The envelope method actually won me over after 3 failed budgets

I tried every app, every spreadsheet, every 'just track your spending' advice for like 2 years and nothing stuck. Last month I finally caved and tried the physical cash envelope thing, but only for groceries and eating out. The trick was pulling out $280 in cash every payday and splitting it into two envelopes, and when the envelope is empty, that's it. I used to swipe my card without thinking, but watching actual bills leave my hand made me stop at the store and think twice. It felt silly at first, but I ended the month with $35 left over instead of a $450 credit card surprise. Has anyone else found that seeing cash instead of numbers on a screen changes how you spend? I'm curious if the effect wears off after a few months.

2 comments

2 Comments

stellachen20d ago

Ha! I'm the kind of person who loses cash in my own laundry, so this would be a disaster for me.

hugomurray19d ago

Losing cash in the laundry is real though, that's why I only do it for the two categories I overspend on every single time. It's funny how we treat money differently when it's physical, like the $20 in your pocket feels more real than the $200 on a screen somehow. I've noticed people do this with everything, not just money, we value things we can touch and see way more than things that just exist as numbers or lists.