Question

So being an all cash spender and budgeting the budget mom way, how do you handle online shopping? Like that random Amazon purchase?  

Answer 1

I add to my cart between pay checks, then on payday I check to see what I want to buy and what I no longer want to buy and press buy and add the total to my envelope section under amazon and subtract it from my budget. I only buy on amazon once a paycheck (if at all) and plan my purchases in advance

Comments

@electric that’s such a great idea!  

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@electric can you tell me more about this. This sounds like a great idea but still need some clarification. What do you mean you add the total to your envelope section under Amazon and subtract it from your budget?  

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@ween286 so I add it as a line in the envelope section and just label it amazon. Then I add it for the total for the envelops and subtract that total from what’s left over after bills.  

Answer 2

Checking cushion or pull from misc/fun envelopes and deposit back into your checking to cover it.  

Comments

@sunburn that’s what I do! (I hardly order on line though)

Answer 3

I think she says that's what her cushion in checking is for

Answer 4

I’ve done what @electric and @sunburn both say. I’ve also taken my cash to buy amazon gift cards at CVS( they have the choose your amount option) and do it that way.  

Answer 5

Just don’t do It!  haha Kidding. Miko Just puts money into an online purchases envelope and deposits it back (in the meantime she is using her checking cushion) I use my Amazon acct, but same, i just pay it off immediately with my misc spending cash that i deposit then pay the card.  

Answer 6

You don’t buy it. Haha

Answer 7

Delete the app  

Answer 8

I plan ahead and buy it online, then I just subtract the total from my budget. I’ll withdrawal cash, minus the online shopping expense.  

Answer 9

Checking buffer

Answer 10

I have an “online” envelope. When I make a purchase, I move cash from the appropriate envelope over to the online envelope. On payday when I stuff my envelopes, that money goes back into the bank and I use it to pay off the card.  

Answer 11

Well ideally if you are budgeted to the last $1 there are no random purchases. but as others have said, you have have a cushion you use or an envelope for online that you move cash back to your account from

Answer 12

I don’t use a cash envelope system, so I either 1. Plan to purchase these items when I get paid Or 2. Set aside Amazon money and use it when I need to.  

Answer 13

I'm just starting out, so I'm trying to be pretty strict with cash only purchases. If I do make an online purchase I deposit the amount of the purchase from the appropriate envelope to help keep us accountable. I think transferring from a secondary account, or dipping into my cushion, would allow me to easily "justify" purchases I don't really need. If I keep it within the limits of my envelopes I'm more likely to make better decisions, personally.  

Answer 14

I think the point is to cut out the random amazon purchase ha!  

Comments

You could do a sinking fund? For amazon

Answer 15

Miko says she subtracts it from her checking account cushion and then replenishes it next pay. Sometimes you have to use Prime!  

Answer 16

Intentionality. Know what you’re buying. Cut out so much of the random and plan for it that way you know to leave that amount in your account. When I haven’t planned for something but I still have the money in my budget I just use my debt card and replenish the money by taking my cash to the bank soon after using the money. I like tracking this way. We haven’t started a cushion yet. In our case it ends up going to random stuff not just emergency just in case things.  

Answer 17

I like buying stuff online, and I get cash for envelopes each week, so if I buy something online, I subtract it from the correct envelope total amount for the next week. So like beauty & clothes is one of my envelopes & I’ll drop the amount to get in cash the next week if I buy my foundation online this week.  

Answer 18

Deposit the cash from my envelopes

Answer 19

Either move cash from a corresponding envelope or set up a virtual envelope an account to use only for those online purchases

Answer 20

Take the cash and buy an Amazon card at the grocery store

Answer 21

Question. I know Miko covered this recently and I can't remember her response. If you purchase using a debit card, then take cash out of the proper envelope, let's say "clothing, " do you record that clothing transaction on your cash tracker for the month and then "not count" the income depositef on the checking tracker?  

Answer 22

I have an amazon credit card, so I take the money out of the one envelope and put it in the other. I then deposit the money right before I pay the card off.