Although I do not follow Dave Ramsey closely, I have researched his method and have been part of DR groups as well as following the hashtag on Instagram. Through the community, I learned of spending envelopes and adapted it to fit our lifestyle and what made sense to me. Read on to see how I use them to save and spend.
To start, I made a list of all the true expenses I could possibly think of - which I learned of through You Need A Budget.
From my list, I came up with my envelopes. I also include items we are saving for because throughout this process, we've found we are more likely to not touch the money when it is in cash as opposed to a number in a bank account.
It may seem like a lot of envelopes, but I don't carry these around in my purse. They stay at home, basically just to sort my money, and I grab whatever envelope I need before leaving the house, if needed.
When funding the envelopes, I always put cash into the most urgent need first. With 6 people, a doctor visit or trip to Walgreens for allergy medicine or ibuprofen is almost guaranteed each month....so medical has to constantly be funded.
If you are unsure of the power of envelopes or cash spending, try taking JUST CASH to the store. The first time I bought groceries, I bet my heart rate was in the 100s and I had butterflies in my stomach. I knew I had enough, but the thought of not having the debit card cushion was scary!!
Cash spending teaches you to be frugal and clever while in the store. Recently, I had $20 for my 4 girls' Valentine's gift. I figured $5 each, but in the end realized I'd need to cover tax. I put back 4 cotton candy buckets ($4) and traded for a package containing 4 candy heart boxes ($1).
Fun little side note: I found these saving envelopes in my 9-year-old's room!
