What is on the starter kit page
The kit is one page with three parts.
- Sinking funds table. Eight blank rows under the heading “Sinking funds — save a little every month”. Each row has a line for the category, a dollar line for the target per month, a dollar line for the amount saved and a tick box in the funded column.
- Four-step strip. Pick 3–5 categories, set a monthly target, stuff cash on payday, spend only what’s inside.
- Two cut-out envelope fronts. Each one has a category line, a “budget per pay” dollar line and a log with four columns (date, in, out, left) and four ruled lines. Dashed lines around each front show where to cut.
The Print button prints the page exactly as shown.
How to use the sinking funds table
One row is one fund. Nothing is pre-filled, so the eight rows can hold any mix of categories: car repairs, gifts, insurance, back-to-school costs.
- Write the category on the long line.
- Write the monthly target in the “Target / mo” column.
- Write the amount set aside so far in the “Saved” column. Each row has one line, so pencil keeps it easy to update.
- Tick the “Funded” box once the fund is covered. The sheet does not say whether that means the month’s target or the full cost, so either reading works as long as every row uses the same one.
The arithmetic for the target is the expected cost divided by the months left. For example, a $600 cost due in 12 months works out to $50 per month. With 6 months left, the same $600 needs $100 per month.
A fund that grows into the hundreds or thousands of dollars does not have to sit in a paper envelope: the table can stay as the record while the money sits in a high-interest savings account.
How to use the two cut-out envelope fronts
The fronts are flat panels, not folding envelopes. The heading above them reads “print, cut, stuff”.
- Print the kit page. One page gives two fronts, so three to five categories take two or three copies.
- Cut each front out along the dashed lines.
- Tape or glue the front onto an envelope that is at least as large as the panel, such as a plain letter envelope. The fold-up envelope below has its own printed front and does not need one.
- Write the category and the budget per pay period, then stuff the envelope on payday.
The log has four ruled lines. One way to use it is one line per entry: the date, the cash that went in, the cash that came out and what is left.
Fold-up cash envelope template
The second sheet is a full-size envelope to cut, fold and glue. Its pocket is sized for Canadian bills, and one sheet makes one envelope.
Fold-up cash envelope template for cash stuffing: a front panel with category, budget and an eight-row spending log, two glue tabs, a back panel with a refill log, and a top flap, with solid cut lines and dashed fold lines.
The front panel has lines for the category, the budget, the refill day and the month or pay period, plus an eight-row spending log with date, spent and left columns. The back panel carries a refill log and a notes line.
- Print at 100% scale. Use letter paper and choose 100% or “actual size” in the print dialog. The pocket is drawn slightly larger than a bank note, so normal printer margins do not cause a problem.
- Cut on the solid line. Cut around the outside of the shape only.
- Fold on the dashed lines. All four folds go away from the printed side: two side tabs, the bottom fold and the top flap.
- Glue the side tabs. Put glue or tape on the printed side of each tab, fold the back panel up onto them and press. The flap tucks into the pocket, so the envelope opens and closes without tearing.
The middle panel is printed upside down on purpose. Once folded, it becomes the back of the envelope and its refill log reads the right way up.
Cash stuffing setup for beginners
- List the categories that change from week to week: groceries, takeout, fun money.
- Give each one a dollar amount per pay period using the monthly budget tracker.
- Prepare one envelope per category: a cut-out front on a plain envelope, or a fold-up envelope. Write the category and budget on it.
- On payday, withdraw the total and fill every envelope.
- Pay for each category only from its own envelope, and log every purchase.
- At the next payday, leftover cash either rolls over or moves into a sinking fund.
Cash envelope or sinking fund: which category goes where
Envelopes suit spending that happens every week and is easy to overdo. Sinking funds suit costs that are predictable but irregular. Fixed bills need neither.
| Category | Fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries | Cash envelope | Weekly, variable, paid in person |
| Restaurants and takeout | Cash envelope | Frequent small purchases add up fast |
| Fun money and hobbies | Cash envelope | A hard cap is the whole point |
| Haircuts and personal care | Cash envelope | Regular and paid in person |
| Car repairs | Sinking fund | Large, irregular, hard to time |
| Gifts and holidays | Sinking fund | Known date, one big month |
| Insurance and annual fees | Sinking fund | Billed once a year |
| Rent, utilities, phone | Neither | Fixed amount paid from the bank account |
Cash has limits. Online purchases and automatic payments cannot come out of a paper envelope, so those categories are easier to follow on the budget tracker.
The budget calculator for Canada shows a monthly budget per week and per two weeks, which gives each envelope its amount per pay. The envelope method on a phone is one of the budgeting apps available in Canada.
Other free printables that pair with the kit
A no spend month calendar works well alongside envelopes, since no-spend days leave more cash at the end of the pay period. Leftover cash can also feed the 100 envelope challenge, or go toward the smallest balance on the debt snowball tracker.