Grab your free printable cash envelope templates (or make your own) and start organizing your money today!

One of the best kinds of hobbies are the ones that you get giddy thinking about! The ones that you can’t wait to get home to try out your latest idea, you just know it’s going to be amazing!

It’s even better if this hobby helps you accomplish your big goals, like getting a better hold of your personal finances. (#nerdmuch) 🙂

That’s exactly what we’re digging into today, and I have some great cash envelope templates so you can get crafty and make your own. That’s the best part; you can make them exactly how you want them! Yes, your crafting skills may stink (don’t worry, you’ll get better). You can make them in your favorite color, design, add stickers, washi tape, whatever “it” is, you can do it! (hmmm… do people still bedazzle things?)

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How to make your own cash envelopes

You’ll need just a few things…

  • paper
  • scissors
  • tape or glue
  • ruler or instead of measuring yourself, you can just use a cash envelope printable template, and I have one right here for you, and it’s free! Just enter your name & email address, and you’ll get the Better Budget template pack that includes both a vertical cash envelope and a horizontal cash envelope. Just print, cut it out and then trace it on your favorite paper!

DIY cash envelope template

If you still want to measure out your own envelope, then no worries, I got you covered. Here are your cash envelope measurements…

Vertical cash envelope template

  • a long rectangle: 6 1/2″
  • a small flap at the bottom & top: 3/4″ and 1″
  • 2 side flaps: 1 3/4″ and 2″ 
vertical cash envelope template

Horizontal cash envelope template

  • a long rectangle: 6 1/2″
  • 2 side flaps: 1/4″ and 3 1/4″
  • small bottom & top flap: 1″
horizontal cash envelope template

Which cash envelope design is best?

Well, it depends on how you will use them and store them. If you’re going to carry them around in your wallet, then it needs to fit inside. Room for punch holes?  

Or if you’re going to keep them at home then it doesn’t matter. Personally, I like horizontal envelopes the best. Sometimes with vertical, it gets hard to slide bills into it easily (especially if it’s an old soft bill). But maybe I am just impatient and try and jam it in 🙂 Quite possible.

Making your cash envelopes yours

As I said above, you can design your cash envelopes any way you want. Here are some of my favorite supplies…

These are just a few options for you to think about, but there are thousands of designs and ways to accessorize your cash envelopes. You just need to sort through your options and see what fits your personal style.

I don’t know about you, but I love getting crafty; it’s fun. And at the beginning of every month, I get excited to sit down and make some new ones (if I am not reusing ones from previous months). This is one of the hands-on fun parts of budgeting with cash envelopes!

But as I mentioned, you can reuse your envelopes; you just need to be sure to use sturdy cardstock so they hold up. Or you can do some good old fashioned ghetto laminating (use packing tape to cover it). And you will need a cash envelope template insert to use to log your purchases. Print this on heavy card stock, so it slides in the envelope easily.

Cash envelope tracker & planner

Another useful item is a cash envelope planner, this is a form where you write out which denominations you need for your envelopes, and then you take this to the bank to get the correct bills for your envelopes. It just makes the process go much smoother & faster, and it’s formatted so that the math is double-checked, so you know it’s correct.

You may also want a budget form designed specifically for cash envelope budgeting. It just makes it so much easier when all your things line up and match. For example, you wouldn’t wear your running shoes with your little black dress, would you?

saving money free templates

What categories of cash envelopes should I make?

You can turn any budgeting category you want to into a cash envelope. Or you can shift their purpose and make sinking fund category cash envelopes.  

Some of the more common categories are…

  • groceries
  • restaurants
  • gas
  • fun money
  • clothing
  • kid stuff
  • hobby stuff
  • pet
  • gifting
  • date night
  • miscellaneous 

Sometimes you pay bills online, things like your water, electricity, cable, etc. You don’t need to make envelopes for those, but you do need to account for that money. Sometimes if your electric bill is higher one month, you may need to go back to one of your cash envelopes and pull back some money from it to deposit back into the bank.

Cash envelopes for teaching kids about money

If you have an older child, say tweens, you can give them a cash envelope for their school clothes, school supplies, and such. It’s a great way for them to get a feel for what budgeting is like.  

Just write out a master list of everything they need, and then the cash envelope and the money. Then they are responsible for making sure they “afford” everything on their list. BUT, you may need to be prepared if they don’t as wisely as they should, and for some reason, don’t have enough to buy their binders, etc. Either way, it will be a great learning lesson and experience for them.

dave rasmsey quote on kids and money

Cash envelopes for gifting

Once you get into your groove of making cash envelopes, you can use them for gift giving. Any place you’d normally give cash, you can make a fun cash envelope and write a note on it, just like you would with a greeting card. It makes giving cash more personable and unique. This would be good for graduation, weddings, baby showers, etc.

Cash envelopes help you stay organized

I would love to think that I have an amazing memory, but I don’t. That being said, I have mixed up my money now and then when I had it in just a single bank account. How much was for the car tune up? How much was for new running clothes? How much was for bills?

When you use cash envelopes all of that confusion gets taken away, everything is labeled! Nice huh!

Download your free cash envelope templates

If you want some basic cash envelopes for saving money then you can get a vertical cash envelope template and a horizontal cash envelope template right here. It comes with a bunch of other free printable worksheets to help you save money!

If you’re looking for something that is bright & fun then check out the printables cash envelopes in the Shop!

At the end of the day

Using cash envelope templates can be a great way to get started with this method of budgeting. Or even better to use for your short term sinking funds. No matter what you use them for, you should have fun with them!

One of the unexpected bonuses with making your own CE’s is the emotional tie to it. You’re like, “I made that!” You are more careful with it, and hopefully the money inside too!

free saving money printables

Which money envelope style are you going to use?

Kari is a total Money Nerd Mama, helping other Mamas to learn about all things money & personal finance, so they can execute money management strategies to make a secure future for their family!