Question

Do alot of you do "misc" envelopes? And if you do, can you tell me what you use them for? (Probably for what I'm about to list haha. ) I seem to struggle a little each month with forgetting to budget for something. Whether it be: - the book I forgot I needed for a late starting class - or checking my son's school lunch account and budgeting funds for his extras he occasionally buys (lunch is free for every student here in our district) - or my kids' teachers sending home last minute classroom party memos and asking each parent to donate a food item or an item for a craft etc. - or the doorknob broke and we need x/y/z to fix it. (I don't actually have any type of allotment for home items because we rent and there is really not alot of times where I'd need a "home repair" envelope. hmm, not sure what to do-- just kinda thinking outloud. ) These are just things I can think of at the moment (there are SO MANY more lol) but it frustrates me because I can't seem to get this part of our budget down so I'm looking for ideas. ❤ Thank you!  

Answer 1

I have one too. Ironically I needed it today. Had to mail a package. Not something that happens every month to plan for. I had the cash for it.  

Comments

@attah7228 YES! That's another one. Or stamps cuz I'm one hundred years old and still write checks for a few bills.  

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@ewens2993 , me too! Our city charges $7. 50 to pay our bills online. I refuse to pay that fee plus the water bill. Give me a stamp!  

Answer 2

Yes all of those things that come up unexpectedly.  

Answer 3

Exactly what you listed and many more. Always keep my receipts so I’ll know if I need to create an envelope.  

Answer 4

My Misc envelope is for EVERYTHING except for Gas and Groceries. I only do $50-$100 every two weeks and that has covered my misc items for the last 2 months. My daughter has Celiac so we rarely eat out. I like to keep things simple!  

Answer 5

These are my cash envelopes that I pull money out of the bank for: Groceries, husband and wife spending money, kids commission, charity, entertainment, restaurant, car maintenance, household, gifts, clothing, beauty and pet. I find each envelope a little every check and let it keep building up regardless if I need it for the moment. I have online sinking funds that get withdrawn automatically for bigger events such as Christmas, vacation, car insurance, emergency fund, dance tuition, and hubby’s hobby.  

Answer 6

I do. I use my misc envelope for household items, clothing or random stuff I need. I budget $100 each paycheck, I get paid twice a month.  

Answer 7

Any small irregular payments that crop up. Any regular ones (like school lunches) could be budgeted for. I allow £100 a month

Comments

Liz, he doesn't always get seconds so I may have to add some $$ this month but not next month and I always kinda forget about it until he says "mom I need more money for extras! " Lol

Answer 8

I personally use it for things that don't fall in any of my other categories

Answer 9

So all my kids expenses, so including school lunches, parties, fundraisers, etc all fall under my “kids” envelope. I do half in cash and half online (so I can buy them clothes online if they need it and school lunch is done online). I do have a misc category in our budget but it’s very small and usually digital since I personally would come up with lots of random things we “needed” if I had a cash envelope for misc. But that’s how I do it. I allow $100/month for misc but we rarely hit it because most things fall under a category and are accounted for. But I also have sinking funds for birthdays, holidays, etc so we save a little each month for most things we might need “misc” funding for. And remember, once you have an EF saved up, you can use it for cases like a random expenses and then build it back up. It’s not meant to sit there while you struggle to balance certain months; it’s for the unexpected.  

Answer 10

I have both a misc envelope and a cash cushion envelope. Misc I use for stuff that dont fit anywhere and are too small to have their own envelope, and the cash cushion is to top up any of my envelopes by a few dollars if I go over. That way, i dont panic or be tempted to borrow from other envelopes.  

Answer 11

Good idea. I use mine for whatever does not fall into the categories or an unplanned purchase.  

Answer 12

I fund miscellaneous with $200 at the beginning of every month, and challenge myself to keep it there all month long. I rarely make it with anything left! Usually it’s a grocery trip where we overspent, or a prescription that was more money than I anticipated, or an extra fill up for the truck, or who knows what? It’s always there and usually gets spent, but if it doesn’t I carry it forward. I added a whopping $8 to income in March! I try to be happy if there’s anything at all left.  

Answer 13

We have a very irregular income and for a few months don't have any expected pay so I have to think of everything and make sure it's planned for! These are the envelopes I'm starting with  

Comments

@busterbustle1 OMG I love your envelops!  

Answer 14

I call my misc envelope my "excess" envelope so o feel a little guilty taking out of it  It gets used for the weird things, or for if I have an unexpected expense (I pulled $4 out the other day to cover the rest of what my pet envelope didn't cover for the kennel). Maybe also used it for girl scout cookies ‍♀️

Answer 15

That's EXACTLY what I use mine for. It's for all of the things I didn't plan for, but have to handle during the month.  

Answer 16

I don’t do miscellaneous envelopes per se but I keep $209-$300 in my checking account for things I may have forgotten about

Answer 17

I do and it covers anything I fall short on from my other envelopes or anything extra I may want to use it for. Thankspically it’s fun money my daughter and I went to the movies recently and we used that money or if I go over on my grocery budget or if I want to go out to eat or happy hour with friends

Answer 18

I used this to help, it isn’t 100% perfect but helped

Answer 19

Thank you all so much. I've gotten our other envelopes down pretty good (meaning I know what we spend each month more or less and can put the right $$ in those) but I'll be damned with these misc things that come up that I'm always like "crap what envelope is that under?! " Lol

Answer 20

I have a school envelope, so uniforms, projects, books, field trips, extra lunch money etc. I would borrow from miscellaneous when I needed medicine that is not a regular purchase, went over on groceries because something was on sale (stocking up on meat) I don’t budget for eating out because we don’t really do that, so if I was out with friends I have misc. as an option if I need it, also those pesky things that just pop up

Answer 21

That stuff exactly! I budget $100 every 2 weeks for the random stuff that comes up but also for toilet paper, laundry soap etc. stuff that’s not exactly groceries or dining out.  

Answer 22

I use my misc for random things: If I get hit up for a fundraiser, needed a battery for my car key, the very rare occasion that I need something dry cleaned. today I used it to get a new license.