I read a bit about Dave Ramsey’s envelope system, and in intrigued me. I just knew that I wasn’t comfortable getting all our money out in CASH at the beginning of the month. I’d lose it. I also worry I’d spend it and then we’d have a real “need” and then I’d just blow it with my ATM card. I needed that renewing feeling weekly.
❤️ FAVORITE HOTELS of Pulling Curls Readers ❤️
– The Clarion — The price can’t be beat!
– Anaheim Majestic – People love the free shuttle!
– Best Western Anaheim Inn — SO close and great!
– Castle Inn — A FAVORITE with little kids!
– Cambria Hotel – GREAT one for larger parties, and I love their price
Does that make sense?
So I came up with weekly money. Each week we get out 80 dollars at the grocery store. I should say, we minus our total from 80. That means, of course, that my total needs to be less than 80 (which, doesn’t ALWAYS happen, but about 90% of the time it does). Any extra money goes in my wallet to take care of other necessities of the week.
SO, if the grocery store trip was 50 bucks, I get out 30 and put it in my wallet. That’s all we have to spend the rest of the week.
We have a few other pots that we use a spread sheet to take care of (see our other budgeting posts), but the main money is our weekly money and that’s what we have to spend each week. Do the math, that averages 360 for groceries. We have 3 kids, and as soon as Drew is done with school I REALLY want to bump it to 100. I would like to buy shrimp more often, and nicer cuts of meat, but for now this will do. {we do have 150 in a Costco budget — so the grand total for groceries really should be just over 600 bucks}
I know this budget isn’t for everyone, and I will admit that the purse strings have been drawn a few times and the budget has gone down (it used to be 100). I am hopeful the budget can expand at some point. But the main point is that you need to look at what works for YOU. Hopefully you make more and you can SPEND more, but you need to decide a realistic number for groceries. It’s too easy to get out of hand and say you “need” this and you need that. I only buy things on sale, I stock the pantry and if we’re out of something and I can’t get it at a good price, I don’t use it. I make something else.
So, would weekly money work for you? For me it’s the fresh slate I get each time I head to the grocery store. I’m hoping to, at some point, only do grocery store trips every 2 weeks. I think this will save us money and give us some cash in my wallet for little things that come up, or if we want to go out for dinner.
This is the second my budgeting series. You can read more here.
I also have a post with an example on how to budget right here!
*I am not putting these budget numbers out there to be “woe is me” or “woo-woo look at me! We’re rich!” type feeling. I really think if people were more transparent with their own expenses it might make people re-think what they are doing with theirs. I am sure we spend more and less then many readers on my blog. I hope this is helpful to some of you. I would LOVE to see other people’s. There’s really no reason that our budgets have to be hush-hush. I didn’t give you my social security numbers, or how much we actually make — this is just our goal to spend.
erica says
I am very shocked.. What do you eat for $80 a week?? Can you give me a weekly menu?.. I have a budget of $200 a week and I find it hard to work with.
Hilary says
Hi Erica! I have my menu plans listed here: http://www.pullingcurls.com/category/menu-planning
I also have some grocery tips here: http://www.pullingcurls.com/?s=grocery+shopping
Hope those links are helpful! I also have a “cheaper by the me” board on Pinterest that I find a lot of great money-saving tips for! https://www.pinterest.com/pullingcurls/cheaper-by-the-me/
Tiffany says
I can see how $80 can seem like a tight budget and it can be sometimes. My children and I have learned to shop a lot at ALDI’s and that save us a ton of money. I usually buy meat from Albertsons only because they seem to have good deals a lot. The only thing I did not see in your budget outline was your mortgage. But I am guessing if your subtract all the other expenses your mortgage is around $1200 a month. I think your doing a good job. I budget too. However we currently have a lot of wiggle room because we live in a cheaper smaller apartment but I am savings for a down payment on a house in the future. This also affords me extra money for college expenses as well. I give you Kudos for putting your expenses out to the world. Not any other would do just that.
Hilary says
Albertsons does have buy 1 get 2 free pretty frequently! You’re right on for our mortgage amount. I felt kind of weird just putting that “out there” — and it varies SO much, so I didn’t think it was necessary.
Angela Paulsen says
Yes! Thank you for sharing this. I’m with you and have been really hesitant to do the envelope system because I KNOW I’d lose it or my kids would find it and play “store” with it or something, but your system here makes a lot of sense. And thank you for putting out real numbers.
Hilary says
Yeah, just having 10-20 bucks in my wallet makes me feel a lot safer than the WHOLE thing. 🙂
April says
The extra money from the grocery store- what all do you use that far? That is not part of you and your husbands free money for the month right?
Hilary Erickson says
Just odds and ends that creep up. 🙂 The free money stays in a separate pocket than family money (and that makes it hard to shop for a wallet sometimes). 🙂