Friday, February 15, 2013

Tips for Using the Envelope System to Save Money

How many times have you had more bills than money at the end of the month? For some that happens every month while others it only happens occasionally. Whether you've had this happen or not, it's not a bad idea to look at your finances to see what you can do to stop or prevent it from happening. Here are some tips to help you save money.

One of the best ways to prevent overspending is to use the envelope system. While it takes dedication to make this system work, you'll find when you make it work each month, the end result will help you with your money.

When you decide you're going to do the envelope system the most important thing to remember is you pay cash for everything. This will help you to spend only what you have. It's easy to spend money when you use a debit or credit card, but harder when you only have a certain amount of cash in your purse.

To get started you need to get enough envelopes to cover every single bill you have. You'll want to write the vendor name on the outside of the envelope along with the due date and the monthly payment. You'll want to keep them in a place where they fit well and you'll have easy access to them. Keep them in order by the day you pay them so you don't forget to pay something.

While most vendors don't take cash any longer or they don't have local offices that accept payments, they do offer internet, mail, and phone options for payment. If this is the case, the most important thing to do is use your checking account specifically for these types of payments only. You need to pay cash for everything you can so you don't overspend. Groceries, meals out, bills, and any extra things you need should be paid with cash.

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