Your work is real.
Your money should
work for you too.

Imagine finishing a job on a Friday afternoon. The client pays you in cash — a good amount, the kind that feels like breathing room. By Tuesday, you're not sure where it went. Not because you spent it badly, but because it all went into the same place: your pocket, your wallet, the kitchen drawer.

The envelope method is one of the oldest and most effective tools for people who manage cash. The idea is simple: you physically separate money into labeled envelopes or containers the moment it arrives. One for materials. One for the household. One for transport. One for savings. Each has a purpose before you spend it.

You don't need a bank account or an app. You need envelopes — or even labeled bags, boxes, or jars. The physical act of separating money creates a mental separation too. When the "materials" envelope is empty, you know you can't buy more supplies until the next payment arrives.

In our workshops, we help each participant decide which categories make sense for their specific trade and income pattern. A painter's envelopes look different from a seamstress's. That's the point — the system adapts to you, not the other way around.

Ask any builder in Argentina and they'll tell you: there are months when the phone simply doesn't ring. Construction slows. Clients postpone. Projects get delayed. It's not a failure — it's the rhythm of informal work. But if you haven't planned for it, it becomes a crisis.

The key insight we share in our workshops is this: the slow month doesn't surprise you when you acknowledge it exists. Most tradespeople know, from experience, which months tend to be quiet. The challenge is putting that knowledge to work during the busy periods.

We introduce a simple calculation: estimate your average monthly household expenses. Then, during every busy week, set aside a small fixed amount — not what you feel like saving, but a number you've decided in advance. Over several good months, this builds a buffer that covers you when work disappears.

This reserve isn't a luxury. For informal workers without unemployment insurance or severance pay, it's the only safety net that exists. Building it, even slowly, is one of the most important financial habits you can develop.

There's no universally correct way to track your money. The correct way is the one you actually do every day — or at least every few days. A sophisticated spreadsheet that gets opened once is worth less than a crumpled notebook that gets updated after every job.

In our workshops, we present three main options. First, the paper notebook: a small, dedicated notebook where you write down every payment received and every significant expense. Simple, always available, no battery required. Many participants find this the most natural approach.

Second, a phone note or basic app: a running note in your phone's built-in notes app, or a free budgeting app with a simple interface. Good for people who always have their phone nearby and find typing faster than writing.

Third, a hybrid approach: physical envelopes or jars for separating cash, combined with a weekly note on the phone to total up what came in and what went out. This combines the tactile reality of cash with a digital record.

The session on this topic doesn't tell you which to choose — it helps you figure out which matches your habits. Because the goal isn't a perfect system. It's a system you'll actually keep using six months from now.