My grocery bill was out of control until I tried the 'cash in envelopes' trick

I was spending about $200 a week on food for just two people, which felt crazy. Last month, I took out $400 in cash at the start of the month and split it into four envelopes, one for each week. Having to physically hand over the cash made me think twice about every extra snack or fancy cheese. I actually finished the month with $20 left in the last envelope. Has anyone else tried a physical cash system, or did it just stress you out?

3 comments

3 Comments

ben_nguyen1mo agoMost Upvoted

Cash makes you feel the pain of spending way more than a card.

amy_murphy851mo ago

I get what you mean @ben_nguyen, but for me swiping a card actually hurts more... seeing that number drop on the screen.

thea8571mo ago

My friend's husband tried the envelope thing for their family budget. He was so stressed about running out of grocery cash that he started buying only the absolute basics, like giant bags of rice and beans. It caused a huge fight because she came home with two kids and there was nothing for lunches. They dropped the system after two weeks. Maybe it works better for single people?