My sister swore the envelope system would fix my overspending

I laughed at her for 6 months until I hit a $400 overdraft fee in January, tried it with cash envelopes for groceries and eating out, and somehow I'm actually under budget this month. Has anyone else had a family member's budget hack that you resisted forever before it worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace891mo ago

$400 overdraft fee? Girl that's brutal. I would have cried in the bank lobby. My sister kept nagging me about the cash envelope thing and I was like "babe I'm a grown adult I know what I'm doing" meanwhile I was eating $8 gas station snacks every day and wondering why my account was dry by the 15th. Felt so stupid when I finally tried it and realized I was bleeding money on random junk I didn't even want.

clairen851mo ago

Right there with you. Got so smug about it until I realized I was basically lighting cash on fire at the drive thru every day.

lopez.quinn1mo ago

Eating $8 gas station snacks every day" is the most real thing I've read in a while, grace89. I think the real question is: How long did it take you to stop feeling ridiculous pulling cash out at the register? Because I'm three weeks in and I still get a little embarrassed handing over actual bills like it's 1998. @clairen85 mentioned the drive thru thing too, and I'm curious if either of you still keep a little cash around for that or if you just stopped going altogether.