My dad said I'd miss the points, but I found a better reward

When I switched to cash only about six months ago, my dad, who loves his travel card, kept saying, 'You're throwing free money away! The points add up.' I stuck with it, using envelopes for my budget. Last month, I looked at my old card statement and saw I'd earned about $15 in rewards over three months, but I'd also paid $22 in interest from a small balance I'd let slide. With cash, that just doesn't happen. I 'pay' myself by putting the exact change from every purchase into a jar, and I saved over $80 for a nice dinner out, which felt way better than a vague point system. Has anyone else found their own version of 'rewards' that works better with cash?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren_thomas1617d ago

Yeah, the hidden fees on those cards eat up any points you get. I switched to cash for groceries and it stopped me from overspending every time. What's your next goal for your change jar?

laura_lane16d ago

How do you handle bigger purchases with your cash system? I started rounding up my grocery total to the nearest ten dollars and setting that extra aside, which built a small car repair fund way faster than any points would have. That physical cash jar makes the progress feel real.