As life essentials become more expensive and bills continue to pile up, most people are looking for new ways to budget their money. Now, an old-school method has resurfaced online that’s pulling people out of debt.

Prior to banks and ATMs, it was common for people to place their money into labeled envelopes to make payments, CNBC reports. Now, it’s become known as “cash stuffing.” 

Jasmine Taylor has played a role in people joining the trend and using the method. After the Texas native lost her full-time job, as well as accumulated nearly $70,000 in debt, she decided to make a game plan to pull herself out of the hole. The outlet details that she found out about cash stuffing on YouTube.

In the first few months of testing it out, Taylor was able to save $1,000.

“I looked into the envelope, and it had been sitting there for awhile, and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I haven’t needed this,’” she told the outlet. “It’s a really surreal feeling when you’re a person who has mismanaged money all their life, when you finally get to the point where it’s like, ‘OK, I can do this.’”

Within a year of using the method, Taylor was able to clear her medical debt and credit card balance. Following her own success with the method, she decided to put more people on to it by creating TikToks, which have gone viral.

So, what exactly is cash stuffing?

Cash stuffing is a budgeting method where you withdraw cash either at the beginning of the month or when you receive a paycheck. Then, you place a planned amount of money into envelopes, with each having a labeled intended use for the cash (rent, groceries, utilities, etc.). The purpose is to keep people from overspending.

While cash stuffing is used for expenses, it’s also used for sinking funds. So in case an emergency happens, you’ll already be prepared.

For Taylor, she used the zero-based budget.

“That means you start your budget with whatever your paycheck number is, and you give every dollar a place to go, down to zero,” she explained.

In a short time span, Taylor went from not knowing how to save money to transforming the cash stuffing method into her business, Baddies and Budgets. In 2023, it is set to make $1 million, according to the outlet.

Prior to starting your own cash stuffing journey, it’s advised to take a look at both your spending habits and financial goals. A helpful method to create a clear vision is by going through past bank statements.