Envelope budget planner
The cash-envelope method without the cash: give each kind of spending its own envelope, note every purchase against it, and see at a glance what is left.
- Income this period
- $1,000.00
- In envelopes
- $970.00
- Not yet in an envelope
- $30.00
- Spent
- $405.85
- Left in envelopes
- $564.15
1 envelope is overspent. Move money from another envelope by lowering its allocation and raising this one.
-
$248.75 left
-
Overspent by $8.50
-
$111.90 left
-
$80.00 left
-
$72.00 left
-
$60.00 left
Record spending
| Date | Envelope | Note | Amount | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-14 | Eating out | Birthday dinner | $64.00 | |
| 2026-10-12 | Eating out | Pizza night | $41.00 | |
| 2026-10-09 | Fun money | Cinema | $28.00 | |
| 2026-10-08 | Groceries | Weekly shop | $104.85 | |
| 2026-10-05 | Eating out | Lunch with Ana | $23.50 | |
| 2026-10-03 | Fuel | Fill-up | $48.10 | |
| 2026-10-02 | Groceries | Weekly shop | $96.40 |
End of the period
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Educational use only — not financial advice
How envelope budgeting works
The method comes from paying in cash. At the start of a period, the money for each kind of everyday spending goes into its own labelled envelope, and when an envelope is empty, spending in that category stops until the next period. Montana State University's financial education office puts it simply: when the money is gone, you are done spending in that category. This planner keeps the envelopes on screen, so it works with a card too.
Enter the money you have for envelopes this period and give each envelope an allocation; "not yet in an envelope" shows what is still to share out. Record each purchase against its envelope. A card turns amber once 85% of it is used and red when it is overspent, with the shortfall in red ink.
At the end of the period, start a new one. With "carry balances forward" ticked, each envelope's leftover, or overspending, moves into the next period, so a careful month can pay for a dearer one. Untick it to start every envelope fresh. Envelopes suit spending that varies, such as food, fuel and fun; regular bills fit better in the monthly budget planner.
Sources
- Office of Financial Education, Montana State University, Envelope System.
Questions
What if an envelope runs out early?
Lower another envelope's allocation and raise this one by the same amount, which is the on-screen version of moving cash between envelopes. The total stays within the money you set aside.
How do I record a refund?
Remove the original purchase from the list and record what you finally paid instead. The envelope's balance goes back up by the amount refunded.
Where are my envelopes stored?
Only in this browser's local storage, under the key cedarledger-envelopes, on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere. "Clear all" removes everything; download the CSV first if you want a record.