Digital envelope system: a modern take
My wife and I use a digital form of the envelope system. We call it a budget; we record how much we want to allocate each month to spend--for each category of expense--in a spread sheet. Why use prepaid cards? Why not open a bunch of bank accounts and use debit cards from each if you want to separate the money? You could also keep a ledger for each account that you spend from on a smart phone or even in a physical ledger.  The reason for the envelope method is that it psychologically hurts some people to physically part with cash. Once you digitize it in some factor, you lose what is the primary touted benefit, and it's no longer the envelope system. The secondary benefit that--once the budget for one category is gone, it's gone--is only as good as the discipline you have to not rob cash from another envelope; why is this any easier than the discipline of not debiting beyond the bottom of the ledger? So a budget IS a digital version of the envelope system; once the physical cash is removed from the equation, it's definitely not the envelope system. Sorry for the contrarian take on this question, but I've never been a fan of the envelope system for many of the reasons you have described. I guess I'm too young for the cash psychology to work for me. "I definitely get where you're coming from.  The envelope system sounds good, but doesn't appeal to most people under 50 for many of these reasons (physical cash in my hand is just a hassle - it has no appeal or reduced spending affect on me). There are various options for prepaid debit cards such as https://www.netspend.com/ or you could use gift cards for things like gas and groceries (though that likely won't get you duplicate cards or automatic payments).  As far as automatic payments, just set that up through your bank. So it's still not a perfect solution.  I wish there was a better, more straightforward way, but this is the best as far as I know. Update: Ramsey solutions has since launched EveryDollar.  This is Dave's preferred solution for an online ""digital envelope system""." "While Googling answers for a similar personal dilemma I found Mvelopes. I already have a budget but was looking for a digital way for my husband and I to track our purchases so we know when we've ""used the envelope"". It's a free app." "The whole point of the ""envelope system"" as I understand it is that it makes it easy to see that you are staying within your budget: If the envelope still has cash in it, then you still have money to spend on that budget category. If you did this with a bunch of debit cards, you would have to have a way to quickly and easily see the balance on that card for it to work. There is no physical envelope to look in. If your bank lets you check your balance with a cell-phone app I guess that would work. But at that point, why do you need separate debit cards? Just create a spreadsheet and update the numbers as you spend. The balance the bank shows is always going to be a little bit behind, because it takes time for transactions to make it through the system. I've seen on my credit cards that sometimes transactions show up the same day, but other times they can take several days or even a week or more. So keeping a spreadsheet would be more accurate, or at least, more timely. But all that said, I can check my bank balance and my credit card balances on web sites. I've never had a desire to check from a cell phone but at least some banks have such apps -- my daughter tells me she regularly checks her credit card balance from her cell phone. So I don't see why you couldn't do it with off-the-shelf technology. Side not, not really related to your question: I don't really see the point of the envelope system. Personally, I keep my checkbook electronically, using a little accounting app that I wrote myself so it's customized to my needs. I enter fixed bills, like insurance premiums and the mortgage payment, about a month in advance, so I can see that that money is already spoken for and just when it is going out. Besides that, what's the advantage of saying that you allot, say, $50 per month for clothes and $100 for gas for the car and $60 for snacks, and if you use up all your gas money this month than you can't drive anywhere even though you have money left in the clothes and snack envelopes? I mean, it makes good sense to say, ""The mortgage payment is due next week so I can't spend that money on entertainment, I have to keep it to pay the mortgage."" But I don't see the point in saying, ""I can't buy new shoes because the shoe envelope is empty. I've accumulated $5000 in the shampoo account since I went bald and don't use shampoo any more, but that money is off limits for shoes because it's allocated to shampoo.""" "If psychologically there is no difference to you between cash and debit (you should test this over a couple of months on yourself and spouse to make sure), then I suggest two debit cards (one for you and spouse) on your main or separate checking account. If you use Mint you can set budgets for each category (envelope) and when a purchase is made Mint will automatically categorize that transaction and deduct that amount from the correct budget.  