Back to Cash

{Warning: Transparent Post}

I have a weakness. Although I am a frugal girl, I am a terrible money manager! This is why Rick handles all of our finances. He recently took a new job that required a salary decrease. It was a decision we felt was best on a short-term risk/long-term gain kind of thought pattern. Because of this change, it's necessary that I be very intentional with the budget I am given every month.

During lean times, I am a cash-only girl. I have an expandable that I keep in my purse and have cash in certain category slots: groceries, activities, clothes, allowances. Then at home we have an expandable with cash in it for: Nicole's extras and grocery overrun. Rick gives me cash every two weeks and I divide it up into the appropriate slots.

Over the last year or two, our finances have been pretty good so I have gotten away from my cash-only system. All of the money has gone into my checking account and I have just kind of kept the categories and amounts "in my head". But, of course, I have been taking money "from" one to use in another and have run out of money some months and asked Rick for more (this happens especially when a clothing sale comes up and I want to stock up). Or, I have used my little credit card (with only a $400 credit limit) when I am running short and Rick has paid it off.

With our budget changes, I am still getting the same amount of cash every month. But I don't want to ask for any extra money from Rick, because I haven't been a good steward of what I have; I don't want to use my credit card; and I want to be able to carry over any cash from my categories if I don't spend it all in one month (i.e. clothes).
Those are my goals.

I made the intention to do this at the beginning of this month. And, I failed. I used my credit card, I went over my clothes budget and so had to use all of my activity money (Old Navy was having a sale, and I went over), and a curriculum that I forgot I had not yet paid for came due. I am very disappointed in myself.

So, I am back to cash again, but this time starting on the 15th. My money will be divided back up into my expandable slots every two weeks. And when a category is depleted, then I won't be able to spend in that area anymore until the next two weeks. And I will do it this time!

This, ultimately, does a few things that are valuable:

(1) It makes me really consider wants vs. needs.
(2) It makes me budget.
(3) It keeps me from doing online purchases, because all I have is cash and in order for me to order something online I have to drive 5 miles into town and deposit cash into my account. By the time I get around to that, I'm usually out of the mood to buy it.
(4) It makes me really utilize all of the food in our home and purchase food carefully so as not to have any waste.
(5) It keeps my grocery budget in check, dramatically! (Nobody wants to get to the checkout and not have enough money.)

The best way I can help Rick during this temporary lean time is to be a good steward of the money with which he entrusts me. It makes me feel good if I am able to help him in this way.

Because of the financial mistakes I made in the past couple of days, I am going to need to keep my grocery budget to a minimum for this two week period. So, I inventoried my meat freezer, pantry and house freezer. I was able to come up with 12 full meals, with a need to purchase only a hand-full of items.

I know I can do better with my money. Anytime I am forced to do something, I do it. I need to do this. I want to do this.

So, here we go!