Man, cash hits different when it leaves your hand. I tried the envelope thing for gas and eating out last year and made it almost 5 months, which is a record for me. The trick is you gotta pull the money out on payday and leave the card at home, otherwise you cheat. When I ran out early I just ate whatever was in the pantry, which was sad but it worked.

Man, this reminds me of when my grandma used to put a pinch of salt in her cheap instant coffee and swore it was the only way to drink it. We all made fun of her for years until I tried it myself one desperate morning and had to call her up and apologize. I have not tried it with a real brew yet but hearing your story makes me want to dig out that old dark roast bag sitting in the back of my cabinet. Something about salt just kills the bitter edge without making it taste salty, which sounds like straight up kitchen magic. Your wife can think you are nuts all she wants, but a smooth cup beats a smug spouse any day.