I finally tried that envelope budget method I kept seeing on YouTube

I thought it was just some influencer gimmick, but after spending $450 on takeout in January alone, I decided to give it a shot with cash envelopes for food and gas. Three months later, I actually have $200 left in my food envelope for the month instead of being in the red. Has anyone else had this work better than apps for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire_walker1mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, yeah, seeing actual cash disappear is way more real than tapping a card.

mark3611mo ago

What worked for me was setting a weekly cash budget for stuff like coffee and snacks. Once it's gone, it's gone, no swiping. Did that help you feel more in control too?

abbyg1417d agoTop Commenter

Honestly, the "once it's gone, it's gone" part is where I always mess up. I tried the cash thing for snacks but then I'd just borrow from next week's budget and tell myself I'd pay it back. Anyway, @claire_walker, you're right that seeing cash disappear is real, but for me it turned into this whole game of shifting money around in my head. Last month I actually hid my coffee cash in a different pocket so I wouldn't "see" it running out, which totally defeated the point.