If you follow my goal update posts, you know that I’ve been attempting to make using cash (not my debit card) a priority, and although I’ve done great with sticking to our all cash grocery budget, I’ve been struggling with using cash only in other areas of my budget.
Not to confuse you, but for anyone that is new here, we don’t have any credit cards. We paid off our last two credit cards in the summer of 2013 and haven’t looked back since. So, the struggle isn’t going into debt over our purchases but in using cash only for them. Because you see, a $40 budget is easier to stick to when it is cash than when you are using a debit card. Here’s what I mean, if you only bring $40 cash with you to the store, that’s all you can afford to pay with but if you bring your debit card, well $43 isn’t such a big deal because you can just swipe your card and move on….forgetting that you just went over your budget.
So, that’s why I’ve been attempting to make using and sticking to an all cash budget more of a priority this year – to hold myself accountable to living this real life on a budget thing. That’s also why I FINALLY ordered myself something that I’ve been saving up in our budget for….a cash envelope system wallet from Melissa at A Time for Everything! I’ve been following Melissa and her amazing craftsmanship for years now. I originally found her from one of my favorite blogs, A Bowl Full of Lemons. (this link will take you to one of my favorite posts written by Melissa for ABFOL)
And Melissa was gracious enough to allow me to give away one of one of her AMAZING Divide-It wallets along with her cash spending logs, coin pouch AND custom divider labels to one lucky reader!!! Seriously, Melissa, you’re awesome! Along with a Cash Divide-it Wallet from A Time 4 Everything, I’m throwing in a copy of my latest book, Real Life on a Budget and my workbook, Build a Budget that Works!
It’s a live-life-by-a-budget-so-you-can-live-BETTER giveaway!! Seriously, I want y’all to succeed financially and I’m so thankful that Melissa and I share this mission – because living a great life by a budget really can happen!
AND because Melissa is like the greatest person ever (she seriously has such a huge heart), she’s offering y’all an exclusive discount to her shop so if you want to get some Christmas shopping done early, now is the time! I’m getting my boys the “Give, Spend, Save” wallets because at the start of next year, they’re going to start earning commission…or at least that’s the plan anyway.
So head to her shop and use code BUDGETMAMA for 15% off your entire order and then enter to win something for yourself below! This expires at midnight on the 22nd so hurry! 🙂
Enter Below and Good Luck!
These are so cute! I use a small coupon binder for my envelope system, but these look awesome.
I don’t have a tip – but I need some!! I love those fabric cash dividers!
Great giveaway. Such pretty fabrics!
Great giveaway! So cute
We are just getting started with a cash budget. We too are a family of 4, on one income. Love your zero balance budget.
I am so excited for this giveaway. I’ve been wanting one of A Time for Everything’s cash envelopes for over a year. Thanks for the chance to win! Love your blog!
My best tip for sticking to a cash budget is to use my paper cash envelopes. It really does help when you only bring the cash you have budgeted for groceries, gas, etc.
I am so excited for this giveaway. I’ve been wanting one of A Time for Everything’s cash envelopes for over a year. Thanks for the chance to win! Love your blog!
P.S. I commented previously without answering your giveaway question, so you can delete that one if you want.
My friend swears by the cash envelope system and I may just have to take you both up on that suggestion!
I use regular envelopes and write the categories on them to stick to a cash budget.
How great is this! FYI Check the link in rafflecopter where you got to subscribe is not working. I just found the link in your blog post and did it that way. Hope to get this it would be awsome!
Thank you Karen for letting me know! I’ll get that corrected ASAP!
My best “tip” for sticking to cash, is basically what you said in the post: don’t bring your card.
BUT, one other thing we’ve done is have an extra envelope at home called “deposit.”
This is an envelope you put money into that needs to go to the bank. For some reason, it was always hard for me if we got extra cash from something to not just spend it in whatever category I wanted. Last, I know this isn’t technically a cash budgeting tip, BUT… we have gone back to debit cards only (2 cards on one shared account) and we categorize every single purchase every single week. We sit down and do it once a week together. We use EveryDollar and it takes 10 minutes. This feels like cash envelopes b/c every week, we look and see what’s left in each category and are careful not to spend it. Sometimes I take out cash for the grocery store in a month. And sometimes we withdraw the cash for our dates category so we’re less tempted to overspend 🙂 This cash envelope system you’re giving away is SO cute!! I hope I win!
I LOVE your deposit tip Renee because I’ve totally run into the same issue! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
These are beautiful and useful. I have a pocket style envelope, it may have been a coupon organizer, from Pampered Chef that is falling apart. I would love a new one!
This is awesome!
My husband and I are in the mist of trying to fix our credits so we will be able to purchase a home with 1 income (I’m a SAHM) so I have learned to budget with a VERY limited income so I will go and pull out the money and go from there. So for me my tip is limit your budget make it as tight as possible and focus and most importantly pray 🙂
I don’t have any tips. After a recent separation, I’m learning how to make and stick to a budget. These would come in handy. I love your website and blog and you have helped me a great deal these last few months. Keep it up!
Thank you so much Lyne! 🙂
I love your blog! One of those money organizer envelopes would help tremendously! It would look much cuter than these bank envelopes I use currently!! 🙂
This is such a great getaway! I have been trying to stick to a cash budget this summer. I have been using those little envelopes you get from the bank. This is such a better system!
Leave the cards and other cash budgets at home. You don’t want to be tempted to dip into another budget while buying groceries or clothes shopping. But it is a good idea to keep a card or cash locked in your car for emergencies. It’s also easy to stay on your budget if you buy and use gift cards. You can get them for less than value and then only use them at that store or restaurant. It can really help you save more money. I do not use an all cash system, because I do shop online, but I do find coupons and use rebate sites when I do.
We’ve been winging it for a while and using debit cards and online banking when bills come in. Life has been chaotic and extremely busy during the last couple of years and budget planning had gone by the wayside. As things have now settled and time and fatigue is not such a big issue we have decided to reinstate a family budget. I have set up 4 seperate accounts. One bill payments which are paid automatically by our bank, another for bills that we pay online, another with linked debit cards for everyday items such as groceries and fuel, and another for savings. The hardest thing for me is to get used to carrying set amounts of cash for specific things and being able to carry it in my handbag while keeping it separated. I have been using envelopes but the money falls out, especially when they become tattered and torn so the money gets all mixed in together again. A cash divider wallet sounds like a great solution to this and the books would be terrific to get us back on track with our budget again.
I’m so excited about this giveaway. I love the idea of the wallet. Only started doing cash budget a couple of months ago. I’ve only used a paper envelope and I kept thinking there must be something better.
Jessi, you’re the sweetest!
I did want to mention to everyone entering that if you take advantage of the 15% off coupon and end up winning the giveaway, I will cancel and refund any duplicate items you may have purchased. 🙂
I’m trying the enveloppe system since june and it really helps to keep control of what you spend! I’ve been using paper enveloppes but i really want fabric ones.. just need to wait to have enought money in my enveloppe for the lovely fabric i have seen!
I’m still looking for a way to stick to a cash budget. I’m so happy I’ve found your site and am looking forward to looking around!
Tip: if I save any money using coupons, I put that cash in a separate envelope. Some months I put it into my savings account, use it as fun money, but one year we used all our coupon savings to pay for Christmas.
Oh I love that Emily!
We don’t use a cash budget at this time but when I used to use cash (living at home – much easier, ha) I used envelopes.