Budget category sticky?

[financial_mom]

That's why I don't use a lot of cash. Too hard to track where it goes. Something I figured out.... if there is some place that you stop often for small purchases--like a drink or a snack or a small amount of groceries, or whatever.... get yourself a gift card to there, and just take the money out of the budget when you get the card. Then no need to track so many small purchases. And it's easy to tell where the money went.

Can you tell in your paypal account where the money went? I know some vendors use such odd names it's hard to figure out sometimes.

Something else I love about this tip - have you ever just wanted something small like a black coffee but felt badly sticking the merchant with Visa fees so you buy more? I often take my laptop to Panera to get some work done and find myself doing that. A gift card is genius - thank you!

[coolmom42]

Something else I love about this tip - have you ever just wanted something small like a black coffee but felt badly sticking the merchant with Visa fees so you buy more? I often take my laptop to Panera to get some work done and find myself doing that. A gift card is genius - thank you!

Yes I hate to do that! A lot of small businesses won't take a credit card for a sale under $5, and with good reason.

True confession: I quite often will get a drink at Sonic. There is one less than 1/2 mile from me. If you put the Sonic app on your phone, you can use it like a prepaid card, AND drinks are ALWAYS half price when ordered on the app. So when I am about to leave the house, I order my drink on the app, mark ASAP for pickup, get there, check in with the app and give my stall number. PRESTO my drink appears! One of the carhops told me they get an alert that sounds like a doorbell inside, when someone checks in. They check the stall number, get the food, and deliver it. It's a pretty slick app. Frugal AND convenient!