Daily gratitude
• Sleep tracker
• Family commitments
• Tracking bills
• Assignment due dates
• Mood tracker
• Health symptoms tracker
• Renovation planner
• Partner's work schedule
• Moon phases
• Work schedule 
• Mini daily reflection

*The Pre-Week Planner is included in the Original, Large, Daily and Undated versions of Curation. It is not included in Curation Mini. 

Use this space to reflect on the previous week and mentally prepare for the next seven days. It’s a great opportunity to identify your priorities and allocate your time strategically.

End the week on a high note by writing down at least three things you’re grateful for or three wins from the last seven days. 

1) Got some positive feedback from my manager

2) Family time 

3) Exercising every morning this week! 

*For Curation Mini users, this feature can be found on your weekly spread. For Curation Daily users, this feature can be found on your daily spread.

The drawing board is extra planning space conveniently built into your planner. If you find yourself reaching for notepads and sticky notes, you'll love the added bonus of keeping all your notes in one place.

The dot grid strikes the perfect balance between structure and flexibility. The dots provide more structure than a blank space which means you can write more neatly but it also provides a framework for mind mapping, doodling and sketching concepts, so it can be customised according to your needs.

Whenever you need a piece of paper, use the Drawing Board instead. 

Ideas from the community:

• Weekly journal entry 
• Shopping list
• Meeting notes
• Affirmations or favourite quotes
• Weekly budget
• Ideas that come up during the week
• Poems
• To-do list
• Gifts I need to purchase
• Pros and cons list
• Sketches
• Wish lists
• Book, podcast or restaurant recommendations

Want to see how other Curation users are using the Dot Grid? Check out real life examples here.

*The weekly Dot Grid is available in the Original, Large, Daily and Undated versions of Curation.

Jump out of your comfort zone and try something new each week with Your Cue—your weekly self-care challenge or prompt). It may challenge your current routines, habits, rituals and way of thinking, but it’s an opportunity to grow, broaden your perspective and possibly add to your knowledge bank. 

Tip: schedule it into your week and list the post-challenge benefits you are likely to experience. This can be your fuel for following through. You might also like to encourage your partner or a friend to do it with you for added accountability. 

This section is designed to keep your long-term goals at the forefront of your mind.

Start by reviewing the goals you've committed to for the year—are you on track, or do you need to adjust your plan of action?

Look over the steps you've outlined under each mission and identify the sub-tasks you can realistically tackle in the coming week. Write these down as your priorities for the week.

If you're not currently focused on specific goals, use this section as a weekly priority list, noting your top 5 tasks to accomplish.

Tips:

• Consider the time investment required and schedule these tasks into your weekly spread to keep it top of mind.
• Review your to-do list from the previous week to determine if there are any remaining tasks that still need to be ticked off. 
• Prioritise tasks by asking yourself these 5 specific questions. 

The Personal Planner/Tracker is a multi-purpose table with three columns (two in the Daily) for organising, planning and/or tracking important areas of your life each week.

The absence of headings gives you the freedom and flexibility to customise the table based on your changing needs, preferences and priorities each week. 

How you use this multi-purpose space is completely up to you. 

You could plan your meals or workouts, identify your top priority each day, create a study schedule, track your mood or symptoms—the options are endless!

More ideas from the community:

• Uni assessments
• Online tutorials/lectures
• Work appointments
• Partner's work schedule
• Sleep tracker
• Social media planner
• Study schedule
• Workout/fitness plan
• Workout details (weights lifted)
• Today's win
• Kids activities
• Movement tracker
• Symptom tracker
• Joy tracker (what gave me joy today)
• Step tracker

For real customer examples of the Personal Planner/Tracker table in action, click here.

• 5 specific questions to help you prioritise your time and energy 

Use the Weekly Spread to organise personal, family, work and social commitments, tasks, events and reminders. We've kept it quite minimal so you can adapt this space to your own needs.

Tips:

• Use the left side to log social events, meetings and appointments, and the right side for your daily to-do list. 
• Create custom headings above each column to complement your planning style. 
• Use your Curation Sticker Set to personalise your planner and make your weekly spread more meaningful at a glance. 
• Prioritise tasks by asking yourself these 5 specific questions

The Daily Self-Care Planner is strategically positioned above your to-do list to help normalise the act of prioritising your wellbeing.

Take a moment to ask yourself:

What do I need today?
What can I do to boost my wellbeing today?

