now i really see that this envelope system is a work in progress. you cant just decide to do the system and think that everything will go smoothly.

my problem is that when setting up my system, i really didnt take into account all the "littles" that i need money (cash) for and so i wound up stealing $$ from other envelopes cause i didnt have an envelope for a specific reason...

example - i forgot envelopes on, and got burned with "stealing"

1. haircuts
2. blow money for me and hub
3. xtras like photo processing, DOG FOOD and oil changes
4. $$ for prescriptions

arrgh!

well next month will be better. im now trying to sort out what money goes where.

When you go thru Financial Peace University they say that it will take a minimum of 3 months to work out the kinks in your budget. Does that make you feel better?? We're still perfecting ours, but it does feel better having it and knowing you are controlling your $$$, doesn't it???:D

ooooh! poor thing! it is a wrok in progress, and you will get better at it with each passing month.

It's a work in progress.
I have a envelope set up for haircuts, Blow money for me is 100 a month- which includes lunches out for work, clothes for work, anything just for me. 150- Misc. This is were my walmart and target trips come from. Prescriptions, meds, photo's, . It's all the odds and ends. Like this week I needed stamps and decongestent for Thomas and Kelsey so it came out of there. You'll get into the swing of what works for you best. It's really hard to try to stick too. Good Luck!!!

It's working for me too.

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Advice for the day: If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle: "Take two aspirin" and "Keep away from children."
--Author Unknown

It has been working for us too... I am so happy I told my dh he gets $50 a month for spending money and what ever is left at the end of the month goes back to the bank for bills he has been doing good too... I still don't know what he needs $50 a month for but it is making him buy less junk an dthings he really doesn't need

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yes we butchered but i am looking forward to sept 30th when i redo everything. i am still staying close to the envelopes and doing cash as best as possible. i have only used my check card 5x this month instead of in a day or week! not 100% there but GETTIN THERE!!!

Good for you!
I am planning to go to envelopes on my October 6 payday. Frankly I am tired and embarrassed of all of the overdraft fees I have at the bank and it makes me sick to think of how I could have used that money for anything else! I think going cash only is my only hope. I wrote out the categories i will need and was thinking I could keep it in one of those coupon organizers thingies. I'm afraid that using actually paper envelopes, I will accidentally misplace one or more of them. I am not super organized in that respect (or in any respect ).

Also, I like to pay gas with my debit card, so that I don't have to lug my kids in and out of the car with me. I don't feel comfortable leaving them in the car, but my 4 year old is wild and my 8 year old has cerebral palsy, so between the two of them I like to keep outings as simple as possible. So for gas I was thinking 1x a month I could maybe buy gas gift cards for myself for what use in a month, so then I could still pay at the pump. Does that make sense?

I have a feeling I will be making a lot of adjustments too, but I can't wait until the 6th to begin!:D

We've been doing the envelope thing for a few months now, and it does indeed need tweaking. I've just added a "Home Depot/Lowes" envelope that DH MUST use now. It has been working great for us - really makes you aware of what you're spending and where(as far as category) and I discovered that my DH's little weekend trips to the 'Depot was a leak I needed to "plug". So, now he has his own envelope for those "special" trips that seem to be a weekend ritual.

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Debbie

"Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." --Benjamin Franklin

I am SO envious... I haven't read the book and quiet frankly until now knew nothing of this Envelope thing. I love the concept though and want SO badly to learn it!!!! We live out of a jar rather than the bank... but it seems I am sitting and budgetting EVERY single night! Maybe if I did this I could stop stressing so much. Stress+preggy= HEARTBURN!!!:D :D

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