I remember when saving was easier, you know? As a kid, my parents gave me 50 pesos a day for school meals and transportation. If I had any leftover, I’d put it in a piggy bank. Nothing fancy, but it worked. Now, with rent, unpredictable expenses, and an increasingly expensive world, that system feels like the past. But recently, I discovered there are methods that really work to regain that control, and one that has changed the game for me is cash stuffing.

Honestly, there’s no complicated science behind it. Cash stuffing is basically dividing your money into physical envelopes, each designated for a specific expense. According to Fidelity, it works because you create a visual barrier between what you see and what you don’t see. If you earn 10,000 pesos a month, for example, you set aside one envelope for rent, another for food, transportation, entertainment, savings—all in cash.

What’s interesting about cash stuffing is that it forces you to be conscious. When you take out bills from an envelope and see it getting emptier, something in your brain says, “Wait, I better be careful.” It’s different from swiping a card without thinking. It works especially well for expenses that vary month to month, like delivery, gas, outings. Physical money has a psychological weight that a card will never have.

The mechanics are simple: first, you calculate how much you need in each category. Then, you label your envelopes. At the start of the month, you fill each with its respective amount—not equal amounts, but what you actually need. As the month progresses, you take money out of the envelopes for your expenses. When the money in an envelope runs out, it’s done. No last-minute transfers or calls to the ATM.

Now, if you’re someone who can’t stand physical cash, there are digital alternatives. Banks like Nu have “little boxes,” which is basically cash stuffing but in the app. You divide your money digitally into categories, see in real time how it’s being spent, and it usually earns interest too. Maybe 50 cents of interest, but it’s 50 cents you wouldn’t have if you spent everything without thinking.

What I like about cash stuffing, whether physical or digital, is that it restores that sense of control I had as a kid. It’s not complicated, but it’s effective. At the end of the month, when you review what’s left in each envelope, you see exactly where your money went. And trust me, that’s the first step to truly changing your habits.