It’s your reminder to listen to your body and to honour your needs, even when life gets busy.

Use this space to schedule a daily self-care activity whether that's something physical like going for a run or something focused on mental wellness like meditating or journalling. 

This feature is designed to help you develop a more proactive self-care routine rather than waiting until you’re feeling completely burnt out or unwell. 

Tips: use your self-care menu as a reference guide when you’re unsure what to do for yourself

This space can be used for reminders that don't have a specific day or time, like paying your vehicle registration or picking up your dry cleaning.

Alternatively, you can use this space for weekly mantras or motivational words of wisdom. 

The Habit Tracker is positioned at the top of your weekly spread to keep your habits front and centre, making it easier to stay focused and identify areas that may need more attention. It also serves as a daily reminder to follow through with your intentions.

The visual display of your progress is a powerful source of motivation and the simple pleasure of ticking off your habits provides the positive reinforcement you need to stay on track.

Use a tick or shade in the circle to indicate that you’ve completed a habit.

Tip: highlight the days that are relevant to each habit for added clarity.

At the end of each month, you’ll find a link at the bottom of the weekly spread, directing you to five monthly reflection prompts. 

A monthly reflection can help you develop more self awareness around the choices you’re making, how you’re spending your time, what’s working and what isn’t. What you uncover will help you plan and live more mindfully, in alignment with your values and intentions. 

It’s a chance for you to:

• Slow down, pause, reset 
• Review your goals and habits
• Review the lessons you’ve learned
• Celebrate your progress
• Check in with how you’re feeling
• Modify your plans based on the above
• Set new intentions
• Identify priorities for the month ahead

Use your Dot Grid Drawing Board or pages at the back of Curation, Pledge to Stay Well Journal or a blank notebook to complete your monthly reflection. 

*This Week's Priorities replaces the Pre-Week Planner in Curation Mini. 

This Week's Priorities can be used for prioritising and managing everyday tasks alongside long-term goals.

It encourages you to proactively identify your top three priorities/most important tasks for the week, allowing you to allocate your time more mindfully each day.

With a birds eye view of the week, you can mentally prepare for the next seven days. 

You can also use this feature to review your goals for the year and identify goal-related tasks you can realistically tackle during the week. 

Tips:

• Make this a weekly ritual.
• Identify the best day/time to complete this section each week. You might decide to make Sunday morning your weekly planning time. Turning this into a weekly ritual will help you begin your week with a strong sense of purpose.  

The table on the left is designed to hold your daily schedule. You can use the left column to note the time and the right column for the corresponding task, meeting, appointment or event. This space can also be used for time blocking your entire day. 

Your Top Priorities checklist is positioned above your to-do list. Use this space to jot down your most important tasks for the day.

In the bottom right corner, we’ve carved out space for daily gratitude. This journalling component makes for a lovely ritual—the perfect way to wind down and reflect on your day.

The Memory Bank is a mini journal of highlights. There are 27 spaces (in the A5 versions of Curation) to hold your favourite memories from 2025. 

Simply record the date on the left and your special moment on the line next to it.

It’s a wonderful way to build the habit of self-reflection and gratitude.

If 27 spaces isn’t enough, you can continue this keepsake on the next page.

By the end of the year, you’ll have a beautiful time capsule of memories that you can read back on as you prepare for the year ahead.

Reflect on the year that’s been using the journaling prompts provided. This exercise will provide a new wave of clarity which will help you establish priorities for the year ahead. 

There are four lined pages following this spread if you'd like to extend your journal entry.

Tips:

• Don’t rush it. Invest an hour or two, free from distraction, to complete this section of your planner. 
• Be 100% honest with yourself. This can be a private exercise. 

At the back of your planner, you'll find 4 bonus checklists that can be used for a wide variety of tasks:

• Log books read
• Create a list of movies to watch
• Create a list of restaurants to try
• Create a shopping wishlist
• Manage specific projects
• Create cleaning checklists
• Manage a running to-do list
• Track expenses or bills
• Track online purchases
• Track gift card usage

There are no headings so you can customise this space according to your needs.

The Savings Curator is designed to help you spend and save more mindfully throughout the year. 

Write down your primary reason (s) for saving. There's also space to set a deadline. A deadline will help you work backwards to map out a realistic savings plan.  

Here are some examples:

I want to save $10k by 30/6/2025 for a new car.

I want to save $20k by 31/12/2025 for a house deposit.

