Tried a cash envelope system for groceries vs just guessing each week, what a difference

I used to just pull out a random $60 for food and then scramble when I ran out by Wednesday. Now I put $50 into an envelope each Monday and actually plan my meals around it, I've saved nearly $30 a week since July. Has anyone else found that a simple envelope makes you stop impulse buying chips?

3 comments

3 Comments

lunaw723d ago

Did you ever try the thing where you freeze your credit card in a block of ice? I did that for a month and ended up melting it with a hair dryer for a bag of frozen pizza rolls at 11pm. But honestly the envelope thing works better for me now because I can actually see the cash leaving my hand. My grandma used to do this with coupons and a little accordion folder, she had one for meat, one for veggies, and one for "treats." She'd shuffle them around every Sunday like it was a game show.

violafox3d ago

Yeah the "scramble when I ran out by Wednesday" part hit way too close to home. Just having that physical limit in my wallet made me stop grabbing a bag of chips or a drink when I'm checking out.

thea1433d ago

Wait, isn't that kind of the opposite though? Running out of cash by Wednesday means you actually spent more, not less, on those impulse buys.