I used to just swipe my debit card for everything, now I only use cash for groceries and gas

Idk when exactly it happened but I'd say about a year ago I got sick of seeing my checking account drop $50 here and $100 there with no real track of it. I work in a restaurant so my pay is kinda all over the place, tips one day could be $80 or $200. I used to just swipe my card for coffee, lunch, whatever, and then wonder where my money went by the end of the week. So I switched to taking out $200 cash every Sunday for groceries and gas only. Everything else like bills or eating out I use a separate account with a set amount. It's not perfect but I finally feel like I'm controlling my spending instead of the other way around. Has anyone else tried the cash envelope thing or am I just old school about this?

2 comments

2 Comments

jordanm197d ago

Started doing the cash thing a few years back and it really changed how I look at spending. Taking out a set amount each week for groceries and gas keeps me honest, no more swiping mindlessly. My trick is to put the cash in a separate wallet so I'm not tempted to dig into it for anything else. Once it's gone, it's gone, and that forces me to plan better for the week ahead.

kelly.parker7d agoMost Upvoted

The envelope method but you're basically just budgeting with extra steps.