Snail Pace Transformations shows you how to turn a shopping bag into a cash envelope system.
Sweet Kisses and Dirty Dishes shows you how to make a fabric cash envelope system.
Since I’m neither crafty nor creative when it comes to things like this, we use the free envelopes the bank gives us to put our cash in. Yes, I know, we’re all original like that. 😉
I use a coupon divider for my cash system. You do have to watch b/c dimes and pennies can fall out, but I try to empty the change regularly. We collect it and use it as spending cash on vacation 🙂
We use a coupon divider, too. I take all the change and just dump it into a coin purse, which I use as needed. I also like to see all the money and it helps me break bills within categories.
I actually bought a wallet on Dave Ramsey’s site that has accordion slots in it so instead of using envelopes (which I hated, so cumbersome!) I use a wallet. Then I can tell at a glance how much I have in each category and can easily borrow money from one category to pay another (ex. taking restaurant money when we need milk but the grocery money is gone) as long as I have the cash. It has slots for my insurance cards, store rewards cards, change, tons of space and is so much easier to just carry one wallet! I hated using the envelopes, they tore, they were hard to keep in my purse, there was nowhere to keep change, so I looked around for a coupon holder and just checked Dave’s site to see if he had anything there, found this wallet (not expensive at all BTW) and love it!
I still use regular envelopes for myself, but we’ve switched our kids to fabric envelopes. I was tired of constantly reinforcing or replacing their paper ones and frustrated with how often money would go flying in the store if they didn’t hold their spending envelopes perfectly upright.
I decided to fork out some money for fabric envelopes, but couldn’t find what I wanted online. So I shot a note to a friend who does embroidery, explained exactly what I was looking for, and she put took my idea and made it a tangible thing. We gave our kids their new fabric envelopes at Christmas last year and I love, love, love them!!! I’m not one to spend money on something like that, but my sanity has been worth every penny we spent. 🙂
Evidently others thought they were a good idea, because she’s been selling them like hotcakes ever since. Ours were very simple, by request, but she’s made them in tons of fun fabrics for other people and with any budgeting label they want.
These are ours. Each kid has their own color and four categories – tithe, save, give, spend.
http://theblissfulstitcher.blogspot.com/2011/10/instead-of-envelopebudget-bags.html
She has more on her blog and etsy page, if anyone is interested in seeing more. 🙂
Let me add that the link is *her* site, not mine, and it has a link to her etsy page. 🙂
Thank you!! I’ve been looking for something like this because our envelopes always get ripped up!
I purchased a wallet from savvy cents that you had reviewed about 2 or so years ago and LOVE it. I don’t keep all my categories in it (there aren’t enough pockets) just my daily or usual ones such as groceries, clothes, etc… I have turned several friends on to the cash system by showing off the wallet!
I pull out (free) envelopes from credit card offers. And the outsides of the envelopes are the perfect spot for shopping lists!
Thanks for sharing this.
I trim the free bank envelopes to fit in my wallet. I’ve made a three column spread sheet template that I print, trim the columns, & tape one column on each side of the bank envelope to keep a running total of how much money I have left to spend that month. I only keep the ones I will need that day with me.
We’ve actually started using empty Altoid boxes (from friends…so free to us). I love that they keep coins really well (they kept falling out of our paper envelopes). If I ever have time to be crafty, I may decorate them, but for now basic labels on them work well.
That’s a great idea!
I think this is a great idea! I bet your money smells good. 🙂
Those are great! Especially if (like me!) you envelopes are tossed around inside your purse a lot!
here is link to my DIY Envelope System, you just use the wallet you have and insert dividers on the cash part (i used cardboard from fruit by the foot box, you can decorate it too I’m sure, I’m just not that crafty! It is so easy!!
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v463/lsdrunner02/My%20Wallet%20and%20Envelope%20System/