I cannot tell you the number of times I have looked at the Live Rich Planner (LRP) over the past few years. I like the monthly finance pages and the weekly dashboard but I feared the hourly planner. I have never been good with hourly planning. I don’t have a lot of meetings or appointments. I usually make a task list for the week and/or day and do what feels right at the time.
I suck at time-blocking.
But everywhere I look time-blocking is recommended for ADHD. Then last month, I saw someone mention the Live Rich Planner in an ADHD group and once again found myself on The Budget Mom website, reviewing the photos and flip-through. I decided I would give it a try.
And it came at a perfect time to start using the Live Rich Planner for March.
This means the Clever Fox Premium is being set aside. I did like using it but the days were too small and I started being annoyed with the horizontal. I still think it is a great little planner and I made some good spreads but it was time to set it aside.
But what is in the Live Rich Planner you ask?
You get 12 months, each starting with a monthly calendar. The best part? You get six rows for your month so you aren’t cramming the last couple of days into another square. Every single day gets its own box! Sometimes with only five rows, you have to make a decision. The monthly spread also includes a side column with space for goals this month, people to see, and monthly wins.
Along the top, you can fill in your personal and work focus. The bottom has a space for this month’s projects and lastly, a lined space titled let’s get creative. I am excited to try the focus space and the projects. I have a lot of projects in my head and struggle to get them out. Hopefully, this will help.
Next, you get a two-page spread for personal finance. You start by filling in your why, goals, savings challenges, and areas to cut spending. I think these will be helpful in keeping me on track and checking in. Next, there is a section for monthly income, expenses, and overview. I track these in my EC Budget Book and won’t use them in the LRP.
On the next page, there is a spot to track daily spending. I am most looking forward to this. I would like to see if there are any patterns to when I spend, especially if it is more impulsive. Do I spend more on Wednesdays because I’m struggling to get through the week? Do I spend more on office days or work-from-home days? I think it is important to see if there are any patterns of behavior you are actively working to change.
The next section is for debt progress. I track this in my EC Budget Book so won’t use this section either. Unless I can come up with a way to repurpose it. Next is a section for savings goal progress. I do plan to use this because I like how it is in the month and has more info than the EC Budget Book (it’s at the back of the book and I forget about it). Lastly, there is a how can I improve next month? I love having these little spots to reflect and think about what I can do to be better.
For each week you get a personal planning spread and an hourly spread. Each month has five weekly spreads.
The personal planning is a two-page spread with the first having space for meal prep, a shopping list, important reminders, and a habit tracker. The second page has room for your main goal, this week’s focus, and this week’s wins across the top. There is a nice spot for housework you can list out by day. There is also a work and personal to-do list and along the bottom, make it work, and for next week.
I am most looking forward to the personal planning dashboard. I plan to use the meal plan section to track what I eat, not actually plan it out. And I loosely follow the clean mama routine so the housework area will help me plan out when I want to do everything. Plus the work and personal to-do lists will be very much utilized! I plan to put my top three for the week there.
Finally, we move to the hourly view. First, you have a side column with a spot to list out workouts and weekly notes. The daily columns start at 4:30 in the morning and end at 10:30. I LOVE that it has such a wide range. Most hourly planners only go from 6 am to 7 or 9 pm, depending. I also really appreciate that the half hours are included. It seems a lot of the ones I’ve reviewed lately only have a line for the hour.
There is also a darker green line at 12 pm and 6 pm to mark morning, afternoon, and evening.
I appreciate the 4:30 am start because I start my day at 4:30 or 5, depending. Although I am usually not awake until 10:30! Or if I am, I am not doing anything I need to plan. I want to figure out how to best utilize my time and how to mark it in the planner. I see people do beautiful hourly markings on Instagram but every time I try something similar it looks bad. Practice, I suppose.
Pros
- Six rows for the monthly calendar, guaranteeing each day has its own square
- You can plan personal, business, goals, finances, meals, and more in one space
- Plenty of room on hourly columns
- You can start your monthly calendar or weekly calendar on any day of the week
- Comes with monthly stickers for tab dividers
Cons
- Completely undated – You need to fill in the months, days of the week, and dates for ALL the spreads
- A lot of spaces won’t be used (or won’t be used for their intended purposes)
- Cover/Interior designs and stickers may not be everyone’s taste
Are you a master time-blocker? If so, give me alllllll your secrets! Or your top tips and tricks to become better at following time blocking.
Interested in seeing the Live Rich Planner? Head over to Youtube and watch my review! While you are there, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any upcoming planner reviews!
