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That cash jar for household snacks saved us fifty bucks | Budgeting Wins - Opinions Matter

That cash jar for household snacks saved us fifty bucks

We were blowing so much money on chips and cookies each week (like, it was honestly silly). My partner and I sat down and agreed to give a cash jar a shot. Every Monday, we put forty dollars in a jar on the counter. That money had to cover all snacks for the whole family. If it ran out, we were done until the next week. The kids got involved in picking what to buy with the cash (which taught them about choices). By the end of the month, we had fifty dollars left that went straight into our emergency fund. It's a small change, but it really helped us watch our spending better.

3 comments

3 Comments

hugohart7mo ago

Seriously, that's such a smart way to handle it. My big question is about the kids getting involved. How did they actually deal with hitting the limit? Like, did they get frustrated when the money was gone, or did having that clear rule from the start make it easier for them to accept? I feel like that's the hardest part with teaching kids about money.

hannahm197mo ago

My niece Lily still gets upset when her spending money runs out, even though we talk about the limit every time. Last week she cried in the candy aisle because she blew her five dollars on stickers first. The rule makes the "no" easier to say, but it doesn't stop the want. I guess the real lesson is learning that feeling of disappointment, which is kinda the whole point.

christopher_baker917mo ago

Love this idea so much! We did the exact same thing with a "fun money" envelope for our two boys. They'd get so mad when it was empty, just like @hannahm19 said about Lily, but that frustration is what finally made them start planning ahead. Now they'll save for two weeks to get a bigger toy instead of blowing it all right away.