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happy planner budget book vertical spending budget review pros and cons

Happy Planner Budget Edition Review (Pros, Cons & a Video Walkthrough)

Posted on November 14, 2018February 22, 2020 by Rachael

The Happy Planner Budget edition is very similar to the classic vertical version but with a few key differences…

Quick facts

  • Size: 7″ wide x 9.25″ high (cover is 7.75″ wide x 9.75″ high)
  • Disc binding
  • Laminated cardstock cover
  • This belongs to page in case your planner is lost
  • Dates at a glance
  • Savings goal page
  • Colorful inside pages
  • 2 page vertical weekly spread (starts on Monday)
  • 2 Page monthly calendar (starts on Sunday)
  • Monthly budget (for each month)
  • Different divider cover pages for each month
  • Tabs

If you like this planner, my sister stocks it in her shop!

Let’s take a closer look!

To enlarge the screen of the video, click the square icon in the bottom right hand corner of the video (it will say ‘full screen’ when you hover your mouse over the icon).

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more planner videos!

The Cover

The cover is the same as all the other happy planners – cardstock with laminate that extends beyond the tabs to protect them.

happy planner budget book vertical spending budget review pros and cons

Approx 1.5cm thick.

happy planner budget book vertical spending budget review pros and cons discbound

Monthly Budget

Instead of a monthly notes or monthly planning page there’s a budget page for each month.

happy planner monthly budget inserts spending expenses bill pay rainbow

Very functional page layout – even includes a savings tracker!

happy planner review monthly budget rainbow spending income savings financial tracker discbound pros and cons

At the end of each month is an expenses and bills tracker page.

happy planner discbound system pros and cons expense bill tracker colorful

happy planner expense tracker budget planner vertical 2019 dated inserts discbound pros and cons review video

happy planner bill pay checklist tracker budget planner vertical 2019 dated inserts discbound pros and cons review video

Monthly Calendar

Week starts on a Sunday (not consistent with the weekly spread)

happy planner budget book review pros and cons discbound

One of the major cons of the Happy Planner, in my opinion, are the split boxes. Rather than re-starting the date numbering in the empty boxes on the top row, they split a box into 2 which makes no sense (how can anyone write anything in that tiny triangle?)

happy planner monthly calendar pros and cons video review honest

US holidays are printed on the monthly calendar.

happy planner monthly calendar review pros and cons discbound system

Weekly Planner

The weekly spread starts on a Monday (not consistent with the monthly calendar that starts on Sunday)

Instead of a plain notes sidebar in the weekly spread there’s a weekly spending and smaller notes section.

happy planner budget book vertical spending budget review pros and cons monday start week 3 sections discbound

Apart from that the vertical layout is the same as the classic weekly vertical version.

happy planner mambi budget notebook vertical 3 sections per day monday week start pros and cons

US holidays are not printed in the weekly spread.

Related: MAMBI Mini Happy Planner Review (pros, cons, should you buy it?) 

Dates at a glance & Savings Tracker

happy planner review pros and cons budget vertical monday start savings goals dates at a glance

Notes

There’s only 1 notes page at the back of the planner. MAMBI don’t tend to include extra notes pages. You can either purchase their refill inserts or resize a printable.

Related: How to print printables at MAMBI Happy Planner Size (step by step tutorial)

happy planner notes discbound pros and cons review video budgeting

Tabs

The tabs are big and sturdy and some have gold foil <3

For some weird reason, Happy Planner don’t do the color printing on the back side of the tabs (only the front).

happy planner budget book vertical spending budget review pros and cons tabs

Pen Testing

I won’t be using this planner #teamhorizontal however the paper feels the same as their past editions so here is the results of the pen test from one of the other versions I’ve reviewed:

happy planner pen testing review best pens for planning no bleed papermate pilot frixion erasable uniball staedtler stabilo pentel sharpie gel pen ballpoint

Related: Planner pen testing in the Erin Condren Life Planner, Plum Paper, Happy Planner by MAMBI and Limelife Planner 

Pros of the Planner

  • Nice color scheme
  • Affordable
  • Very functional page layouts
  • Different divider / tab page designs throughout
  • Bill, expenses & budget tracking pages for each month

Cons of the Planner

  • The monthly calendar splits 1 box into 2 rather than re-starting numbering on the top row
  • Only 1 notes page at the back of the planner
  • The laminated tabs cover part of the monthly calendar boxes (as the monthly calendar is printed directly onto the back of the calendar)
  • No monthly notes pages

Would I use this planner?

No. The planner is very functional, has nice colors etc. but I don’t like / use vertical planners. I also don’t track budgeting on paper. I used to use budgeting printables and then created Excel spreadsheets.

However, if you are looking for a planner that incorporates budgeting very few include pages specifically for tracking money so the Happy Planner would be my recommendation.

If you can’t get the Budget Planner or already have a Happy Planner and like the budget pages they’re available as an extension pack.

You can also quickly and easily resize any printable to fit the Happy Planner – see this post for a tutorial.

More Happy Planner:

  • Honest review of the Happy Planner by Me and my Big Ideas (MAMBI)
  • MAMBI Mini Happy Planner Review (pros, cons, should you buy it?) 
  • Using Erin Condren Size Planner Stickers in MAMBI Classic Happy Planner

Planning Tips:

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happy planner budget planner review pros and cons video monthly weekly 2019

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Next Post:
Using the MAMBI Happy Planner Horizontal (Week 40 of the 52 Planners in 52 Weeks Challenge)
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MAMBI Happy Planner Happy Notes Review (including video walkthrough)

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Hello

Welcome to All About Planners! I’m Rachael, a 20-something Australian planner addict. On the blog you’ll find more than 1,000 posts about all things planning including planner reviews, tips, favorite supplies and some of my past weekly spreads.

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If you have a question or there is a planner you’d like me to review, I can be contacted via [email protected]

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