The Weber family came to us with eleven unlabelled envelopes in a desk drawer and a safe holding US dollars, euros, and won. Each envelope contained cash, but only Mrs. Weber knew which envelope funded the German property payment and which held the Seoul school deposit.
We rebuilt their system in a single afternoon using a colour-and-number scheme that has since survived one international relocation.
The Colour Scheme
We assign colours by obligation type, not by currency:
- Gold — School and education fees
- Blue — Housing and utilities
- Green — Remittance and family obligations abroad
- Red — Emergency fund (never touched except documented emergencies)
- Grey — Conversion staging (cash waiting for a favourable exchange window)
Currency is noted on the label itself: “Gold-3 | EUR | School deposit Q1 | €4,200 | Custodian: M.Weber”
The Numbering System
Each envelope receives a sequential number within its colour group. The playbook’s Reserve Inventory section lists every number with its full details. If an envelope is removed or added, the inventory updates and the number is never reused.
Why Not Label by Currency Alone
Labelling envelopes “USD” and “WON” tells you the denomination but not the purpose. During a rushed departure, a family member grabbing “the USD envelope” might take the remittance fund instead of the emergency fund. Purpose-first labelling prevents this confusion.
Monthly Maintenance
On the first Sunday of each month, the assigned custodian opens every envelope, recounts denominations, and initials the inventory log. The process takes fifteen to twenty minutes for a four-currency household. Skipping it for three months is how ₩2.3 million ends up logged under the wrong purpose — as the Park family discovered during their audit.
If your household holds more than two currencies and lacks a written labelling standard, a Reserve Continuity Playbook session will establish one matched to your actual obligations.