# Man, people are weird about CASH **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 5, 2025, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591 "2025-01-05T20:00:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/181 "2025-01-13T20:20:56Z")
Yeah, but isn’t Japan as a whole a bit of an exception in terms of credit card use? From what I’ve heard it’s the only first-world country that still mostly uses cash. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/182 "2025-01-13T20:25:42Z")
While not as cash dominant as Japan, Germany is still considered a cash heavy country. I go there every few years to visit family and the use of credit/debit cards has increased. But I always take cash with me. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/183 "2025-01-13T20:28:55Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Yeah, but isn’t Japan as a whole a bit of an exception in terms of credit card use? From what I’ve heard it’s the only first-world country that still mostly uses cash. The residents seem to like cash, but when my wife and I visit, we pay for just about everything with a credit card. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/184 "2025-01-13T21:13:15Z")
Yeah, lots of places in Japan do take credit cards now. But some still don’t, including some critical services. For example, the luggage storage office at the Osaka train station, which we needed, is cash only. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/185 "2025-01-13T22:22:34Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I always assume that cash-only places are either tax evaders or insufferable hipsters, and avoid them if I can. To some extent , you are right, But if the average sale is $10 or less, they have a good reason to be cash only. There is a bakery I used toi go to- bread mostly, and most sales were that or so, and it was cash only. CC fees get high if the average sales are low. That is why I pay cash for purchases under $10= and usually $20. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/186 "2025-01-14T23:25:30Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > > [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > > > A few nights ago, I was at this raggedy ass establishment that didn’t have Benjamins stocked in their Ticket In Ticket Out (TITO) machine. I put $300 into a slot and won $459. > > I haven’t really read any of your threads but I have noticed your name out and about the Board. Perhaps you’ve already explained this elsewhere but I’m curious, do you consider yourself a “degenerate gambler” because you actually play the slots? 🤯 > > > [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > > > So, I went to Walgreens to spend some of that money. I got some medical stuff for my dad and a few groceries. > > It’s a pretty special night when, after playing heavy slots at a casino you have any money left over for food and dad’s medicine. 😲 I’m a highly educated and somewhat disciplined gambler. See my Q&A thread. I lose much less money than people would believe. So, I’m not a typical degenerate gambler. They tend to engage in such behaviors as: gambling with rent money, craving gambling when they’re away from casinos, chasing losses by gambling more, making bet sizes that’s inappropriate for their bankroll, selling and pawning possessions to make up for losses. My form of degeneracy is associated with problematic behaviors that gambling brings out of me, such as: -Dopamine chasing behaviors. When I lose (or win a lot of money), I’m more likely to binge eat, watch too much porn, play too many video games, and even consume alcohol. Granted not large amounts of alcohol. But I find that urge disturbing. I’m primarily a social drinker, I’m nervous about consuming alcohol outside of social contexts. -Falling asleep in my car in casino garages. I stay out late often, and I don’t want to drive while drowsy. So, I nap. One time I slept in garage in downtown Detroit. It was more than a nap, I was too cheap to get a hotel room. I think it got down to 20 degrees that night. That was dumb as heĺĺ. -Having unpleasant encounters with more serious degenerates and law enforcement because I’m out late. I’ve been pulled over numerous times and have been questioned about where I’m coming from and going to. Cops automatically assume if you’re out late you’re up to no good. And they aren’t completely wrong, about 90% of people you see after midnight are meth heads or just plain weirdos. OMG the worst encounters I’ve had with cops were during traffic stops out of state, regardless time of the day. Thorough searches, K9s sniffing around my car, and much in depth questioning. -Angry outbursts. One time I got so pissed after losing money, I got in my car and just DROVE. And it wasn’t even a large amount. I didn’t cool down until I reached two states over lol. I wear up to four layers of clothes when it’s cold (coat, fleece, plaid shirt, t-shirt), but sometimes I get so pissed and my temperature rises so high I strip down to just my t-shirt. I got suspended from one casino because I smacked a slot machine. I was a chasing a “99 free spins” bonus on a slot for maybe TWO HOURS. I put in $750 worth of 75 cent bets, JUST TO BREAK EVEN. Had that bonus not popped off when it did, I would’ve lost money despite having 99 FREE spins! UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE! I slapped that slot machine like an angry housewife confronting her cheating husband. The machine even rocked. Security saw me, oops! -I absent-mindedly left a bowl of change out on the passenger seat of my car in a bad neighborhood. It was likely well over $100 worth of change. Yes, this is gambling related also. Some casinos dispense change when you cash out your slot voucher. Back in the day all casinos dispensed change. I normally toss that change into a bowl in my car and I hide it under a towel. But that one time, I had the bowl exposed and had the wrong person seen it things would have not ended well. -I have skipped bathroom breaks, meal breaks, and hydration if I were in the middle of some big action. -Sometimes, I hop on progressives too early, because of impatience. Like there’s one slot we’re not supposed play unless the progressive is $150 or higher, if you’re seeking a positive expectation value (+EV) session. But sometimes I hop on around $130 if I’m frustrated by the lack of action that day. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/187 "2025-01-14T23:32:06Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > I believe this is the oddest, most involved stealth brag I’ve encountered in recent memory. I’ve got nothing against the OP, but “Benjamins”? “_Chile_”? I’ve never encountered people being weird about cash, and not sure what your “fat wallet” has to do with it. As I mentioned upthread, most of my cash transactions are less than $100 and only a few are within the $101-$500 range. How am I stealth bragging talking about those small amounts? It would be different if I made a post about walking into a Tesla dealership with a dufflebag full of cash. