Cents That Count – Page 7 – Real-life budgeting, saving, and making a tight month work

Cheap Hobbies That Don’t Feel Cheap: My Shortlist

April 23, 2026 by amelia

Somewhere along the way, hobbies got expensive. Not the hobbies themselves. The entering of them. Every interest now has a starter kit, a subscription, a specialized shoe. Curious about running? That’ll be $240 before your first jog, apparently. After my no spend month forced me to entertain myself with what I owned, I got interested … Read more

The Envelope System Almost Worked. Here’s My Digital Version

April 20, 2026 by amelia

The envelope system is the grandmother of all budgets. Cash goes into labeled envelopes at the start of the month. Groceries, gas, fun. When an envelope is empty, that category is done until next month. Simple, physical, brutal. I tried it for three months and it almost worked. The spending awareness was real. Handing over … Read more