I switched to a cash envelope system for groceries and it backfired big time

I read online that using cash envelopes was a surefire way to stick to your food budget, so I pulled out $400 in cash for the month. The first week went fine, but then I went to my usual store and they had a huge sale on chicken and pantry staples. I had the cash, but I also had my debit card. I ended up buying the sale items with my card, thinking I'd just put the cash back. Of course, I didn't. I spent the cash on other stuff later that week and blew the whole budget by day 20. I learned that a rigid system doesn't work if you don't have the right mindset to go with it. The tool isn't the fix. Has anyone else had a plan that sounded perfect but fell apart because of how you actually spend?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_garcia2d ago

Remember when everyone bought those water bottles with the time markers on them? Mine just made me feel bad for not drinking enough by 10am lol

holly7092d ago

Oh man, did you think the cash would magically give you willpower? It's like when I tried to only eat healthy snacks by buying a bunch of carrots. The carrots went bad while I ordered pizza three times. The system is never the problem, it's the person holding the debit card next to the cash.

young.michael2d ago

Yeah it's the same with gym memberships, paying up front doesn't make you go. I see people buy fancy planners and apps to get organized, but the tools just sit there. The real fix has to come from inside, not from buying another thing to try and force it.