Observed arrival · 2026-09-09
Twelve Envelopes: A Household Budget in Public
A two-person Spokane household publishes its monthly budget, tracking twelve envelopes against what they actually spend.
Field notes
The household fixes its twelve envelope amounts for a year, then compares each month’s plan with actual spending in a dated issue. The August record assigns $214 in emergency-vet costs to an $85 dog envelope and covers the $110 difference from a buffer rather than reducing savings. Supporting sections explain the grocery, utilities, car, and sinking-fund categories, while a dated error log preserves cases where the envelope amounts were set incorrectly.
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