When I was growing up, we didn’t have chips or cookies in our home. My mom’s philosophy is that if she knows a treat is there, she’ll eat it. So removing the temptation works for her. I, on the other hand, was the kid that would walk a couple of blocks to the Li’l General store and buy a Mounds bar.
But I guess some of it rubbed off, because when it comes to my spending, I take a “hiding the goodies” approach. Anything that can be taken out of paychecks for retirement savings or flexible spending accounts goes out before we see the paycheck deposit, or is timed to hit right afterwards. Next I like to quickly siphon off what needs to or should be saved (into savings buckets), pay off any bills right away … then watch out! Because whatever is leftover in checking is fair game.
Some (like my husband) might say this is a bit of troll logic, and I’m not proposing this as a solution for everyone, but “hiding the goodies” could be a way to avoid a strict budget while still ensuring sufficient savings and allowing for the fun things in life!