Money Monday: The Cash Envelope System

5 years ago, my husband and I decided that we were done using credit cards, and switch to using cash and our debit card.

Our cash envelope wallet. 

We were trying to get out of debt, control our spending, and simply of financial life.

For us, the envelope system means that we use cash to pay for the majority of the things we purchase through out the month.

Here is how our system works:

We withdrawal cash twice a month, on the 1st and 15th. On the first, withdrawal pull cash for the following categories for the month:

Groceries: Self explanatory

Entertainment/Eating Out: Restaurants, concerts, events, ect.

Pet Supplies: Treats, brushes, food, ect.

Dry Cleaning: Self Explanatory

Home Goods: HBA, Cleaning Supplies, Toilet Paper, ect

Gas: Have to keep the tank full

Fun Money: The money my husband and I get to spend however we please.

At the beginning of the month, we put a set amount into each envelope, and that is all we get to spend for that month on that item. (Barring an emergency of course).

We have found that if we are more likely to spend more money when we don’t use cash, so this is a really good technique that we have found to help us stay on or under budget.

For some reason, for us, me especially, when I use plastic, even my debit card, it does not register that I am spending money. But, when I have to pull out those green dollar bills every time I shop, and I see my envelopes getting thinner and thinner, I think twice about what I buy. Which is why I because such a fan of using coupons. 

On the 15th, we do our second withdrawal. This time, the money we pull from our account may not be used on a monthly basis, so we it will continue to grow if not used. At this withdrawal, we pull money for:

Christmas: We save a set amount each month all year, so that when December comes, we get to spoil the people we love presents!

House: This is for house decorating, minor home improvement projects, furniture savings, ect.

Car: For car maintenance like new tires, oil changes, ect,

Fun Money: A second disbursement of blow money for each of us.

My husband and I each get $40.00 a month in fun money to do whatever we want with. ($20.00 every two weeks) This can be used to eat out, buy a purse, buy shoes, buy make up, buy books, well, that’s what I do with my money.

Finally, at the end of the month, we combine all the cash we have left from the first withdrawal, and as a bonus for staying under budget we each get 10% as a little end of month bonus. The rest gets put into our spontaneous fund that we use as spending money when we buy things for a party we host, or extra spending money when we go on vacations out of town, or for a special night out.

Using cash helps us stay on or under budget, and simplifies our end of month account reconciliations, because there is a lot less activity in our checking account.

This system works great for us. For some, it may not be feasible, and may be easier to use some other system. Doing this motivates us to stay disciplined and encourages us to come in under budget each month.

Tell Me: Are you on the envelope system? How does it work for you? How do you budget and track your different expense categories?

Friday Confessions

Happy Friday y'all!

I hope that y'all have had a great week! Its time for our Friday Confessions.

1. I have a couple of friends on Fitbit and my one goal daily is to beat them. So I march in place all day long.  Even at work, I will talk to someone and step side to side just to keep my step count up.  People ask me all the time if I have to pee. I always have to explain myself.

2. I ate six Twix in a row. The regular sized ones, not the minis. I have a problem. A big one.

3. I take toilet seat covers and put them in my purse every time I go to a public restroom. I drink a ton of water, and I have to pee ALL THE TIME. And because of that, I always have to go to the restroom, so I tend to take a few extra and keep them in my purse in case one of the restrooms I visit does not have any.

4. I wore the same shirt twice this week on accident. I wore it with a skirt one day, and the next day I wore it with pants. I didn't realize it until I got to work, because my assistant pointed it out.

All right gang, its your turn, fess up!

Someone Who's Known Me for a Long Time

Yesterday was my grandmothers 91st birthday. As much as I wanted to be there at her house, I just couldn't. She lives 5 hours away, and it was not feasible logistically. We did spend a long time face timing and chatting, which was great.

As my last remaining grandparent, she holds such a special place in my heart. Her smile, her laugh, her smell. She is one of the last of her generation. She grew up in South Louisiana to a family of Cajun farmers. She still speaks broken English, and when she gets excited she starts speaking in Cajun French. My great uncle, her brother, only speaks Cajun, and so to communicate with him, we have to go thru her.

Last night, face timing with her was bitter sweet. It was such fun to see her laugh, to sing happy birthday to her while she had her chocolate cupcakes in front of her. But, it was sad because, I had to wonder how many birthday's she has left.

While she has never been the most worldly, the most educated, or most well spoken, she has always been one of the people that I am most closest to. Growing up, when times got turbulent, I ran to her house. When I got my license and car, the first place I drove was to her house.  We would spend hours talking, and even more not talking. She was so content to just sit and be with me, and ask nothing in return.

The day I graduated high school, and had a diploma in my hand, I went to her house. I sat next to her rocker, and she held my diploma and cried for joy. See, my grandmother had to drop of of school when she was in 8th grade to help with the family farm. I think she always wanted to go back to school, but never did. Then, when I graduated college and then finished my masters, she again, held both in her hands and cried.

She is one of the few remaining people in my life who has known me for a really long time. One of the people that can look back and recall each phase of my life, what I was like and who I was. She holds as much of my history as anyone.

Looking over her life, I cannot imagine what she must think when she looks at the world today. She's never driven a car, never used a cell phone, or surfed the web. (My mom and dad take their iPad to her house to face time with her). In her lifetime she has seen a world war, schools desegregated, women's right expanded, and a computer placed in nearly every household.

How strange and complicated the world must seem. How very different and complicated from when she grew up and where she came from.

While I know she will never read this, I simply want to say again, Happy Birthday Grandma, I love you. (Chances are my mom will end up reading this to her, so thanks mom!)

Tales from My iPhone

Happy Tuesday everyone. I hope that y'all all had a great Monday. I was making space on my phone to download the new IOS, and I thought I would share some random photos from last week. 

