Showerthought: My neighbor in Dayton got me to try the envelope cash thing after 11 years of swearing by my credit card points

Sam Murphy · 2026-09-17T12:30:06.034453+00:00

I have been team credit card points since 2013 and I would argue with anybody about it. Then my neighbor Rick, who is 58 and retired from the post office, asked me how much I actually spent last month. I said I did not know off the top of my head. He pulled out a little envelope with $80 left in it and said that is his grocery money for the rest of the month, so he knows exactly. That got under my skin. I went home and added up my last statement, and it was $1,847 on stuff I could not even name, while my rewards came to like $19. I am not saying points are useless but I had no clue where my money was going, and Rick knew down to the dollar. So I pulled $300 out on Friday and split it into gas, food, and fun. Has anyone else run both ways and what finally made you pick one?

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Showerthought: My neighbor in Dayton got me to try the envelope cash thing after 11 years of swearing by my credit card points | Budgeting Wins - SMM Buzz