For example: If you have a ""Fast Food"" budget set at $100 per month and you use the debit at McDonalds, Mint should automatically categorize it as ""Fast Food"" and deduct the amount from the ""Fast Food"" budget that you set.  If it can't determine a category or gets it wrong, you can just select the proper category. Mint has an iPhone (also Android and Windows phone) app that I find very easy to use. Many people state that they don't have this psychologically difference between spending cash and debit/credit, but I would say that most actually do, especially with small purchases.  It doesn't have anything to do with intellect or knowing that you are actually spending money.  It has more to do with tangibility, and the physical act of handing over cash.  You may not add that soda and candy bar to your purchase if you have visible cash in your wallet that will disappear more quickly.  I lived in Germany for 2 years before debit cards were around or common.  I'm a sharp guy and even though I knew that I paid $100 for the 152 DM, it still kind of felt like spending Monopoly money, especially considering that in the US we are used to coins normally being 25 cents or less and in Germany coins are up to 10 DM (almost $10) and are used more frequently than paper." "I opened several free checking accounts at a local credit union.  One is a ""Deposit"" account where all of my new money goes.  I get paid every two weeks.  Every other Sunday we have our ""Money Day"" where we allocate the money from our Deposit account into our other checking accounts.  I have one designated as a Bills account where all of my bills get paid automatically via bill pay or auto-pay. I created a spreadsheet that calculates how much to save each Money Day for all of my upcoming bills.  This makes it so the amount I save for my bills is essentially equal.  Then I allocate the rest of my deposit money into my other checking accounts.  I have a Grocery, Household, and Main checking accounts but you could use any combination that you want. When we're at the store we check our balances (how much we have left to spend) on our mobile app.  We can't overspend this way.  The key is to make sure you're using your PIN when you use your debit card.  This way it shows up in real-time with your credit union and you've got an accurate balance.  This has worked really well to coordinate spending between me and my wife.  It sounds like it's a lot of work but it's actually really automated.  The best part is that I don't have to do any accounting which means my budget doesn't fail if I'm not entering my transactions or categorizing them. I'm happy to share my spreadsheet if you'd like." Envudu (envudu.com) looks very promising, and I think what they are planning to put out will do essentially everything you want. It's a single prepaid card, but with a connected app. On the app you choose which budget category you're going to spend on next, and then swipe your card. Your purchase gets deducted from that category. There aren't a ton of details yet on their website (e.g., what happens if you try to swipe on a category that doesn't have the funds available?) and there is going to be a $20/year fee, but I think it meets all of your criteria, even though it's a single card--you'll just need to use a smartphone with it.
Training ​and Learning are сruсiаl fоr ​the growth and ѕuссеѕѕ of аll ​organizations - big оr ѕmаll ​and асrоѕѕ different industries. A ​Learning Management System ​streamlines learning and is put in рlасе tо mаnаgе the еntirе trаining рrосеѕѕ in an ​organization. Modern Learning Management Systems ​and e-learning ​software do that and mоrе. Visit us online here: https://nowsoft.org/ "Taking ""literature"" in a slightly more literal sense, if you like fiction and have a lot of time, Neal Stephenson's trilogy *The Baroque Cycle*, set around 1700, has as one of its main storylines the development of a modern currency and economical system in Europe. In particular, in the second book, *The Confusion*, one of the main characters does a role-playing exercise in finance (page 357) that covers similar ground to otherwiseyep's posts." The 7 digit corporation number can be found through a business entity search on the CA SOS website (specifically, http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/) If you have a 7-digit corporation number, then you do not have a 12-digit file number.  (A call to the Secretary of State's office revealed that they provide either a 7 digit corporation number or a 12 digit file number - not both.) A system for monitoring, processing and storing operating parameters of a boiler room. A sonar gauge for measuring the level of liquid fuel in a storage tank, thermocouples to measure temperatures at varous points in the boiler room, and means to monitor the operating status of boiler room equipment are provided. Means to convert to digital data, store and analyze the digital data, and transmit the digital data to a remote location are provided.  