Here is another recent example of why my
debit card gets me in trouble….
I thought I had everything accounted for
in my account.  I paid all bills and squeaked by with a small amount left
over until the next well anticipated payday (tomorrow).  Well I checked
the online account today to see if it might have hit early and found out that
not only did it not, but 5 debit purchases transacted LAST week and not
recorded all hit and I defaulted on 3 of them!  Yes, I have it liked to my
savings to cover over drafts but there is a fee for each one and now my BEF is
down to about $900 and something.
L   THIS IS MY FAULT I KNOW so no need to beat
me up about it.  I just need to be better about NOT allowing this to
happen ever again.  I know for me it means cash only, envelope system, at
least for awhile and only after completing a better cash flow plan that the one
I posted here yesterday.
  I need one with more specific categories
so that I can more easily move funds around for allocation.
  …back to the drawing board….
L  

Rachell in FL   “Do you know why that cow looks
over the wall?” he asked.
“She looks over the wall because she cannot
see through it, and that is what you must do with your troubles: look over and
above them.” – John Wesley

However tracking works best for /you/ is the way to do it.
I’m single (w/ a gf) so I budget for myself.
My way may not work for you.
I’ve been doing the budgeting thing for a while now and have come to the conclusion that the way I do things I don’t use physical envelopes anymore.
I’ve found them to be cumbersome.
I check my budget before leaving to do grocery shopping (for example) and know what I can spend.
For me, particularly using a debit card as I do, I don’t really track detailed individual amounts throughout the day.
If I’m going to multiple stores I just round up a little from each total to stop from overspending the budget (a 18.56 purchase as store A becomes $20, and 14.34 at store B becomes $15, etc) to keep the numbers in my head easily.
I pop the receipts into my wallet and
enter them later to the computer (every 3 days max).
I keep my unbudgeted blow money in cash in my pocket for those things that I decide to purchase on the fly, I don’t have to wonder ‘how much do I have’.
One way to track is index cards as they are already about the right size for most holders.
They are inexpensive, offer horizontal lines and you can make multiple columns depending on your writing style.
Date/Store/Dollar amount would be good things to track.
  Chuck   “It is sometimes a mistake to climb; it is always a mistake never even to make the attempt”

Chuck, I love the idea of the coupon
holder instead of envelopes.  I imagine I would keep a mini-register slip
in each folder instead of writing on a paper envelope, right?  
Rachell in FL “It just ain’t possible to explain
some things.
It’s interesting to wonder on them and do some speculation, but
the main thing is you have to accept it-take it for what it is, and get on with
your growing.” – Jim Dodge

  that you feel comfortable carrying.
Some use coupon holders.
Label them with
whatever you spend cash on.
If you prefer debit cards and like to see the cash
moving around, create an extra envelope called spent.
In the envelopes that you
spend from the debit card, put in play money and take it out as you spend it to
the spent envelope.

Comedy with an Edge to see what’s on, when.