Any help would be appreciated. James is trying a strategy that many people use to force themselves to save money. Instead of saving whatever is left at the end of the month, they 'pay themselves first' at the beginning of the month. And, surprisingly, there are a lot of families that swear by this method. It seems that in nature certain events will continue until they run out of fuel.
Wild fires are an example.
They will continue burning until there's nothing left to consume. Your expenses can work the same way. Many families will continue spending until all the money is gone. No matter how much money comes in some bill or new purchase will take it. Raises and bonuses all seem to vanish without a trace.