Brainstorm practical things you can do to increase your income and reduce your expenses. You can see here that we’ve carved out space for you to do that. You can list ideas and do some quick sums in the blank space to add up how much you could make. 

Some examples might be selling clothes on eBay, selling furniture you no longer use on Facebook marketplace, picking up more shifts, freelancing. In terms of reducing your expenses, you might cancel subscriptions you don’t use and place a limit on non-essential expenses.

When brainstorming ideas, stay realistic. For example, picking up more shifts might sound good in theory but just consider the roll-on effect before committing to each idea. You definitely don’t want to burn out or compromise your wellbeing in the process. 

If you turn to the next few pages, you’ll see that we’ve included income and expense trackers for January–December. Your monthly target and your reasons for saving may be the same each month but setting the intention and writing it down at the beginning of each month can encourage more mindful spending. You’re more inclined to think twice about certain expenses if your saving goal is top of mind.

Log your income and expenses as they occur each month. For larger expenses like car registrations and rent, you might like to log them immediately. For expenses like groceries and petrol and eating out, you might prefer to wait until the end of each month and then go through your statements to log those expenses. 

You might also like to categorise your expenses. For example, one category could be beauty and that could be getting your nails done, getting your hair done.

Calculate your monthly total by subtracting total monthly expenses from total monthly income. This is how much ($) you have saved this month. 

For example, if your total monthly expenses work out to be $3000 and your total monthly income is $5000, then you have saved $2000. 

6. COMPARE YOUR MONTHLY TOTAL AND MONTHLY TARGET

Subtract your monthly savings goal from your actual savings. This will tell you if you have achieved, exceeded or fallen short of this month’s target. 

For example, you might have saved $2000 but your target was $2500. This means you are $500 short of your savings goal. In this scenario, you would log –500 at the bottom of your monthly tracker. 

Saving $2000 is still an awesome effort, but it’s worth reflecting on whether 

1. your target was unrealistic or
2. You could have increased your income and/or reduced certain expenses.

If you have fallen short of your monthly savings goal and you believe you could have increased your income and /or reduced certain expenses, turn to page 27. Use the prompts provided to brainstorm new ways to increase your income and/or reduce your expenses next month.The prompts are a great exercise to kick off your savings plan but it’s also a great exercise to come back to when you find yourself falling short of your monthly savings goal. 

You might like to divide your annual goal by 10 so you can easily track and shade in your progress. The visual display of your progress will add an extra layer of motivation and keep you on track to achieving your 2024 savings goal. Highly recommend using a coloured pencil to shade in your progress bar. 

Use the Savings Curator to provide an overview of your current financial situation and create a practical and realistic savings plan. 

1. SET YOURSELF A TARGET AND DEADLINE

A deadline will help you work backwards to map out a realistic savings plan.  

2. ASSESS YOUR CURRENT FINANCIAL ACTIVITY 

Review your bank/credit card transactions and input your monthly income and expenses. 

Tip: Use a grey lead pencil and categorise your expenses into categories so that you don’t end up using all the space for one expense category.

3. CALCULATE YOUR MONTHLY SURPLUS

To calculate your monthly surplus, subtract your total monthly expenses from your total monthly income. This is how much ($) you have leftover without making any changes. 

4. OPTIMISE YOUR BUDGET

Analyse your monthly expenditure and search for expenses you can realistically reduce or eliminate each month. For example, if your average monthly takeaway expense is $100 and you decide to reduce it to $70, you can add $70 in the Desired column next to Takeaway.

5. CALCULATE YOUR DESIRED MONTHLY SURPLUS

Once you add your revised expenses to the ‘desired’ column, calculate your desired monthly surplus. This is how much ($) you would have left over if you committed to the changes identified in step 4. 

6. WORK OUT YOUR GAME PLAN

List the actions you intend on taking to reach your desired monthly surplus. For example, bringing lunch to work instead of eating out may save you an average of $140 per month and cycling to work instead of catching an Uber may save you $160 per month. 

7. COMMIT TO YOUR SAVINGS PLAN

Decide how much ($) you are willing to contribute each month. 

8. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

Take note of your monthly deposits and visually track your progress using the progress bar provided. The act of shading in the progress bar can serve as a healthy source of motivation and help you stay on track with your goal, especially since the finish line is visible. If you are struggling to adhere to your desired budget, you may need to revise this accordingly. 

Tip: Set up scheduled transfers or reminders in Curation once you decide how much you are willing to contribute each month.