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Today's Money: Budgeting with Cash Envelopes
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The economic climate has sparked a new interest in budgeting. It may be out of necessity, or it may be in response to the media attention this topic has received. Either way, there is something to be said for living within or below your means.
There are many budgeting tools out there to manage bills and your checking account register. What we cover today is a much more basic approach to managing expenses. It will not be used for everything, but will help to manage day to day expenses.
This will require a little work up front in terms of budgeting, making the envelopes, and getting the cash. However, the satisfaction of taking control of your finances and spending is well worth the effort. You could use pre-made envelopes if you wish. We have included an easy to use template to make the process easier for you.
savour… cold hard cash
Cash Envelopes
The cash envelope allows you to specify how much you are going to spend in a given period of time. Fill the envelopes for the week or weekend and when it’s gone… it’s gone. This will be quite an adjustment for some in the beginning, but in time it may help to illustrate how you are spending money. For many, it is a huge eye-opener.
The attached cash envelope template allows you to print, cut, and fold your own envelopes. They are just big enough for some cash and we even made a little pocket for receipts. We made sure to include a register, of sorts, on the front so you can log your spending if you wish.
Things to consider:
Be sure to budget wisely. The idea is to have some limits, but if you are too ambitious you may have to go without or go get more money which could leave you feeling defeated.
Understand that there will be exceptions. This does not always keep you from spending money, but it does raise the level of awareness.
If you go a week without using your debit card, take that time to really balance your checkbook register. The absence of $3.00 coffee purchases will make it easier to tackle.
This method and template could easily be adopted to dole out allowance or holiday shopping money. It is a great way to show kids how to manage their own money.
If you are thrifty enough to actually have money left over at the end of the period, reward yourself by adding it to the next period's pot or, better yet, tuck it away in savings.
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I love this idea!! Great post:)
Posted by: Lindsay @ hlsd | 09/08/2010 at 09:17 AM
Thanks, Lindsay! I appreciate the feedback.
Posted by: sam henderson | 09/08/2010 at 09:21 AM
This is something I can do.
Posted by: Susan | 09/06/2011 at 01:55 PM
This is FABULOUS. Thank you for the template. I love that I can just print them rather than having to buy them, and I have been using cash. So this is a great way to log it all. Blessings.
Posted by: Tammy Shelton | 09/08/2011 at 01:22 PM
A friend was just asking me where to find a copy of the cash envelopes! Thanks for sharing the templates!
Posted by: Bridgette @ Blessings Multiplied | 09/08/2011 at 01:34 PM
Awesome! Thanks!
Posted by: Amy | 09/08/2011 at 03:28 PM
Thanks for these! We use the Dave Ramsey ones but I didn't wanna pay for them anymore so this came at a great time! Plus I like this style much better.
Posted by: marisa | 09/08/2011 at 05:07 PM
Thank you so much for this template. I had Dave Ramsey ones but didn't want to pay so much for the refills. Awesome!!
Posted by: Maria145 | 09/08/2011 at 05:20 PM
These are wonderful. I want to make them colored and then try laminating before cutting out so I can reuse it week after week. I have many envelopes that are getting ragged: groc wk 1, groc wk 2, household wk 1, hshld wk 2, grocery leftover, hshld leftover.
Posted by: Emilie | 09/08/2011 at 09:53 PM
greta idea, thanks for the download!!
Posted by: Antonella | 09/09/2011 at 08:51 AM
LOVE these and have been looking for something just like them. Thanks so much for sharing... glad I found my way here!
Posted by: Cara @ WhimsySmitten | 09/09/2011 at 12:28 PM
I can't get the template to download. :(
Posted by: Followell | 09/10/2011 at 10:35 AM
Thanks so much :)
Posted by: Tamara | 09/10/2011 at 01:54 PM
Thank you these are great. Darn I just ran out of printer ink.
Posted by: carmel | 09/11/2011 at 12:15 PM
I can't get the template to download either??
Posted by: Erin | 09/11/2011 at 01:37 PM
@Followell, @Erin, I am sorry it didn't download for you. I just tested it on two different computers and had not trouble. It is saved as a pdf via Google Docs if that makes any difference. If you continue to have trouble let me know and I will email it to you direct.
Posted by: Sam | 09/12/2011 at 04:49 AM
Thanks to everyone who has stopped by to check out the envelope template. I hope you will look around a bit while you are here. There is so much more to see.
Posted by: Sam | 09/12/2011 at 04:50 AM
Love this. I think that I may print them on different colors of paper to indicate what catagory of my budget they are from. I am too afraid to write on my Dave Ramsey ones because I don't want to buy re-fills. This will be a big help for me to *actually use* my envelopes. Thanks!
Posted by: Sonja | 09/12/2011 at 07:14 AM
Thanks for posting this!! I had a DR wallet at one time and somehow it disappered and I never wanted to spend the money to buy another one. I took your template and used the left side of a portfolio folder that was made of plastic that I got really cheap at Dollar General. I made them a little wider so I could hole punch down the side then I used an old appointment book that I had and they fit in perfectly!! I love it!! I used the other side of the folder to put into my coupon binder to put my reciepts and things like that into it. Didn't waste any of the folder! You could pbly also write on the outside w/ dry erase marker as they are plastic!
Posted by: Sarah B | 09/12/2011 at 12:48 PM
I couldn't get it to download either. I'll have to wait until I get home and try there.
Posted by: Miranda | 09/16/2011 at 07:29 AM
We have been on a cash only budget for about a year and I must say that it is wonderful. No dreading receiving credit card bills in the mail, no impulse buying and we're teaching our children how to budget and not over spend. Thank you for these cute envelopes.
Posted by: Bettie | 09/16/2011 at 07:53 AM
Only getting a grey page~so not able to download..Could you email it to me?
piecesofthesky[at]gmail[dot]com
Thanks, have been wanting to try this system!
Posted by: merium c | 09/16/2011 at 09:12 AM
Boo Hooo! I couldn't get the pdf for the envelopes to open up.
Posted by: karla | 09/16/2011 at 10:08 AM
I believe the problem with the pdf opening has been solved. Please let me know if anyone has trouble with it. Sorry for the confusion.
Posted by: Sam | 09/16/2011 at 10:27 AM
I found you through Pinterest and this was right on time!! Just started a cash budget for the 1st time and am finding it EXTRA hard. These envelopes are awesome. Printed them with ease on colored paper, folded & glued them up, and will start to use right away. Thank you!!
Posted by: Keri | 09/19/2011 at 12:25 PM