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Honestly, I think the cash envelope method is way better than any budgeting app
Ngl, I tried YNAB for 6 months but still overspent. Switched to physical cash for groceries and fun money, and saved $200 last month because seeing the money leave my wallet actually hurt. Anyone else find apps just make it too easy to cheat?
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aaron_mitchell1mo ago
Have you tried combining both methods? I keep a small cash envelope for eating out and put my grocery card in a separate pouch with a sticky note showing the monthly limit. Seeing that yellow sticky with the number staring at me every time I open my wallet stops impulse buys way better than any notification on my phone. The cash hurts more because you actually count it out and watch the pile shrink. Apps just let you swipe and forget until the statement hits.
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ray_williams2mo ago
Totally agree. The physical barrier is real. Apps just turn money into abstract numbers you can shuffle around. With cash, when that last twenty is gone, you're done. It forces a different kind of discipline.
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murphy.tessa2mo ago
My gym switched to a card-only system last year, and I swear my monthly spending there went up by like 30 bucks without me even feeling it. It's exactly what you're saying, @ray_williams. That physical limit of cash makes you pause before buying a smoothie or another session. Now it's just a quick tap and the real cost gets buried in a statement later.
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