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/188 "2025-01-14T23:33:54Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > TITO refers to slot machines. The OP conflates the ATM/Ticket Redemption machine with the slot term. The slot machine accepts payout tickets from other machines, which it records just like cash. TITO are slot vouchers. You put the voucher (ticket) into the slot, gamble, and then “cash out” your voucher with the new dollar amount. And then you take it to the TITO machine for (cash) redemption. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/189 "2025-01-14T23:35:32Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > > [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](#): > > > > But why not 10s/50s? > > A lot of gamblers regard fifties as bad luck. Try dropping one on a BJ table in Vegas and watch the reaction from everybody. Bad juju! Will do! 😄 ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/190 "2025-01-14T23:39:15Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > My guess is your buddies are all poseurs. IOW, they’re not winning as much as they pretend to. Nope, they are not posers. I’ve been around for many of their wins. They are professional gamblers who count cards, play poker, and/or hustle high limit progressive jackpot slots. Why would they even pretend to win more money than they are? It wouldn’t even be in their best interests, and it could attract unwanted attention. Many casinos frown upon professional gamblers. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/191 "2025-01-14T23:46:52Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > > [@DocCathode](#): > > > > It can be considerably cheaper to just pay cash. > > This. I pay with cash almost daily. Many small stores and gas stations charge the customer an added fee when using a credit or debit card, and often paying cash for gas can save 15 or 20 cents per gallon. That adds up quickly. And a penny saved is a penny earned and all that. It’s also much easier to keep track of my bank activity when using cash as I don’t have to wait for transactions to be processed through and deducted from my account. Example: I used PayPal to pay for my son’s school books (actually a online ebook subscription) and it took _two days_ for pay PayPal to email me a recipt and another 2 days to show up on my bank statement. Absolutely maddening. With cash that’s never an issue. > > $50 bills are the best. You can carry $200, $300 in your wallet without it being “fat” and they tend not to raise the hackles of a cashier like a $100 bill does. > > I have never, but _never_ recived weird looks or heard a snide comment from anyone when paying for anything with cash. As noted some cashiers find $100 bills a PITA to deal with, but they still accept them. Usually. Buying a $3 coffee with a $100 bill is a dick move though. Carry a couple of $5’s, 4 or 5 $10’s, and the rest $50’s. You wallet won’t be too fat and you’ll have enough cash for both conveniences and emergencies. > > Regardless of your personal attitudes toward cash it’s always a good idea to carry enough folding green to buy yourself a meal and fill up your gas tank. You never know when a POS machine will be down and you’ll need to pay with cash. I also carry ~$10 or so in dimes and quarters in my car in case I find myself needing them for a parking meter. It doesn’t happen often but when it does cash – coins, in this case – is the only option. > > > [@dalej42](#): > > > > casinos are the last bastion of a cash life along with marijuana dispensaries. > > And tattoo parlors and many barber shops. Yeah, I don’t do that shit such as making a tiny purchase with a $100 bill. especially in the morning. If I need to make a small purchase, I’ll use a $20 or $5. ---
**Author:** ![MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@MW\_Degen\_Gamblr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MW_Degen_Gamblr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/192 "2025-01-14T23:50:02Z")
> [@StringsandHammers](#): > > The lack of cash in society has really made being a gigging musician a lot less profitable. > > It used to be if you did a good job and sorta “rocked the house,” you could expect to take home more in tips… nowadays you need some sort of fancy QR code and who has the time to figure out that sort of thing? > > Not that I do this for the money, I’m not an idiot or something. I have never scanned a QR code. I would especially be hesitant to scan a QR code that’s not from a official business, like a random busker or gigging musician. It’s pretty much the same as downloading an app or visiting a website. And I’m VERY picky about which apps I download and which sites I visit. I don’t want to stumble upon things like malware or trackers. Scanning QR codes is like sitting on a toilet seat without covers or tp, or sticking your tongue on a drinking fountain spout. ---
**Author:** ![StringsandHammers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stringsandhammers/32/17933_2.png) [@StringsandHammers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StringsandHammers)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2025, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/193 "2025-01-15T01:40:44Z")
Well you’re only one person. If I’m playing a gig in front of 200 drunk people and my band has a QR code in front of the stage chances are great someone’s going to send something, especially if we’re playing 2 or 3 gigs a week. But again I don’t need the money, I’m medically retired from the service. I get checks auto deposited into my account because of my f\*cked up body. The bigger point is that because we live in a largely cashless society passing around a tip jar nets less results. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/194 "2025-01-17T08:56:00Z")
Very common in the '90s and '00s and was a pretty big hit song “All About the Benjamins” in the late '90s (there was even a “rock remix” for those of you who refuse to acknowledge popular hip-hop culture). I recently got into an argument about another very common slang word that most of people my age know, so I won’t go into it further. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591/195 "2025-01-17T18:19:33Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > Very common in the '90s and '00s and was a pretty big hit song “All About the Benjamins” in the late '90s (there was even a “rock remix” for those of you who refuse to acknowledge popular hip-hop culture). Heck, it was so popular it got the Weird Al treatment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-people-are-weird-about-cash/1012591.md?page=9)