Just an idea...

SavingSassy

I do the same thing with the envelopes. I have just started to empty my purse at the end of the week before opening my new envelope and put in a pot.I now have over £160 and get upset if I have noting to empty from my purse! Lol

ky822000

I do very similar, in that I have a 'budget' tab on my spreadsheet which includes all the allocated spending (bills and credit card payments) divided into pay dates (I get paid at the end of the month and my partner gets paid in the middle of the month).

This automatically updates the relevant bank account sheet and takes away any temptation to spend money we REALLY don't have (as it is allocated to a bill or expected expenditure) because the balance shows the 'free' cash until the next payday.

I have found, through trial and error, that the cash thing really doesn't work for us - if we have too much cash in the house temptation beckons us

I transfer the housekeeping money to a separate account and we find budgeting to a set amount much easier that way..

One off annual expenses, like MOTs, car tax and holidays go into the relevant bank account spreadsheet and I can see what I need to save and when the payments are due at a glance (revelation to me - I can't tell you how many times I used to realise I was a couple of months overdue on the MOT before I discovered MSE )

My budget is now projected to January 2016, but I am relaxed about life getting in the way and when things happen (eg, unexpected expenditure or the OH having a 'mad moment' and railing against my thriftiness) I find it therapeutic to just reorganise my budget on the spreadsheets :A