5 Budgeting Tips for Families When You Are Paying With Cash
Paying with cash can be comfortable and uncomfortable. It is something that can make you think but can be very hard to do because you have to analyze every purchase. But it is also one of the easiest ways to solidify a budget and stay on budget.
Applying some budgeting tips for families can help you to make the process of paying with cash easier and more doable every day. It can make your life easier and make budgeting less stressful.
When we first started on our frugal journey we started off with using cash. I did this because It forced me to stay in the budget I set for my family. It forced me to
I went from a $500 a month budget to using $150 a month. I HAD to commit to it.
If you get up to the check out lane and don’t have anything but cash with you, you work within your limits. As time went on I started using my debit card, but I find it much harder to stay within budget and track your spending.
Another perk to using cash is it is very easy to start a savings jar and save your money you don’t use. This saves you even more! Even though shopping with cash is harder, here are a couple tips I have for you to keep you on track and make it as easy as possible.
5 Budgeting Tips for Families When You Are Paying With Cash
Only take the cash you intend to spend –
This is a major way to never overspend. If you have no card and only cash, you will always stay on budget. cards are easy to swipe. cash is a fixed amount.
Use a calculator while you shop –
Using a calculator helps you figure out exactly how much you are adding to your cart. This will help you to always stay on budget and you will not be surprised in the checkout line when you are over your amount.
Make a list to shop from –
When you make a list and hold it in your had as you shop, you are less likely to make impulse buys. Less impulse buys means more money in your pocket!
Add up your amounts and coupons before going to the store (use your list to do this) –
This helps you to get an idea of how much cash to bring. This practice will save you the most because when you bring the exact amount you need you will only spend what you have. This will also help you to be less stressed at the checkout.
Pull over before heading to the checkout and double check your total and coupons so you are ready at the checkout line. –
When you are shopping with cash and coupons, you can get stressed at the checkout because it is not as fast to get through the checkout line. But if you stay organized you won’t be as stressed, you will be ready to pay with your cash and it will be a pleasant situation.
For more budgeting tips be sure to check out this post on 5 personal budgeting tips to make your budget foolproof.
Do you use cash to shop? What tips do you have to be successful at shopping with cash? Leave a comment for us with your answers!
I use cash when I am rolling catalinas, but I use my card for one big transaction, for things like groceries. I do, however, make a list (and my meal plans are made by finding what is a good deal for the week and what I have on hand). I print out the list and I mark any coupons I have for the items on my list, next to the item. I estimate how much it should be, prior to going to the store. Then, once I am shopping, I write down every price for everything, even things I may find that I might need that I forgot to add or are on clearance (I leave a cushion, for these kinds of items, within my budget). When I am finished, I stop before going to the registers, to re-add (as I go along, I add it all up several times), get my coupons in order, and double check that the coupons I have are for the items I picked out (and double check that they are valid and not expired). If I am price matching, I figure out which items are from which ads and what order I will put them in.
I like using my card for the big transactions because I don’t like carrying a lot of cash. I use the cash for rolling catalinas because (1) often times, the transactions are small and (2) if there is a mistake made, I don’t have to wait for the refund or credit to go back on my card.