Inventor: Jeffrey Solomon Primary Examiner: S. A. Melnick Current U.S. Classification: 702/54; 122/448.1; 237/8.00A International Classification: G06F 1574  View patent at USPTO Search USPTO Assignment Database Citations Cited Patent Filing date Issue date Original Assignee Title US3873817 May 4, 1972 Mar 2, 1975  LPT(I)SIH US4275382 Jul 18, 1979 Jun 23, 1981  Apparatus for monitoring and controlling vessels containing liquid US4373662 Oct 17, 1980 Feb 15, 1983 Honeywell Inc. Integrated control system using a microprocessor US4403296 Dec 18, 1980 Sep 6, 1983 Electromedics, Inc. Measuring and determination device for calculating an output determination based on a mathematical relationship between multiple different input responsive transducers US4433646 Sep 16, 1982 Feb 28, 1984 The Babcock &amp; Wilcox Company Boiler water trip system US4486625 Sep 29, 1982 Dec 4, 1984 Clear Meadow Research Co. 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Method and arrangement for signal transmission in ultrasonic echo sounding systems US4716536 Apr 16, 1985 Dec 29, 1987 The Foxboro Company Measurement calibration US4782698 Dec 29, 1986 Nov 8, 1988 General Motors Corporation Method and apparatus for measuring oil level US4788648 May 27, 1986 Nov 29, 1988 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Method and system for measurement of a liquid level in a tank US4864972 Jun 8, 1987 Sep 12, 1989  Boiler optimization for multiple boiler heating plants US4922861 Jan 25, 1989 May 8, 1990 Toto Ltd. Multiple-purpose instantaneous gas water heater US4966127 Jan 19, 1988 Oct 30, 1990  Method and apparatus for saving energy in direct fired boilers Referenced by Citing Patent Filing date Issue date Original Assignee Title US5279263 Feb 5, 1993 Jan 18, 1994 Elsag International B.V. Cascaded steam temperature control applied to a universal pressure boiler US5419285 Apr 25, 1994 May 30, 1995 Henry Vogt Machine Co. Boiler economizer and control system US5793705 Sep 18, 1996 Aug 11, 1998 International Business Machines Corporation Ultrasonic liquid level gauge for tanks subject to movement and vibration US6059195 Jan 23, 1998 May 9, 2000 Tridelta Industries, Inc. Integrated appliance control system US6129284 Sep 17, 1999 Oct 10, 2000 Tridelta Industries, Inc. Integrated appliance control system US6536678 Dec 15, 2000 Mar 25, 2003 Honeywell International Inc. Boiler control system and method US6647302 Dec 15, 2000 Nov 11, 2003 Honeywell International Inc. Human interface panel for boiler control system US6745085 Dec 15, 2000 Jun 1, 2004 Honeywell International Inc. Fault-tolerant multi-node stage sequencer and method for energy systems US6813631 Dec 15, 2000 Nov 2, 2004 Honeywell International Inc. Automatic self configuration of client-supervisory nodes US7016742 Nov 27, 2002 Mar 21, 2006 BaHelle Memorial Institute Decision support for operations and maintenance (DSOM) system US7196891 Jul 27, 2004 Mar 27, 2007 Macronix International Co., Ltd. Control circuit for frequency converter US7891572 Apr 5, 2007 Feb 22, 2011 C. Cowles &amp; Company Temperature and low water monitoring for boiler systems US8008603 Aug 31, 2007 Aug 30, 2011  Boiler protection apparatus and method US8009060 Sep 26, 2001 Aug 30, 2011 Lockheed Martin Corporation Remote monitoring of munition assets US8068727 Jan 29, 2008 Nov 29, 2011 AOS Holding Company Storage-type water heater having tank condition monitoring features US8162232 Mar 21, 2008 Apr 24, 2012 AOS Holding Company Water storage device having a powered anode Claims 1. A system for automatically monitoring, processing, and storing operating parameters of a boiler room comprising:  (a) means for detecting a level of liquid fuel in a storage tank and generating a fist set of electrical signals indicating the level; (b) means for measuring temperatures at various locations in the boiler room and generating a second set of electrical signals indicative of the temperatures; (c) means for monitoring the operating status of a plurality of conventional boiler room equipment and generating a third set of electrical signals indicative of the monitored operating status; (d) computer means located in the boiler room for selecting from the first, second and third set of electrical signals generated and internally processing and storing the selected electrical signals in accordance with a set of internally programmed instructions; and (e) means for transmitting the processed signals stored in the computer means from the computer means located in the boiler room to a computer located in a remote location. 2. A system as in claim 1 wherein the means for detecting the level of liquid in the storage tank comprises a sonar device mounted in the storage tank comprising:  (a) means for transmitting an ultrasonic signal in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the liquid fuel in the storage tank; (b) means for detecting an echo of the transmitted ultrasonic signal from the surface level of the liquid fuel in the storage tank; (c) means for electrically measuring a time differential between transmission of the ultrasonic signal and the detection of the echo of the ultrasonic signal; and (d) means for generating the first electrical signal indicative of the level of the liquid fuel in the storage tank in accordance with the measured time differential. 