I have started using cash more often lately because this whole swipe fee mess is really starting to piss me off. However I realize that cash handling does come with it’s own amount of costly overhead.
I’ll still using EFT for online purchases and monthly bills.
I just got back from a “Hawaiian Culture Festival” at the local county fairgrounds. Most of the booths took cash only. You were out of luck if you didn’t have any cash and you wanted to eat or buy something. They did have plenty of ATMs, though.
I buy small things with cash, but most of my purchases are via debit card.
Seemingly in honor of this thread, I made a large purchase with cash this morning!
At a planned meeting with a contractor, I paid for a new roof and extended roof in cash. I stopped at the bank Friday to transfer money from two other accounts into a checking account to cover the check. Total job was $14,225. At the bank I was in a hurry and wound up just getting cash.
When I paid the roofer, he was a little surprised, but happy.
Only for the coke machine at the office. Even the RenFare took my debit card.
I use cash when I’m paying for a service and I need to leave a tip. And that’s it, pretty much.
I had moved to debit cards for everything but now am going back to cash. I think I spend less when I know I have have to go to the ATM to get more.
I still use debit for gas because I can’t stand going inside to pay before I pump.
Ever since the CARD act, many of the businesses I frequent on an irregular basis (as in, not the grocery stores I go to and non-bill payments) have gone to cash only or gone to a high limit for card purchases. So I’ve augmented my life to include cash. For years I never carried any cash whatsoever, since I got a debit card at 15.
I hate hate HATE carrying cash. It’s wildly inconvenient and if your wallet is stolen, buh-bye cash.
My debit card went wonky on me a few weeks ago, and it took until last week to get it replaced. I used more cash because of this in two-three weeks than I usually go through in six months. It felt very odd.
And thisis the kind of problems that can be avoided by using cash. It goes way beyond palm style skimming devices. Debit cards do not have the security of credit cards and can leave the consumer with an empty bank account.
I use cash for a number of purchases although certainly far less than I did in times past.
I will continue to use cash for purchases for the foreseeable future or until cash is eliminated as a means of payment.
Why?
Because cash transactions are usually private transactions. If someone is looking into my finances, then they can track my movements by my credit card or debit card purchases. This is far more difficult with cash and that’s not always a bad thing.
Cash is useful when I’m traveling on business. It’s indispensable when grabbing a cab or shuttle, buying food at the airport, or tipping hotel help. Also, even though it’s possible, it just feels weird to use a credit card to pay for a newspaper or candy bar from the airport newstand.