Envelope Me

The envelope experiment has been pretty interesting. Despite my initial resistance and paranoia about carrying my grocery money around, I'm actually starting to enjoy the change. It feels much more immediate to pay with cash than swiping a little plastic card. And then there's the extra coins left over at the end of the week. I don't know that I'm spending less or more than I would otherwise-- it's just different. I do like knowing exactly how much I have left without having to do math-- I just peek in my envelope and that's that. So we'll see, but I may just continue with this cash thing, especially if I can make it to the end of the month without losing any of it.

Tryin' it

This month, I'm trying something new as an experiment-- the envelope system. Pretty fancy, eh? Basically it just means that each week I'm taking my grocery budget out in cash, stuffing it in an envelope, and when it's gone-- if it's gone-- that's it for the week. I'm curious from a psychological angle if this will change my spending at all-- actually exchanging cash for goods instead of just swiping the old card through the credit card machine and voila! I get my groceries.

So far it hasn't affected my spending but it's definitely making me anxious. For one thing, I, sadly, had to call my bank to find out my pin number so I could withdraw said cash. That's how little I generally use cash-- I don't even know how to get it. When I called the bank, I could tell Banky Bryan was trying to supress his shock that I didn't know my pin number and hide it under his thick cloak of banky telephone professionalism.

I managed to procure my pin number though, and hit the ATM right before I hit Shaws. And was quickly reminded why I don't like to carry cash. I lose things. Phones, money, babies. Okay, the baby thing was just a nightmare but it was vivid! It wasn't long before, while scouring Shaws for Izze sparkling drinks (they're in the Wild Harvest section, and not in one of the eight other places that Shaws stores their drinks), my fresh new wad of cash was lying in the pasta aisle. Fortunately I too was in the pasta aisle and retrieved my cash quickly, but it made me anxious.

Since then, every place I go where I've had to leave my coat (which is where I store my grocery money currently) somewhere, I come back to it afterwards, eyeing everyone suspiciously like they'd stolen my grocery money. As soon as I can, I surrepticiously count it to make sure it's all there. Having cash on my person makes me feel like an old rich dude who thinks the hired help, and everyone else, is out for his goods. And I'm neurotic enough without this added pressure.

But press on I must, for that's what experiments are for. And April can't come quick enough.