3. A system as in claim 2 wherein the first electrical signal consists of electrical current the value of which is indicative of the level of the liquid fuel in the storage tank.  4. A system as in claim 3 wherein the computer means comprises an interface means comprising:  (a) a resistor means for converting the electrical current into an analog voltage, the value of which is indicative of the level of the liquid fuel in the storage tank; and (b) analog to digital conversion means for converting the analog voltage into a digital signal which can be processed by the computer means. 5. A system as in claim 1 wherein the means for measuring the temperatures at various locations in the boiler room comprises thermocouple devices located at the point at which the temperature is measured, which generate the second set of electrical signals indicative of the measured temperatures.  6. A system as in claim 5 wherein the thermocouple devices are comprised of:  (a) a first thermocouple at the liquid fuel drawn from the storage tank; (b) a second thermocouple at the water resident in a boiler room; (c) a third thermocouple at the water drawn from the boiler for use as domestic hot water; and (d) a fourth thermocouple at the gases expelled from the boiler through a stack. 7. A system as in claim 6 wherein the second set of electrical signals is comprised of analog voltage signals.  8. A system as in claim 7 wherein the computer means comprises an interface means comprising analog to digital conversion means for converting the analog voltage signals into a set of digital signals which can be processed by the computer means. Eh that's what I thought.  Makes sense given how much mail they probably receive and how busy they are.  Just looking for new ways to network with people at that level, considering I knew emails were filtered.  Someone high up at an investment bank I know said he gets a lot of emails that get unread/deleted, but he opens all his own mail so it's a good way to get someone's attention.  Wasn't sure if it was applicable at this level, guess not.  That's quite a bit of walls to get through to reach someone haha.  What would you recommend to reach these types for business networking? I'm a programmer, and worked for a company doing natural language analysis and parsing.  Yes, it is possible to figure out what reviews are more valuable than others by passsing it through an algorithm.  How the heck do you think spam filters work? "&gt;  Just as long as we don't have to revert back to the original old skool social media of email.  Hey man that's the wrong approach, you don't know what you're missing out on. E-Mail needs a modernization but it remains one of the greatest tools of the modern era.  People have been talking about an ""E-mail 2.0"" for some time. It's coming." * In the 70's, 80's and early 90's there were pinstriped brokers who took orders over the phone from people who wanted to buy and sell. They had a huge competitive advantage over the rest of the market due to the lack of transparency in the market's order book. Therefore you got screwed every time you wanted to trade, ie the markets were less efficient because transaction cost was high. Transaction cost is = bid-ask spread + how much you get screwed by the market insiders.  * In the 90's and early 00's there were automated trading systems that allowed people to conduct trades directly with computers, aka Algorithmic Trading. The markets were more efficient, because spreads became tighter as more people were able to enter the market on this platform (e.g. [Lightspeed](http://lightspeed.com)). The ability for market insiders to screw the general market was lessened because the exclusive access to the market's order book was eroded. Of course some Algorithmic Trading operations had a huge competitive advantage because they had great systems and great people. However it wasn't talked about because those who new about it were making a killing and keeping their mouths shut.   * Then in the mid to late 00's there was co-located algorithmic trading on very fast systems, aka HFT, a natural evolution of Algorithmic Trading. Now market insiders (= people with enough resources to field co-located machines and the the engineer/traders to manage them) expanded their  competitive advantage by discovering the market's order book (as they are able to see orders in a fraction of a second and then act on those orders). However to retract this natural efficiency in the markets you would need to create some kind of set of rules to even out the playing field. How can that be done?   ** Option 1) Transaction tax would just make the markets less efficient by increasing the cost of buying and selling. A generally bad thing because it discourages traders (to put money into stocks), which is of course how the capital markets are supported.   ** Option 2) Create rules to ensure everyone sees the same information at the same time and then permit anyone to use whatever technology they want to act on that information, so that the most efficient trading operations win.    ** Option 3) Create some artificial environment where no-one is allowed to have an advantage:  ensure everyone sees the same information at the same time, ensure everyone has the same technology, and ensure that the people who manage the systems have the exact same experience and intelligence etc...      Of course #2 is how it works, and it is the meritocratic basis which underpins Capitalism. I don't see why people have a problem with it.