Effective Money Management

WELCOME

 As a mother of 4, I know there is a balance between buying something I need and taking the steps to just make it myself, and that balance - is money! 

I recently became ADDICTED  to Pinterest and I have been finding all kinds of amazing goodies for me to save my bank on by DIY!! Speaking of the bank, I took all of my budgeted money out of there and began using the envelope system a few months ago. Well, I tried to, but I couldn't actually convince myself to actually go there. Instead I convinced myself I could do it electronically. Um no, that did not go well. It is just TOO EASY to borrow money from each category. So I made the leap and pulled the money out. A few days ago I finally sat down and completed my beautiful new envelopes!!

I found a wonderful template that allowed me to print these beauties on card stock, complete with designs. I wanted them to be simply amazing, and I am not sure they meet that particular mark, BUT - I printed these fab envelopes on colored card stock to add a little POP. I used my fabulous paper cutter to cut them out, applied labels and slid them into a zippered wallet. I found that they fit most wallets, but not my original one, so I turned that into an ICE wallet. More on that later.

I found this particular template online for FREE. It even came with the printed designs!! The best part was, I had the card stock already and any type of paper can be used to make these envelopes. Obviously, the tougher the paper is the longer it will last! I may laminate my next set when this one runs out. Since I had all of the supplies, this cost me only time.  There are literally thousands of templates online, in various designs to fit your personality. You can even start with plain white envelopes and a sharpie like I did. 

So, DIY budget envelope system? BIG YES!! While it can take time to pull out a ledger and write each purchase down, I find that this system actually saves me time and money. I use cash, and I save the coins and receipts. Plus, it seems to help me keep my purse very organized with all of my other things. So make you some envelopes, work on that budget, and save yourself some money!!! Then:

RELAX!!

What strategies have you found effective for successful budgeting?