My aunt asked why I still use cash envelopes at 36, and her reason made me put the app down

Wendy Mason · 2026-10-02T08:00:03.901879+00:00

My aunt Ruth came by for coffee on a Saturday and saw the envelopes sitting on my counter, the ones marked gas and groceries with $60 and $140 in them. She asked why I bother with paper when my bank app shows the same thing. Her reason was that the app shows what already left, while the envelope shows what is left, and standing in Aldi with $9 in the grocery one tells you more than any bar graph. So I tested it for October and spent $612 on food for two people, versus $740 in September when I was tapping my card off a screen. The thing is, I did not earn more or try harder, I just felt the wall sooner. My husband thinks I am being dramatic with the envelopes, but he also stopped asking me where the money goes. Curious if anyone here has a wife or husband who thinks the cash system is silly, and how you two split the difference on it.

Rigidtalk

Loading…

My aunt asked why I still use cash envelopes at 36, and her reason made me put the app down | Budgeting Wins - Rigidtalk