4 Envelopes A Month Should Do The Trick!

One of the easiest ways to save money.

Let's be honest, banks mainly make their money ( and we now know that they make oodles of it ) when we can't stay within our budget. If we can't save. If we live beyond our means...Have you seen how little interest you earn on deposits, such as your savings? Rather ironic, isn't it, because those savings sort of get lent out to the non-savers at astronomical interest rates. Wouldn't it be nice if the savers get a tad bit more for their effort!

But enough of day-dreaming. Let's take responsibility and make sure we don't need to borrow too much ' expensive ' money. Oh, I know it isn't easy to live within your means in these times, but it is not impossible.

Most of us have an amount set aside for food & incidentals, yet we barley stick to the amount. Often it is a simple matter of switching to a different method of shopping. Look, the banks make money the minute you use your credit card. Credit cards lure you into spending more. Most of us think of credit card money as play money. We never actually see it, and the banks do make it as enticing as possible to live beyond our means. Gosh, golly & bah humbug-that is part of how they make oodles of profits.

Enough of banks and their enticing ways. Here is a method of saving which some might simply call Neanderthal, but it works. The next time your budget month starts, draw the month's grocery budget in cash, buy 4 plain white envelopes and divide the money equally into the 4 envelopes.

Each week of your month, you only use 1 envelope. You need to put / lock the others away in a safe place. Obviously, from now on, leave your credit cards / debit cards at home. Do your grocery shopping only with the one white envelope.

If you are anything like me, the first shopping trip with a finite amount of money will take longer, as you will put items into your trolley in the first isle, but as you go along the various isles, you might take items out again. Oh yes, suddenly the autopilot shopping will switch to manual shopping.

It is amazing how easily it is to buy only what you need, when there is only so much cash on offer. This 4 envelope method takes some getting used to and you might only get the hang of it in a few months time, but in the process you change your habits and save money. Remember, if you don't use all the money in the 1st envelope, you can carry it over to the 2nd...or put it as an extra into your bond repayment.

Biggi