Found a cash envelope trick at a garage sale that clicked for me

Was at a garage sale in Phoenix last Saturday and the lady running it showed me her envelope system. She had one for groceries with $40 cash inside, one for gas with $25. Has anyone tried the cash envelope method and actually stuck with it?

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morgan3163mo ago

My friend in Mesa started this a few years back and she swears by it for keeping her eating out budget in check. I tried it once but kept forgetting the actual envelopes at home (which kind of defeats the purpose, ha). It takes some real discipline but I can see how it would work if you stick with it.

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william_taylor3mo ago

Yeah "kept forgetting the actual envelopes" is exactly why most people quit. @morgan316 your friend in Mesa is onto something though. Here is the thing nobody talks about. You need a backup system. Like a note on your phone with the same categories. Then when you forget the envelopes at home you still know what you can spend. Also helps to keep the envelopes in your car not your purse. Way harder to forget them when you reach for your seatbelt.

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