Let me start this by saying that Nick and I agreed that we needed SOMETHING in place to manage our money...we did pretty good every month, but we weren't saving nearly as much as we would like, so the search for ideas began! A good friend of mine, Melissa, mentioned to me that she and her husband started using a modified version of Dave Ramsey's methods. (Find his books and products here.) BINGO...I ordered one of his books like 2-3 years ago, so it was about time I put that puppy to good use. So, I cracked it open and came up with a generalized plan. Nick and I talked about it and decided what was going to work best for us. Some things we are using cash envelopes for and some things we are not. Here is a picture of some of the envelopes we have right now. (I am sure these will change as time goes on and we figure out what works and what doesn't) I made these envelopes with scrapbooking paper and this free printable. Side note: I do NOT carry all of these with me all the time, just when I know I am going to be using money out of it while I am out. It would make me too nervous all the time to carry them all!!
I know when I pull the cash out of the bank each pay check, I will forget how much goes in each one, so I placed a clear mailing label inside each to write how much money goes in each envelope for each pay and total for each month. I know these numbers will change so when they do, I can peel the label off and replace it with one that has the new amounts on it. (I wish I would have done this for the outside labels too, because I know these will change also...oh well, next time)
So, now how am I going to keep track of all of this?!?! This was overwhelming me a bit...I don't want something to fall through the cracks and end up with no money! Searching continued...I found an online budget worksheet that got me started. (Click here to see) It just wasn't OCD enough for me LOL...I needed more detailed things without over complicating it. I googled some more and came across a blog I had been to before for other projects, and I was inspired by so many things on there!! Seriously you guys, this girl's house is amazingly organized and so stinkin' cute, go check it out at i heart organizing!
Jen at i heart organizing had some super cute, free printables in this blog. (Click here to go there) I printed them out and it was a good start, but I needed more! I could spend hours and hours creating my own forms and trying to get them to be as cute as Jen's, but why would I do that when she has an Etsy shop!! (found here) Yes, I payed for these customized printables, but she had so many great ideas that I wouldn't have taken the time to create for my own binder but will definitely use. (That's what I am telling myself to justify my purchase anyways) I will say, it was TOTALLY worth the $30!! She sent me a total of 49 pages; they all match, are personalized, and are SUPER DUPER cute! She personalizes every page for you...I wanted to make 2 separate binders, one for our budget and the other for our household stuff. So, I sent a note with my payment and asked her to make 2 covers and she sent it right over. I was so excited to print them off once I got them!! (OF COURSE...my printer decided to bite the dust and wouldn't print anything, so off to Best Buy I went with kids and printer in tow...come hell or high water, I was getting my stuff printed and getting organized!) So after a trip to Best Buy and one new printer (that I LOVE) later...it was all printed out.
Here are the covers...
Trust me, I tried to create my own but they weren't nearly as cute as these!!
Let's start with the "Budget Binder," here are the tabs I have for my binder...checkbook register, cash check-in, and monthly finances. (I found some cheap dividers at Target on clearance for $0.85!!)
The "Checkbook Register" tab has exactly that, a large version of what is in your checkbook. We don't write checks often, but for the few things we will still use our debit card for, this is where I will write it down and keep track of our account balance. Find the free printable in this blog. I am pretty much setting our stuff up just like her binder but I only had 3 dividers left after making the household binder, so I only made 3.
The "Cash Check-In" tab has the free printable from the same blog in it to keep us on track each week and make sure we haven't blown it all. I am hoping this will give us some accountability and keep us in check...I mean, actually writing down that I spent money on something that wasn't budgeted for that I didn't NEED is going to make me think twice before buying!
The "Monthly Finances" tab has the monthly budget sheet (it's actually 3 sheets long, but you get the idea) that came in my (paid for) packet.
This is where we can write down how much is coming in, and "zero" our budget to know exactly how that money will be spent each month. Behind each monthly budget, I placed a savings account sheet that I made up. We decided that all of the money we are "setting aside" for home or auto repairs or anything that we don't normally have to spend money on, but are saving for it when we do, is going to all go into a savings account. Well, I am OCD and needed a way to keep track of how much each of those "virtual envelopes" had in it each month. This is what I came up with...
We will see how it works out. In the front of the monthly budget sheets I have a "finance checklist" where I can list all of our normal monthly bills (internet, TV, cell phones, etc) and when they are due. Then I can check it off when I paid it or when it has been withdrawn from our account for the month and how much I paid. This way we can ensure we don't miss anything being paid. This sheet was in my packet as well. It looks like this...
That is all I have in there for now, and I am sure as time goes on I will change some stuff around to fit our needs.
I hope this helps you all get organized with your own "Budget Binder"...I will post about our "Household Binder" soon. That binder is definitely going to come in handy to leave with the sitter when we go to Vegas next month!! :-)
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