It seems we aren't going to be able to do the whole Visa Prepaid card thing with our budget like we wanted. They all charge monthly fees! It will be a pain in my rear-end, but I cannot get 5 or 6 prepaid cards and then pay $5 a month for each one just for the convenience of not having to do envelopes!
So, I guess I'm doing the envelopes. I hate envelopes. This system is not new to us. We've done it before and we stopped doing it because I HATE ENVELOPES. It's hard to keep the money straight, I don't like carrying around that much cash at any given time, they're flimsy, it's hard, to impossible, to keep Quicken updated with what I'm doing with my money, and what do I do with the coins? I won't always carry all the envelopes with me all the time, but what if I'm shopping for clothing and I see a great birthday present for someone? Or I run to Walmart and remember I need a grocery item? Thus begins the "rob Peter to pay Paul" scenario that hurts my brain. Why does it hurt my brain? Because I then have to remember who owes Peter, and how much. Peter suffers. Peter doesn't always get paid back. Peter doesn't like the envelope system, either.
It's an entire behavior modification on my part. I'll have to anticipate things even more than I do now. I'll have to learn to say "no" to myself when I don't have that envelope with me. But the problem isn't always so cut and dry. I'm not going to make a 45 minute round trip back home to get the grocery envelope when all I need is eggs.
It's exhausting, really.
If it means we get a better control on our spending, I guess it's my only option. I'll just have to have a pain in my butt for a while until I get used to it again. And I'll have to figure out how to enter it into Quicken so that it doesn't mess with my ocd too much. As for the coins, I guess I could get a coin jar and put all the coins in that.
I can still see if Navy Federal has anything for adults that resembles their Teen Buxx cards they offer for free. I doubt it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
I have a better idea! Gift Cards! a friend of mine in Texas told me this is what her daughter does for her budgets. She's trying to pay down a student loan. She buys WM gift cards for her Shampoo, TP and other persoanl things, then she buys a Grocerystore Gift card for her food. I think she might buy a restaurant gift card like subway for her school lunches, and so on. This way the money it there and only that amount. Most stores dont' charge you a service fee for these cards.
Post a Comment