Gen Z turns to ‘old-school' money hack to curb spending: ‘Helps create awareness'

New York Post

14 hours ago

Cold hard cash is making a comeback — at least on weekends.
Swipe, sip, splurge, repeat — that's the usual weekend drill for many debit-card-happy spenders.
One latte turns into a shopping spree, a boozy brunch and suddenly your bank account's begging for mercy.
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Enter the latest TikTok-approved money hack: the 'cash-only weekend.' The idea? Hit the ATM on Friday, pull out a set amount of cash, and make it stretch through Sunday.
@alright.hey
how using cash has helped me grow my savings 💰💵💸 granted, this might not apply to everyone and all of our financial situations are different but this is what has helped me this year and I wanted to share! it has truly changed EVERYTHING when it comes to my money and in my opinion we SHOULD be purchasing conciously!!!! if you have any tips feel free to leave them in the comments 🖤🧚🥰 #cashisking #savingmoney #moneytips #cash #financialliteracy ♬ original sound – Alright Hey 🇦🇺🍉
No cards. No Apple Pay. No exceptions. When the cash runs out, so does the fun.
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With tap-to-pay making it way too easy to blow through your budget, this analog approach is catching on fast.
As Nadia Vanderhall, a financial planner and founder of The Brands and Bands, told Bustle in a recent interview, 'Most people are used to tapping with Apple Pay or Google Pay — you're not even pulling out your wallet anymore.'
She continued, 'You just tap and keep it moving. But that's the issue: when the money leaves that fast, you're not tracking what you're truly spending.'
3 Cash is king again — at least 'til Monday. For weekend warriors with swipe-happy fingers, it's all too easy: one latte, one brunch, one 'treat yourself' spree — and boom, your bank account's in cardiac arrest.
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This old-school hack isn't just about saving bucks — she explained — it's about spending with purpose.
A 'cash-only' weekend doesn't just curb your impulse buys — it forces you to slow your roll and put some thought behind every dollar that leaves your wallet.
'You decide how much you want to spend for the weekend, pull that amount in cash on Friday, and that's all you allow yourself to use through Sunday,' she added.
When you're forking over cold, hard cash and watching it vanish faster than your willpower at a sample sale, you're way less likely to blow your budget on impulse buys.
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The paper-in-hand panic? That's the point — it forces you to think twice before splurging on that extra oat milk latte or random checkout-line trinket.
Vanderhall stressed, 'If you swipe without thinking or tend to overspend on food, convenience, or random little things, this can help create real awareness.'
3 'You decide how much you want to spend for the weekend, pull that amount in cash on Friday, and that's all you allow yourself to use through Sunday,' she added.
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If you want to give a 'cash-only' weekend a whirl, first, check your bank balance, eyeball your plans — birthdays, brunches, booze runs — then hit the ATM and take out just enough to cover it all without raiding your savings or skipping the rent.
Stash the cash in an envelope and swear off your swipe — though Vanderhall says it's smart to keep a backup card buried so deep in your bag you'll need a search party to find it.
As previously reported by The Post, Gen Z-ers are also trying the 'treat yourself tax' hack and '1% rule' to save money and prevent overspending.
Earlier this spring, the 'treat yourself tax' hack had spenders doing double takes — one at the price tag, and one at their savings app.
The rule? For every impulse buy — whether it's a $7 iced coffee, a $30 plumping gloss, or a $250 'emotional support' purse — you match it with a deposit into savings.
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3 This old-school money hack is making a comeback.
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Splurge now, save now. Guilt optional.
As for the '1% rule,' over the past few months, this has been making waves with wallet-watchers — and it's so simple even your shopaholic BFF could pull it off.
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Thinking about blowing big bucks on front-row concert seats, a bougie espresso machine, or a luxe weekend getaway? If the price tag is more than 1% of your annual income, pump the brakes.
Make $50K? Anything over $500 means it's time for a 24-hour cooling-off period. Still craving it tomorrow? Fine. But if not, congrats — you just saved a chunk of change (and your credit score).