As little budgeting as I do, I budget my recurring expenses ahead. Just as I do with my savings, which are among the first things that get set aside (transferred) from my chequing account after receiving my salary. This leaves me rather tight over the rest of the month.
I always try to pay my credit card bills in full every month - that’s actually part of my budgeting strategy and holding myself accountable (to myself) every month. Precisely because I do not keep track of my credit card balance over the course of a month.
Because I budgeted relatively tightly, in advance my impending credit card bill always remains something kind of looming in the dark. And I’d consider my budgeting a personal failure, if I can’t pay that next bill off in full from my monthly salary.
In short: I’m calculatedly going into debt with my credit cards.
And living in perpetual “fear” of being unable to pay it back.
So that encourages me to underspend on my daily expenses - rather than just blowing a positive cash balance on something because “I can still see so much money remaining for the month, I might just treat myself to…” on my current account and with a debit card.
I’m even worse with cash. Having some always makes me feel “rich” and want to spend it.