How I Organize Our Finances

I pay our bills every two weeks, on paydays. How I organize it so everything gets paid is by using my planner. I have a purse planner that take 3-3/4x6-3/4 size sheets. It was a lovely gift from my young cousin for Christmas. In my planner I only use the week at a glance pages for a calendar. On the pay weeks I have inserted an index card with lines on it so that I can make notes of bills that need to be paid on that check. When that payday comes I know exactly which bills to pull and pay or if automatically deducted I know to write them in my checkbook. This has saved my tired mommy brain from having to think when paying bills. After I have paid the bills I take and place each reciept into a 6x9 manilla envelope labeled with the current month we are on. Each month I just file one envelope and start another, so at the end of the year I have 12 envelopes and I can find most anything I need by thinking of the month it happened (which can be remembered if I have written it in my planner).

Also in my planner are envelopes hole-punched to fit. In these I have written names such as Auto Maintenance, Groceries, Entertainment etc. . I put an alloted amount into each envelope each check and we are slowly learning to spend only that amount. The main bills come out of the checking account and other than the cash that goes into the envelopes, I am learning to not touch the money in the bank. I also keep my checkbook register in my planner so that I am able to know at a glance that I DON'T have any money :o) !

I have so much yet to grow in the financial area, but slowly it has become a mostly stress-free area.