Cash Stuffing: The Guide for Getting Started

There are many pros and cons to cash stuffing. Learn everything there is to know about cash stuffing.

 

Keeping track of expenses and sticking to a monthly budget is critical for financial health and stability but can be challenging to do. Groceries, utilities, rent/mortgage, and other liabilities, in addition to miscellaneous and unexpected spending, all add up and require careful attention to detail so that you don’t fall behind or wind up in debt; cash stuffing is a good strategy for some people.

 

For many people, it’s tempting to rely on credit cards to make purchases and manage expenses. However, credit cards make overspending easy to do, and credit card debt can become stifling and consume a huge portion of a paycheck as you try to get out of it.

 

Instead of relying on credit cards, some people prefer using cash or debit cards. That way, money is coming directly from a wallet or bank account, so it’s not something to be paid back later. This requires a good budgeting system so that you don’t run out of money. An increasingly popular budgeting method among Gen Z and older generations as well is cash stuffing.

 

What Is Cash Stuffing, and Should You Try It?

 

Cash stuffing isn’t a new trend by any means, but it has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, and it’s currently a viral TikTok budgeting trend. Basically, it involves setting aside cash money for particular spending categories each month. When it’s time for spending in those categories, you remove cash dedicated for a particular category only, never tipping into cash reserved for other categories. If you run out of cash for a certain category, then you’re done with that spending area for the month.

 

How Does Cash Stuffing Work?

 

If you’re going to try the cash stuffing method, you first have to identify fairly specific spending categories such as groceries, entertainment, dining out, etc. Then you allocate a certain amount of physical cash for each category per month, and you place the cash in separate labeled cash envelopes or perhaps in a pouch for each category. You can organize the envelopes in a desk drawer, a filing cabinet, or in binders.

 

When you, say, go out to eat, you withdraw the amount of cash you’ll need from the appropriate envelope. Afterwards, if there is any extra cash, you put it back in its envelope. At the end of the month, extra money can go into savings, be spent as a treat to yourself, or go towards the next month’s cash outlays.

 

That’s how the cash envelope method works. The envelope system works pretty simply and effectively if you’re disciplined enough to stick to it.

 

The Pros and Cons of Cash Stuffing

 

Like anything else, the cash stuffing method has its pros and cons. To determine whether this envelope method is right for you, you’ll need to carefully consider and weigh those pros and cons.

 

Pros

 

• Some people like the privacy benefits of being the only one to know how much money they’re budgeting and spending on certain things.
• It helps some people develop good spending habits. When spending cash, you literally see your money going away, so that can help decide how to spend it more wisely.
• With the money right there in front of you, it can make budgeting feel more real, thus making you more careful about it.
• The more you use cash for purchases, the less likely you are to end up with credit card debt.
• It’s simple. You use the money from your cash envelope categories for those things only, and you don’t use anything else, like a credit card, for spending.
• Planning out spending ahead of time reduces stress.

 

Cons

 

• You can lose your cash, or it can be stolen. Secure storage at home helps, but when you’re out of the house with cash to spend, those risks are present.
• The cash doesn’t earn you any interest. For some people, a high-yield savings account is a better option.
• For people with savings challenges, it can be hard to set aside that money in advance and to limit spending to what’s been set aside.
• It can be time-consuming to label and store the envelopes, withdraw the cash and put it in the envelopes, keep track of spending, etc.
• If you overspend on something essential like groceries, you still have to eat, so you’ll have to withdraw more cash, borrow from other categories, or use credit cards.
• This system doesn’t work for online shopping. However, you can set aside cash to deposit back to your bank account to pay off your credit card bill when you do have to charge purchases.

Does Cash Stuffing Really Work?

 

Cash stuffing works if you’re disciplined about following the envelope method and budgeting ahead of time. Once you have it down, it can help you make spending decisions by separating wants from needs, determining the value of something, evaluating what the consequences or benefits of not making a particular purchase are, etc.

 

Who Is the Cash Stuffing Method Best For?

 

Cash stuffing can work for anyone. However, it’s best for very organized people who are also good at self-discipline when it comes to getting a handle on spending, especially impulsive spending. It can also be really good for those who want to avoid credit card debt, especially anyone who’s had trouble with that in the past. Another example of someone who might find cash stuffing a convenient way to go is a person who receives a lot of cash in tips or wages.

 

How Do You Start Cash Stuffing?

 

To get started, look at your income, fixed expenses, and estimated variable expenses. Then create those spending categories and dedicate appropriate amounts of cash to them. That’s really all it takes!

 

If, however, you want some more tips from people who have successfully used the cash stuffing method, you may find helpful posts and videos on Instagram, YouTube, or other social media sites.

 

In Conclusion

 

Cash stuffing is one of several ways to manage the age-old challenge of creating and sticking to a budget. For some, it works great, and others prefer different systems. If you’re considering trying it, make sure you know how the system works, and pay careful attention to the pros and cons and whether the former outweighs the latter.