I’ve been hearing about this idea quite a bit lately…  The idea of paying for as many of your budgeted items as possible with cash.  This means putting away those credit cards (or even cutting them up) unless they are absolutely necessary.
I completely understand the concept of why this sytem would work to help keep a person on track budget-wise (once the envelope has no more cash in it, there is no more money to spend).  And I have respect for those who are able to successfully use this system!
But, …

You know what I’ve noticed lately?  Sometimes, the best way to save money and stretch my dollars is to just stay home.  Unless I really need to go out to run an errand, I try to stay at home as much as possible.  I’ve found that my trips out just to kill some time, or just to “get out of the house”, usually end up costing me money that I hadn’t planned on spending.
It’s really cold outside here so the idea of going to the nearby mall to walk around …