06/17/2025
Hello fellow Budget Buns! I have been asked about the Cash budgeting system. I found an article that oversimplifies it a bit, but it is helpful nonetheless. I would be happy to answer any questions you have about it. What I start with is writing my budget each pay period. Each week I look at our income. Let's say we bring in $1500 that week. I know I have some fixed expenses like rent, telephone bill, insurance, and anything that stays the same month after month. For this week, let's say $1000 goes towards those fixed expenses. They come out of my checking account as scheduled, so I will leave the funds there. I will withdraw that remaining $500 and allot it into separate savings categories, or my sinking funds. These can be for anything you spend money on. For example, date night, grocery shopping, eating out, Mom's Day out, graduation, debt, or even one for Christmas. My personal envelopes I stuff each week are as follows: household, misc, personal, car maintenance, bunnies, bun vet, Erik spending, debt, beauty, and gifts. Each paycheck, I might not be able to contribute to each one. So this past paycheck I knew I needed to get my bunny's nails trimmed for a total of $100. I have been putting $20 in that envelope with each check for over a month, and now I have enough to make the appointments.
It is assigning a task to your money. In saying that, your funds are still yours. Say an emergency happens and you have to clear out an envelope to replace your tires, YOU CAN DO THAT! This method has helped me from coming to the end of a week with no funds left for groceries and an automotive bill I can't pay. It is a tool that allows you to stick to your budget. I am a notorious swipe first and think about the consequences later. This really shows me what I have available for certain things. Now, I know I have $1000 in my account, but it is for fixed expenses. Out of the $500, I put away $150 for groceries and split the rest between my other sinking funds. I put that cash for groceries in my wallet and only use that. Today we ordered pizza out of our checking account. And this is okay, we just deposited how much we spent back into the checking account.
There are so many ways to budget and handle finances. I would love to share my knowledge and help set up some sinking fund binders for you all. It all starts with setting a budget. I will be making a FREE basic budget sheet that each customer will get with any purchase. IF you need any help filling it out just message me!
Here is the link:
Cash stuffing — also called the envelope budget system — is where you portion out money into envelopes. It can benefit impulse spenders and new budgeters.
