With all of different items that average individual or family spends money on, it can be difficult to keep it separated. You have to have money for groceries, car gas, school lunches, Groceries, Dining Out and Entertainment just to name a few.

You could buy a box of envelopes each payday and sort money on payday and stuff money in an envelope until you need it. Of course, then you would have to have a safe place to keep it.

If you like envelope method, then by all means use it. However, entire purpose of The Complete Budget and Bill Organizer is to simplify things. Sitting down at kitchen table each payday and sorting cash is far from simple.

It would be much better to try storing it in your wallet or purse. You would have money when and where you need it. There is an element of risk that money could be lost or stolen. If you don't feel comfortable with having that much cash in your wallet and don't have problems handling your checking account, you could deposit money for groceries in your account and write a check for your normal grocery shopping. I wouldn't write a check for just a milk and bread run.

For a family, a budget keeper should be assigned to sort money. They would be responsible to distribute money to other members of family. To do this you will have to clearly define who in family is responsible for what expenses. Let me give you an example:

A family with a working dad and a stay-at-home mom with three teenage kids may distribute their money like this:

How many times have you used credit cards to buy a TV, school clothes and supplies, fixed car, or any number of things and not realized that you just exceeded your monthly income. You may have even realized it but thought there is always next month.

Credit cards are biggest culprit but they aren't only way to spend more than you make. Things like payday loans or car title loans also come to mind. Paying $15 to use $100 for a week doesn't seem too bad. However, when you consider that you are paying almost 400% in interest over a years time these loans make interest on credit cards look like a great deal.

Normally, installment loans have a lower interest than either credit cards or payday loans but they can still cause problems if you aren't positive that you can make payments each month.