My dad's old envelope system finally clicked for me last week

I used to think my parents were crazy with how they budgeted. They literally had envelopes for everything, groceries, gas, fun money, the whole deal. Last week I finally tried it after years of using apps and spreadsheets that never stuck. I took out $300 in cash for groceries for our family of four and put it in a plain white envelope. When I ran out on day 18 I had to actually stop and think before swiping a card for the first time in forever. It made me realize that all those apps do is make it easy to ignore what you're really spending. My wife even noticed I wasn't asking to transfer money from savings all the time. Has anyone else gone back to a cash only system after years of digital stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

park.tara15d ago

Wow, cash really forces you to feel the money leaving your hand!

jamierodriguez15d ago

Yeah, right? It's like handing over a little piece of your soul every time you buy a coffee. Guess my bank account doesn't get that same emotional punch from a bit of plastic.