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How I Used To Spend Less Money

Name: How I Used To Spend Less Money
Uploaded: 2025-11-10T16:01:15+00:00
Duration: 23 s
Channel: Shanli Liu, CPA, CTP
Description: In this personal anecdote, the speaker explains how, when they were financially constrained, they relied exclusively on cash to enforce a strict budget…

10 Nov 2025 · 0 min

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In this personal anecdote, the speaker explains how, when they were financially constrained, they relied exclusively on cash to enforce a strict budget. They received $2,000 a month in cash from a personal training client, deposited all other income and credit‑card proceeds into a bank account, and kept only the cash in their wallet as the amount they could actually spend on daily needs. By monitoring the cash physically present, they ensured they always had enough for essential expenses like food, while also accounting for occasional delays in client payments, which required them to keep a buffer in the wallet.

When I was poor, I only spent cash. So my easiest way of actually creating a budget was that I had a personal training client who paid me $2,000 a month in cash. And so 100% of my money that came in through the business and credit cards and everything else went into my bank account. And the only thing I knew I could live on was inside of my wallet. I would always make sure that I had more than that to make it for the next payment, because sometimes the guy would take a day or two. You pay on Wednesday rather than a Monday or whatever, and I need to make sure that I had food for Chipotle.