I thought the 'cash envelope' thing was just for people who can't use a card

For a month, I put my $200 grocery budget in an actual envelope and only spent that. I was shocked to find I had $32 left over at the end, which never happened with my card. It made me physically feel the money leaving, so I bought less junk. Has anyone else had a simple trick work way better than you expected?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.nora1mo ago

Right? I swore it was some old-school grandma method until I tried it myself. My takeout budget lasted a whole extra week because handing over real cash felt like a tiny heartbreak every time. @the_alice is onto something with the "wake up call" thing, it's like your brain finally connects the dots when you see the actual money vanish. My debit card just makes me feel like I'm playing a game with fake points, no wonder I was always over.

viola_ward1mo ago

Wait you said your takeout budget lasted a whole extra week? That's actually crazy. I mean I tried using cash for coffee and it helped a little but a whole week is a huge difference. Maybe I need to do it for more stuff than just coffee. It's wild how plastic money feels so fake, like you said about the game points. I might have to try this for real.

the_alice1mo ago

Totally thought the same thing, that it was for older folks or something. Swore by my debit card for years. Tried the envelope thing for my "fun money" and it was a wake up call. Watching that cash disappear made me skip so many impulse buys. It's a different feeling when it's not just a number on a screen. Kind of embarrassing how well it worked.