My Dad has this saying, “Stupidity is continually doing the same thing and expecting different results.” We all have our moments of stupidity. I had another moment today as I attempted once again to hang my son’s wall decorations back on his wall. Somewhere in my life I became convinced that the best way to hang anything is with thumbtacks…. I know I should get the hammer and put a nail in the wall. It’s just easier to use tacks. And more forgiving if you accidently hang the picture 2 inches too low. However, tacks definitely have their down side …
Between the Envelopes
I had a reader ask me, “Are you allowed to use money from one category for another if you have left over cash in an envelope?” She went on to say that her husband had put his foot down that there would be no stealing from the envelopes! If they were going to do the envelope system then the money had to be used for the purpose that they had designated. If they do not use it this month, then it has to be left in the envelope for next month. Now, I confess, I steal from my envelopes all …
Change to Spare
What my children love most about my wallet is that I always have change. Like most kids they have a fascination with change and money and love to carry it around in their “purse” (for Ava) or piggy bank. And while your kids may love all your extra change too, if you do not find a way to utilize this change it really is like wasted money. The abundance of change is a definite side effect of the cash/envelope system. So what do you do with all that extra change? If you are a woman, it just makes your purse …
Cash, Credit, or Bank Card: A Plan for Discretionary Spending
One of the questions I get so often is “How do you keep track of your grocery money?” It is probably about groceries because most of my friends are Moms and staying within a budget with groceries is a huge part of our world. Grocery money, Gas money, Entertainment, Gifts, Free money, and just whatever categories you have in your budget that you don’t automatically pay as a bill, are really the most challenging thing about budgeting and the areas that most people overspend the most on. I consider these categories as discretionary spending, because it is money that you …