It’s Thursday…
You’ve got finals creeping up, the group chat’s planning Friendsgiving, and your bank account looks like it just saw a ghost.
Somewhere between your $6 latte and your “treat yourself” phase, your budget started whispering, “please stop.”
But here’s the truth: you don’t have to quit coffee (JJ would never). You just have to budget for your little luxuries — the same way you’d budget for rent, groceries, or gas.
💸 The “Daily Habit” Jar Fix
You’ve heard the advice before: “Stop buying coffee, save $1,500 a year!”
Cute math, terrible plan. Habits bring joy — and joy keeps you sane. The fix isn’t cutting, it’s containing.
Create a Coffee & Chaos JelliJAR (or call it whatever fits your vice — Matcha Madness, Vibe Fuel, etc.). JJ will auto-fill it every payday, track every sip, and give you a gentle “maybe next time” when you’re about to overpour your caffeine budget.
That’s not restriction. That’s control with flavor. ☕
🧠 The Psychology Behind It
Budgeting experts call this “mental accounting,” which basically means our brains need visual categories to behave better with money (The Decision Lab).
When you see your coffee jar running low, it clicks — you’re not broke, you’re just at your caffeine limit.
It’s the same principle as those color-coded highlighters you used in high school: silly, but effective.
⚡ JJ’s Coffee Commandments
- Don’t ghost your budget. Track your “small” spends — they add up faster than espresso shots.
- Never guilt your treat. Budget it instead.
- Auto-refill your JelliJARs like it’s self-care (because it kinda is).
☕ JJ’s Final Sip
“You don’t need to stop buying coffee. You just need to stop pretending you can afford a subscription to Starbucks and inner peace.”
Not until coffee…
