Compared envelope cash vs debit card for groceries. Envelope system crushed it.

Used my debit card for 3 months. Tracked every grocery trip in my app. Still overspent by $80 a month average. Switched to the envelope system last November. Put $300 cash in an envelope every week. No app, no tracking, just the envelope. When the cash was gone I stopped buying. Saved $60 a month easy. Has anyone else found old-school methods work better than digital tools for food spending?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbyc332d ago

Wait, how'd you figure you saved $60 a month if you were already putting in $300 a week and that number didn't change? Sounds like you just stopped spending past the envelope limit, which definitely works, but the math seems off unless you were doing two different budgets. I did something similar but with a twist: I'd pull out cash for the week, then leave my debit card at home entirely. Forced me to plan meals around what I actually had instead of grabbing extras at the store. The envelope system is solid for discipline, but the real win is that physical cash just hurts to hand over compared to swiping plastic. That feeling alone stopped me from buying random snacks I didn't need.

brookep622d ago

Did you find yourself reaching for the credit card when the cash ran out?