Do you want to keep more of the hard-earned cash you generate each month? Try using cash envelopes as a method of budgeting. Ramsey’s money envelope method, although innovative, has been around for decades. Some people, though, remain confused about its purpose and inner workings. Let me give you an example!
To clarify, what does the phrase “cash envelope system” refer to?
You can easily keep tabs on how much money you have available for each area of your monthly budget if you use the cash envelope approach and keep all of your cash in clearly designated envelopes. In order to know how much money you have left to spend at any given time throughout the month, you need just examine an envelope containing that information. Exactly there. How quick and easy is that! Proper envelope budget system is essential here.
If there is one area of your budget where you always wind up spending more than you had anticipated! Then you should start keeping an envelope with the exact amount of money you had planned to spend in that category. You should only spend what is in your cash envelope when you go shopping. That’s all there is to it. Overspending is eliminated as an option because you know that when the money is gone, it’s gone for good, allowing you to more rapidly achieve your financial goals.
How the Cash Envelope Method Works, Exposed
Because there is no one or thing to alert us when to cut down or stop, we often go overboard with our expenditures. Now is the time to use the cash envelopes you prepared earlier. They’re a fantastic resource for helping you stick to your budget. Here’s how they’re meant to be employed:
Put together a budget
The first order of business is to make a budget, so get on it. Create a spreadsheet detailing your monthly expenses and income to see where your money is going. The ideal budget would be one in which all expenses were covered by income.
Think on the budget categories where a cash envelope has to be made
Pay special attention while setting your budget to the areas that tend to overspend. Those in which you consistently overspend are usually ones you are already acquainted with. The envelope approach is useful in these kinds of circumstances.
Create a budget, draw up a list of categories, and fill out some cash envelopes
Let’s say you are paid twice a month and have put aside $700 for the whole month to pay your food budget. When you get your first paycheck of the month, withdraw $350 and put it in an envelope. Make this change as soon as you start receiving pay. Pack your groceries inside the envelope and mark it “Groceries.” When you get your second paycheck, use the same procedure with it and put the remaining $350 inside the envelope. Your food budget for the month is $700.
Conclusion
Bring the envelope with you the next time you go food shopping. Keep in mind that if you spend $300 in the first week of your new weekly shopping habit, you will only have $50 until your next paycheck. But if you’re able to economise during the month by planning meals, waiting for sales, and clipping coupons, and you still manage to spend less than you budgeted on food, then that’s great! Those extra monies should be used towards the current Baby Step.
