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July 9, 2019

Recollections Budget Planner Review (Pros, Cons & Video Flipthrough)

It was only a matter of time until planner companies started expanding beyond weekly and monthly planners into budget planners. One of my favorite budget planners (so far) is the Recollections. As is the case with all the Recollections planners – it’s simple, functional, colorful and affordable.

Quick facts

  • Size: 7.5 x 9.25″
  • Holographic front cover, laminated back cover
  • Coil binding
  • Dates at a glance page
  • 2 page Monthly calendar (starts on Sunday)
  • 1 page weekly spread (starts on Monday)
  • Finances at a glance, yearly savings goal, bill tracker, savings goals
  • Lined notes pages with dot grid sidebar
  • 4 pages of functional planner stickers
  • Double sided pocket folder
  • Different divider patterns for each month
  • Monthly budget
  • Monthly financial goals tracker
  • Expenses tracker for each month (double sided)
  • Extra notes pages at the back
  • Undated
  • 18 Month Duration
  • Tabs
  • Colorful inside pages

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 a little different to most planners – it’s holographic!

recollections budget planner review pros and cons monthly budget planner stickers monthly weekly video review

The back cover is the usual laminated cardstock that the other Recollections planners have.

recollections budget planner review pros and cons monthly budget planner stickers monthly weekly video review holographic cover

Approx 1″ thick (but it is an 18 month planner)

recollections budget planner review pros and cons monthly budget planner stickers monthly weekly video review 18 month

recollections budget planner review undated pocket folder monthly budgets video review

recollections budget planner pocket folder

At the front are a few annual overview money pages.

There’s only 1 bill tracker page but it does have enough room to record your bills for the full 18 month duration of the planner.

recollections budget planner review bill tracker spending expenses

recollections yearly savings goal planner review

recollections budget planner review finance tracker pros and cons video review

recollections budget planner review finance tracker pros and cons video review colorful simple

recollections budget tracker spending savings goals undated 18 month duration

Related: Happy Planner Budget Edition Review

Monthly Calendar

Starts Sunday (not consistent with the weekly spread)

If you don’t want to write the dates in each month, some of my favorite date dot stickers are:

  • Rainbow date dot stickers
  • Prima Planner mini neutral date stickers
  • SRM Press neutral
  • Carpe Diem rainbow
  • Carpe Diem neutral

recollections budget planner monthly calendar monday start minimalist bright white paper

The line spacing is quite small – only 4mm in the notes sidebar

recollections monthly calendar in the budget planner

Monthly Budgeting

For each month there’s a monthly budget, goals tracker & expense tracker.
recollections budget planner notebook monthly budget income expenses savings goals cute affordable

recollections planner monthly budget income expenses tracker

recollections budget planner savings goals affordable alternative to happy planner from mambi

recollections budget planner expenses tracker monthly divider undated 18 months pros and cons video review

recollections budget planner expenses tracker monthly budget income expenses weekly spread dividers undated

There are different dividers for each month:

recollections budget planner dividers

recollections budget planner page divider tabs undated

recollections budget planner expenses tracker log colorful divider

Weekly Planning

I think the weekly spread will be a deal breaker for most – you’ll either love or hate the 1 page per week.

I assume it’s 1 page per week because it’s an 18 month planner so there’s no room for a 2 page spread. The usual bill due, spending etc. stickers are no longer required on the weekly spread as there’s the monthly calendar, budget and expenses trackers.

recollections planner weekly 1 page horizontal colorful unlined checklist coil bound

Notes

The notes pages in the Recollections are a little different to most planners – they’re 3/4 lined notes and 1/4 dot grid. Could be good for graphs, habit trackers etc.

recollections planner review lined dot grid medium page size 7 x 9 inch

Tabs

There are large laminated tabs. The planner comes with stickers that have the month printed).

recollections budget planner review tabs undated pros and cons video review

Planner Stickers

recolllections budget planner stickers bill due colorful rainbow no spend day payday savings

recollections budget planner decorative planner stickers

recollections budget planner monthly calendar stickers

recollections planner stickers icon emoji tabs

Pen Testing

The paper is the same for all the Recollections planners, so here is the results of the pen test I did for the vertical weekly.

I tried various ballpoint, gel, fine tip and marker tip pens. The 3 marker pens (Uni Pis, Pure Color-F and Muji Hexa Pen) had some light ghosting but there was no ghosting for any of the other pens. And no bleed through for any! ?

I also did some highlighter and stamp swatches – no ghosting either.

However, as always, the MAMBI stamps bled through the page ?

Overall, one of the best pen test results of the 100+ planners I’ve reviewed! ?

recollections planner pen testing bleeding ghosting marker pen tip fine gel papermate comparison to erin condren pros and cons video

recollections planner pen testing bleeding ghosting marker pen tip fine gel papermate comparison to erin condren pros and cons video best pens for planning

Pros of the Planner

  • Affordable
  • Functional pages throughout
  • Colorful
  • Undated
  • 18 month duration
  • Pocket folder
  • Clear plastic pocket e.g. for pens
  • Planner stickers
  • Big laminated tabs that are protected by the cover

Cons of the Planner

  • 1 Page weekly spread
  • Not many notes pages at the back

Would I use this planner?

I like it, but I no longer use paper for budgeting (I use Excel spreadsheets that I use instead). I

f you’re someone that still does pen and paper budgeting this would be a good planner only if you like the weekly spread – I feel like the weekly spread’s layout is either a love it or leave it.

If you prefer a budget planner with a vertical weekly layout (and 2 page spread) the Happy Planner Budget Planner may be a better fit for you.

More planner reviews:

  • Passion Planner Review – Compact and Classic Sizes 
  • Commit 30 Weekly Planner
  • Kikki K Weekly Planner Review

Planning Tips:

  • 5 Planner supplies you should never skimp on
  • Silhouette Studio Software versus Photoshop: Which is better for making planner stickers?
  • Setting up a new planner: 70 Tasks to add 

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Recollections budget planner review pros and cons video monthly budget bill tracker expenses savings goals pen testing cheap

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  • Recollections Planner Review (Horizontal Weekly Layout) – Pros & ConsRecollections Planner Review (Horizontal Weekly Layout) – Pros & Cons
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  • Recollections Vertical Hourly Weekly Planner Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough)Recollections Vertical Hourly Weekly Planner Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough)

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Posted In: Budget Planners, Planner Reviews · Tagged: cheap budget planner, recollections, recollections budget versus happy planner, recollections expense tracker, recollections financial goals, recollections monthly budget, recollections monthly planner, recollections planner, recollections planner pros and cons, recollections savings tracker, recollections spending tracker, recollections versus happy planner, recollections weekly planner

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Welcome to All About Planners! I’m Rachael, a 20-something Aussie addicted to graphic design and all things planning. 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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