Personal Money Rules Worksheet

Who this is for

A handful of money rules, in your own words. For each area you write one rule, when it applies and why it matters to you, then what makes it hard and what you will do instead; you tick each week it held and decide at the end whether to keep it.

Anyone who wants to change one or two money habits without drawing up a full budget, and people who know what they want to do but find it slips when they are tired, busy or tempted.

What this helps you track

• One clear rule for each area of money that matters to you
• When each rule applies and why you chose it
• The moments that make each rule hard to keep
• A plan for what to do instead in those moments
• Four weekly ticks, and whether to keep, change or drop each rule

How to use it

1. Write your name, the date you start and the date you will review the rules, a month on.
2. For each area, write one rule as something you will do, short enough to remember, and skip any area that does not matter to you right now.
3. Add when the rule applies and why it matters to you, in your own words.
4. In the second table, write what makes each rule hard and what you will do instead when that happens.
5. At the end of each week, tick the rules that held; at the review, mark each rule keep, change or drop and rewrite any you are changing on a fresh copy.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What makes a good money rule?

One you can remember and check. Something specific, such as a rule about when you use a credit card or what happens to money left at the end of the month, is easier to tick off than a broad aim like spending less.

Do I need a rule for every area?

No. There is room for one in each of five areas plus one of your own, but you do not have to fill every row. Starting with fewer rules can make it easier to see which ones work.

What if a rule did not hold?

Leave the week unticked and look at what makes it hard. A rule that keeps slipping may need a clearer trigger, a different plan for the hard moment or new wording. Mark it change in the review column and rewrite it for the next month.

How is this different from the needs and wants worksheet?

That worksheet sorts your regular spending into needs and wants. This one is about behaviour: a few rules you set yourself and a weekly check on whether they held.