What is a financial vision board?
A financial vision board is a visual representation of your monetary goals, combining the creative power of a mood board with the practical data of a budget.
It’s a mixture of inspiration and structure to help us embody the future while taking actions in the present to make it happen.
Let’s start simple to avoid feeling overwhelmed by financial goals that take years and more resources to accomplish.
Step 1: Choose One or Two Visions
Start by making your choice of one or both! You can do one board with two sections or make a second board later.
Protect Vision
Focus on immediate needs and defense, so this board keeps you from backsliding. It will help you keep bills current, start your emergency fund, make minimum debt payments, and build a small buffer for life’s unexpected rainy days.
Future Vision
Designed to move you towards your ideal financial state, this board inspires you to reach for the stars. It’s where you put the exciting trip, new apartment, business idea, investing, career moves, or paying off a big debt.
If you are in a tight financial season, start with ‘Protect’ and keep ‘Future’ small.
Step 2: Visualize 3 Goals and Money Caption
It’s time to start building! Choose your medium of visuals.
You can build a digital representation like a Pinterest board, keep it physical with a magazine collage, or keep it low tech with a list in your notes app. Whatever sparks your creativity and will help you keep up with your goals.
Start by choosing three bigger goals to achieve this year. Keep it to three for now so the board stays readable.
For each goal, add one image and one money caption right under it like this:
- Target amount: $_______
- Target date: _______
- Contribution: $_______ per month or per paycheck
- Where it lives: checking, savings, or a separate goal account
Example: Laptop for my side project: $700 by September 2026. $40 per paycheck. Stored in ”Technology Goals” savings account.
This one caption turns inspiration into clear instructions on your financial vision board.
Step 3: Add a Milestone Strip
Place a row at the bottom called milestones. These will be the wins that keep you going when the big goals feel far off.
These are examples of some milestones:
-
- $100 saved with AutoSave
- First $2,000 saved towards goal
- One bill fully caught up on
- One debt reduced by $250
- First investment deposited
Milestones make your goals tangible. They break them down into small pieces. Think of them as steps in your financial journey this year.
Step 4: Regular Check-ins
Another set of necessary steps to take are check-ins with your vision board.
Once every three months, do this quick reset:
- Circle one win/accomplishment.
- Update one number if costs changed.
- Swap one image (only if a goal changed).
This is a great start! An entry point to a bigger vision.
Once you feel comfortable with a one year financial vision board, you can build a five or ten year vision board. These require confidence in your next steps, so think deeply about your goals and what steps you’d need to take to accomplish them.
Keep your vision board close by so you can use it as a guide on your path towards a bright financial future.
