I’ve always had a budget—kind of. Turns out, planning one and sticking to it are two very different things. The planning part? Easy. Following through? Not so much*.*
I’d forget to update my spreadsheet, delete budgeting apps out of frustration, and sometimes just… stop checking my bank account altogether. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
When I started using Notion, everything changed. I loved how customizable it was—I could finally build a system that worked for me, not the other way around. I tried a few pre-made templates, but they were either overly complicated or missing key features I actually wanted.
So, I did what anyone would do when existing solutions aren’t cutting it: I built my own.
I built Budget Buddy because I wanted a budgeting system that made sense to me—not something I’d forget about in two days. After a lot of tweaking, I ended up with something I actually use—something that’s quick to update, easy to maintain, and focused on the basics.
At its core, Budget Buddy is about making budgeting as easy as possible. I tested it for four months and built in only what felt necessary. It’s simple enough to update weekly or even monthly without losing track of where you’re at.
Budget Buddy: A Notion-based budgeting system designed to keep things simple and manageable.
I’m not someone who logs every expense in real time. Usually, once a week, I’ll sit down with my bank info open in one window and Budget Buddy in the other. Here’s how I use it: