Update: I tried the 'cash envelope' system for my groceries and it actually made me overspend.

After forcing myself to only use $60 in cash for a week of food, I ended up making three extra trips for forgotten items and spent $12 more than my usual card budget, so has anyone else found a strict method that backfired?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_iris2mo ago

So you paid extra for the privilege?

betty_wells2mo ago

Brand tax is real, man. They get you every time.

jason_lewis32mo agoProlific Poster

Ever feel like you're just paying for the brand name? Reminds me of when @the_iris and I got those overpriced concert drinks last summer.

david_jones381mo ago

Oh man, it's the classic brand tax trap (and I've fallen for it more times than I'd like to admit). Those concert drinks are a perfect example - $18 for a watery beer in a plastic cup just because the venue slaps their logo on it. @betty_wells is spot on about that realness, we're basically paying for the privilege of standing in a crowded room while sipping something that costs pennies to make. It's like we're all in on this weird game where we pretend the extra cost is worth it for the experience, but really we're just funding someone's marketing budget. I'd rather bring my own flask next time (hypothetically, of course) than get burned again.