Rob that is awesome!!! 

I personally dont like using cash, but I did go through a phase that was all I used.  Now I dont think of anything with regards to real or future real expense.  I look at it as how long do I have to work for that. It works for me.  I know my rough takehome and I know my rough how many hours a month I have to work to cover everything that is fixed.  So there I have a small pool of hours left over.  

So I break it down to Laziness.  LOL  I may be willing to work 2 hours for something but say **** that piece of **** I'm not going to work 3 hours for it. 

I believe if you can get to that point, you can compliment your consumerism with a Rewards Credit card for things you know you will be purchasing.  Might as well get something back for it. 

Example:  I know I will be paying my kids school approximately $12,000 this year.  If I pay cash, its done.  If I pay with my AmEx I get rewards points.  I know I have to buy fuel all year long to get to work.  I can pay cash (total hassle these days at the pump) but if I use my AmEx I get double rewards.

I have a wife that is pretty bad ass and lets me go racing all over the country for weeks at a time (KOH, V2R, Bonneville)  but I have to pay the piper.  So to make up, I have to take her places she wants to go.  Nothing like taking her to Playa Del Carmen on AmEx points.  She thinks I went all out really bought her something special.  Truth be told all the expenses we had all year that we were going to have no matter what, went on the AmEx and the rewards paid for the whole trip minus spending money.

My last thing and I'll drop it.  Build up a little slush fund.  I do my direct deposit so I never see it each pay period.  Figure out what you know you could live without.  $20, $40, $100, $250.  Whatever!  Do Not consider this savings.  I consider this the "In Case of Great Deal" or "In Case of ****" account.  And everynow and then I deposit odd earned money in there as well.  The reasons I've pulled money from this are everything from Emergency A/C repairs to post Hurricane Fence Repair to new tires to new trailer.  I know I'm going to have things larger than my monthly, and this fund helps smooth those bitches out.