A CVS shopping trip haul. This was about $40.00 worth of products that I paid $4.00 for after coupons. 

This is my office. I like to stand and work, so I grabbed some boxes from storage and stand most of the day.

Why do we still get phone books?

Zac Brown concert Friday night! 

A few weeks ago my little alma mater McNeese State University almost beat Nebraska. 

Tell Me: Where did you go to college? What was the last concert you went to? Any Zac Brown fans out there??

Money Monday: Quality vs Quantity

The Scenario: You budget $300.00 to spend on clothes, and you have to spend it this week, where do you go?

Do you hit up Target and stock up on bargain tops? Do you head to H&M or Forever 21 and buy basically the entire store. Do you head to a mid priced store and buy a few bags of clothes? Do you head to a mid to high store like Banana Republic, JCrew, or Ann Taylor and get a few basics? Or do you hit up one high end store and buy one high quality item?

A few years ago, I would have headed straight to Target and filled my cart with their tops and workout gear. Then, I would have rounded out my day at Gap, and picked as many items from the sales rack if I could until every single cent was spent. 

Today however, my m.o. is different. Rather than buying as many cheaper lower quality clothes as I could, I am a bit more discerning. I would probably head to Banana Republic and search for some high quality pants and tops to last a few years. Over the years, I've noticed that my tastes have changed. I am content with fewer clothes, as long as they will are classic pieces that fit me really well, and feel good on my body. 

Another area that we have changed our tastes is in our food selection. When we were first married, we filled out carts with cheap treats. Lots of refined foods, refined sugars, and cheap meat. Now day's we try to fill our cart with fewer refined foods, and more whole foods, organic meats, and quality grains. While we are not 100% organic, we make a point to buy only organic meats, and as many organic fruits and vegetables as our weekly budget allows. 

In real terms, that means we have to go meatless a few days a week in order for us to eat organic meats. It means we need to fill up on sides like fruits, vegetables, and grains, rather than make meat the center point of our  meal. 

In the end, our choices mean that we get to do less, have less and do without certain things. But, filling our home and lives with higher quality foods, clothes, furniture, and healthcare items, we have found that the things we do own last longer, look and feel better. No better, no worse, but for us, it is a choice we are happy with.

Tell Me: What would you do? 

Friday Confessions

Hey friends! I hope that everyone has had a great week.
It's been a crazy week here in Dallas. Between the ebola patient a mere 10 miles from us, and a major storm that has caused major damages to the city, I think everyone here is ready for a few days off.

With that being said, its time for Friday Confessions!

1. On Sunday we bought a box of brownies. We baked them, and then proceeded to eat the entire pan before it even cooled off.  My husband and I ate ourselves sick. But, it was delicious. We would take a few bites, then put it in the freezer to cool off. 30 seconds later, we would pull it out, take a few bites, and put it back in the freezer to cool off. Repeat about 4 more times, and the pan was gone.

2. I wore 2 different earrings to work. They were vastly different earrings. One was a stud, and the other was dangly. No one told me. No one gave me a heads up. I didn't even notice when I looked at myself in the restroom.

3. I walked out of my office and into Target looking like the picture below.  I had a soccer game Tuesday night, and forgot shoes and a sports bra. When I changed in the restroom at work, I realized what I had done, and so I held my head up high, and walked out of the building and into Target in soccer shorts, a silk top from Banana Republic, and heels. Not to mention the awesome sock line because my dress socks were too tight. Why I didn't just put my black pants back on is beyond me.

Ok, now its your turn. Fess up friends! 

In the Garden of Beasts, a review

I recently finished reading In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson, Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin.

I picked it up a few weeks ago to read on a trip, and just got around to finishing it.

The book is about William Dodd, who became the the U.S. ambassador to Germany on the eve of World War II. Dodd and his family were at first enchanted by the Nazi party. The atrocities they were committing were not widely published, and life was fairly normal and predictable in Berlin. In cities around the country the Nazi party was starting its campaign against the Jews, they were beating Americans in the streets, and began to reveal their true character to the world.

The book focuses a good amount of time on the life of Dodd's daughter, Martha. She was a young woman in a new city with a known father. The city was her playground, and she had the time of her life dating young Gestapo and SS officers. She had illicit affairs with some of the most powerful men in the country. Eventually, she met and became lovers with a Soviet who was a secret agent, and she was recruited to spy of the Soviet Union.

The book covers a few years prior to the war and the political and social changes that occurred prior to the war, and prior to Hitler taking full power of the country.  We all know what happened in the war, but it was enlightening to read about the events that occurred within the country prior to the outbreak of war.

For me, I find that I am often drawn to reading and learning about life in German before the war. In part, this is due to my family. My grandfather's family lived in Germany prior to the war. In the run up to World War II, his family, Jew's, experienced persecution. They were able to flee the country before the real horror began. Unfortunately, his extended family didn't get the chance to leave, so numerous members of our family perished at the hands of the Nazi's.

For my grandfather and his family, they could not get into the USA directly. They were able to secure passage into Mexico, and eventually made their way North into Texas. Their story of survival is nothing short of miraculous. As my grandfather ages, it is becoming more and more important to me that I embrace my heritage, and am a keeper of the family history. I want to share and pass down my families history.

To read in depth about the place where my great-grandparents lived, and the turbulent times they endured makes me long for them. Though I never met them, I wish I had. I wish that I had been born to hear the stories from them, to learn more about their language, life, and culture.

This book is non fiction, but reads like one. It is a great book full of intrigue, mystery, and political motives of the operatives. I highly recommend it!

Talk it out: Where is your family from? What is your heritage? How did you get to where you are now?