Dave Ramsey is right: moving to all cash spending is one of the best money moves you can make when you’re getting started with your budget. Using cash envelopes is the most organized way to do it, but how do you keep your cash envelopes organized? With a cash envelope system wallet!
We’re debt free now (read our debt free story here), but I still regularly use at least three cash envelopes in my purse: one for groceries, one for eating out at restaurants, and one for miscellaneous spending money. It helps me to not overspend! We still live on a budget after becoming debt free, because it’s helping us hit our goals for retirement savings.
Do you need to use cash envelopes for every category in your budget?
Dave has a helpful worksheet on his site (here) for keeping track of sinking funds, so you don’t need to use cash envelopes for every category in your budget. Just pick the five or ten categories where you’re most likely to overspend, create your cash envelopes, and keep them together in your cash envelope system wallet.
Where do you get your cash envelopes?
I currently use the cash envelope template in my printable Budget Planner Toolkit. The gold floral design is my favorite, and I can print the template as many times as I like. You can even laminate the cash envelope templates in it, if you prefer. The directions for how we use the whole budget planner toolkit in a three ring binder is here.
Of course, you can always just use plain, standard mailing envelopes in a DIY envelope system wallet from Walmart. Those work, too! You can make it work for you and the situation you’re in. The ones I’m sharing below are all available on Amazon, so if you have Amazon Prime you can get free shipping.
Now, without further ado…
The Best Cash Envelope System Wallet Ideas
Dave Ramsey’s Blue Starter Envelope Wallet
This Starter Envelope Wallet was made popular in Dave’s Financial Peace course. We love his plan for budgeting and getting debt free! This starter cash envelope wallet has all the tools that you need to begin Dave’s proven, easy-to-use cash management system. It’s a very basic design but it works, and it’s super affordable on Amazon. Check the current price here.
Bella Taylor Montecito Wallet
The Montecito Cash Envelope System Wallet is a cash divider wallet. It offers a cute floral and vine print in a colorful blend of coffee, crème, burnt orange and mushroom hues. The wallet is lined and has antique pewter hardware.
Savvycents Cash Envelope Wallet
The popular Savvycents wallet has multiple designs to choose from, as well as some great reviews on Amazon. You can also use it to organize cards, coupons, and receipts. There’s also a little strap you can pull out to turn it into a wristlet!
All-In-One Cash Envelope System Wallet
This all-in-one leather wallet set is offered on Amazon by Soligt, and apparently it’s one of their bestsellers. I love that it already comes with starter envelopes you can use! There are also little budget tracker sheets you can slip inside each envelope. One recent customer review says, “It has everything I need without being huge or bulky.” See it here.
Foxer Leather Wallet
This Foxer Wallet isn’t a cash envelope wallet per se, but it’s roomy enough to hold a cell phone, cash, and cards, so it should hold several cash envelopes just fine. It’s super cute, and I love the fox zipper pull! It’s also reasonably priced around $25. Click here to see all the colors you can choose from.
Rachel Cruze Wallet
Dave Ramsey’s daughter, Rachel Cruze, also has a specially designed wallet for cash budgeting, but it uses color coded clips instead of envelopes. I love the idea, but this one wasn’t reviewed very well on Amazon. Nonetheless, some people love it. See it here.
But what if you’re struggling with how to use the cash envelope system wallet idea?
Dave has authored several bestselling books, but his book The Total Money Makeover has been pivotal in many people paying off their debts and beginning their debt free journey. In TMM, he outlines his seven baby steps in great detail. If you only get one of his books, it should be this one. It will help you understand how to use cash in your budget.
You can find this book at just about any bookstore or on Amazon (see the current price here). If money is tight, you can probably find it at your local library, or request that they get it in. Currently, the audio version is free on Amazon if you sign up for a trial with Audible. But, I’m a sucker for actual paper books that I can hold in my hand, refer back to often, and maybe even pass along to someone else who could use it.
Dave makes a portion of this book available as a PDF download here. Recently, we also noticed that there is a free download of Total Money Makeover PDF, the full version. We aren’t sure if this is for a limited time, or if it will stay up indefinitely.
Here are a few more posts on our site that will help you on your cash envelope budgeting journey:
The 7 Dave Ramsey Steps To Financial Freedom
My Dave Ramsey Meal Plan For A Beans & Rice Budget
How We Paid For Christmas One Year By Earning Amazon Gift Cards
Has the cash envelope system worked for you? Which wallet is your favorite?
Let’s chat again soon,
New to my site? I love to share ways to get out of debt, save more money, and make cheap meals from home.
A few tools I recommend:
Use a shopping portal like Ebates and save more money on everything you buy online. Get a $10 bonus when you sign up now.
Give eMeals a try. This is the meal planning service Dave Ramsey recommends on his show. For a small fee, they’ll even send your meal plan and shopping list over to a local store (like WalMart!) and have your groceries ready for you to just pick-up and go. Click here to try it free for 14 days.
I also highly recommend getting started with a pencil and paper budget, if you’re not already doing so. My printable Budget Binder Toolkit has everything you need to hit the ground running!
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