Envelope System

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 If you are NOT good with money and you are in trouble, I would like to introduce you to the envelope system.

This is how it works, you know you can only afford $400.00 for groceries this month.  Take $400.00 in cash and put it in an envelope marked groceries.  Only spend cash at the store.  This will teach you how to stay within your budget.  

My teenage daughter is just learning about money, she just got her first job.  I explained the whole budget system and I got the deer in the headlight look, so I taught her the envelope system.  She now cashes her check in small bills and brings it home to the national bank of mom.  We sit down and pull out her envelopes for the month.  One for tithe, gas, insurance, savings, free money to spend  We then divide up her money accordingly.  This month she ran around a lot in her car and was out of gas money, she came to me and told me her car needed gas I told her she would have to take it out of her free money to spend envelope, she said that sucks,  I told her that's life.  She informed me today she has learned her lesson and will be asking for gas money from her friends.  I am glad she is learning this lesson now, vs not having enough for electricity etc, when she moves out.