This is a topic close to my heart – money. I owe my credit card money and I need to pay it back. This sounds simple but it’s something I struggle with because the little plastic oblong doesn’t show you your balance every time you get it out. If it did I might be better at this. If credit cards were like FitBits we’d all be a bit more wary.

It also doesn’t show you how much you’ve paid back (or any interest charged, but that’s another subject.) So it’s hard to maintain momentum on your repayment plan.

This is where a bullet journal tracker page comes in.

There are many types of tracker but the simplest uses the grid or dots on your journal page to let you draw squares and colour them in as each stage of your goal is achieved. I looked for money trackers to inspire me but most of them were focused on building up savings which A, is a long way off yet for me and B, is pointless when savings earn less than 1% interest a year and outstanding debts can charge as much as 22%.

So I came up with this simple reversal of a savings ladder in which I track my reducing amount owed month by month. Every month I check the remaining balance and write it in. If for some reason the amount has not reduced, that’s my cue to check that payments have gone out OK, I haven’t forgotten to claim work expenses, etc.

In a rare burst of neatness I used a ruler to draw this ladder. I also sought out a couple of inspiring quotations to spur me on. And that’s it. Write in the start balance, and come back to this spread next month to record progress.

PS Owing money is very depressing. It’s tempting to try to pay it off too fast leaving yourself with nothing spare for life. If you’re at a point where you resent every birthday card and non-uniform day “donation” then seek out some debt advice eg from StepChange or your local Citizens Advice Bureau. They can help you make a realistic plan and can also help you deal with organisations you owe money to.