DIY Budget Envelopes

My hubby and I have been using the cash system for awhile now for our groceries and individual spending.  But we were needing to crack down on some other areas in our budget, so we’re going to an (almost) all cash system.  I was tiring of just using our boring white envelopes and couldn’t find any plastic envelopes that were small enough to fit in my wallet/purse.  So I decided to just create my own!  Here’s what you need if you’re wanting to create your own:

• 8 1/2 x 11 piece of scrapbook paper (one for each envelope that you want to make)
• envelope template
• contact paper
• exacto knife or sharp blade
• glue source (I used hot glue but there are probably more ways to get them to stick together.  I just {heart} my glue gun.)
• optional – printable mailing labels

Step 1: open the envelope template and print it on a 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of cardstock or scrapbooking paper. Step 2: trim around to get rid of the excess paper. Step 3: These next couple steps are optional as you don’t have to cover your envelopes in contact paper.  But I really didn’t want to be making envelopes every month, so I figured this would help them be a bit more durable.  So, cut out two pieces of contact paper, one for each side of your flat envelope. Step 4: probably the hardest step for a perfectionist like me.  I found after a lot of trial and error that the contact paper went on with fewer bumps if I laid the paper on a flat surface.  Then, I pressed the contact paper to one end of the envelope and slowly rolled it forward, pressing as I went.  Does that make sense? Do this to both sides, so your paper is sandwiched in between. Step 5: cut out around the outside of the envelope shape.  Here were a few of mine after cutting. Step 6: with an exacto knife or some other sharp blade, score along the dotted line.  This will make the envelope easier to fold. No, I’m not left handed, but was having trouble getting a picture any other way. Step 7: fold along the scores Step 8: There are many ways you could get these envelopes to stay together.  I pretty much have my hot glue gun plugged in all the time, so that’s what I chose to use.  I just spread some on, not quite all the way to the top. Fold the large flap up and press firmly to smooth out.  If you take too long, the hot glue will make the envelope bumpy, so try to move quickly. Repeat with the other side. Step 9: I bought a pack of sticky velcro dots.  Apply one side of the sticker to the middle top of the envelope flap. Then, put the other velcro side down on top.  Make sure the sticky side it out! Then close your envelope. And your velcro will match up perfectly.And you’re done!  Repeat as many times as how many envelopes you need.  Here are all mine before I labeled them. And here they are all nice and labeled.  I just used a pack of printable Avery labels (the return address size) and ran them through my printer.  You could label your envelopes in many ways, even just with a sharpie.They fit dollar bills perfectly!I also made a little record sheet that goes in each envelope so I can track just like in my checkbook.  Does anyone even use a checkbook anymore?  Haha. Ohh, aren’t they all so pretty in their box?  They’re so cute they {almost} make me thankful to be on a cash system. Happy budgeting!

***EDITED TO ADD***
I've have several people ask for the little budget sheets I put inside my envelopes.  Here they are!  Just print and cut!