Cash?

[Carter]

When checking out of a nearby good quality grocery store last Sunday afternoon I offered cash instead of plastic since the total was less than $25. The young lady I handed the money to looked at my wife and I, smiled and told us "You're the first people to give me money all day." She opened at 9am and it was about 4 at that time.

I was supprised, no cash?

Comments?

[Lifer]

Wait until you do that when the computer's down and she has to call her supervisor to figure out how much change you have coming back. Kids don't learn how to do that any more.

[Master Yota]

I'm not really that surprised by this. I never carry cash anymore - debit or visa is just too convenient. And its far less painful to enter my PIN number, than to watch some college educated cashier try and fail to count change correctly. The cashless society is here, as predicted in the '80's, and the need for mathematical education has dropped following the trend of not having to count money anymore.

The only time I every use cash anymore is if I'm making an larger purchase at the parts store. Cash dosen't leave a paper trail for the wife to follow and get mad at me...

[SOTVEN]

Wait until you do that when the computer's down and she has to call her supervisor to figure out how much change you have coming back. Kids don't learn how to do that any more.

BAHAHAHAHA!!!! SO TRUE LIFER!!!

[SOTVEN]

The only time I every use cash anymore is if I'm making an larger purchase at the parts store. Cash dosen't leave a paper trail for the wife to follow and get mad at me...

THIS WAY YOU MANAGE TO STAY AWAY FROM THE "CLUB AND SPADE" PART HAHAHAHA

THERE WAS A TIME THAT I COULD BARTER OVER EXPENSIVE (?) THINGS WITH CASH IN MY HAND AS OPPOSED TO PLASTIC OR CHECK. NOWADAYS VERY FEW VENDORS BOTHER DIFFERENTIATE. IT STILL HAPPENS THOUGH. AS FOR PEOPLE NOT USING CASH, BESIDES THE AFFOREMENTIONED REASONS, I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT MANY PEOPLE SPENT NOW, NEXT MONTH'S PAY. SO, IN THE END THEY ONLY HAVE PLASTIC MONEY WITH 20SOMETHING %INTEREST TO BUY GAS AND FOOD. GO FIGURE.

[Master Yota]

The only time I every use cash anymore is if I'm making an larger purchase at the parts store. Cash dosen't leave a paper trail for the wife to follow and get mad at me...

THIS WAY YOU MANAGE TO STAY AWAY FROM THE "CLUB AND SPADE" PART HAHAHAHA

THERE WAS A TIME THAT I COULD BARTER OVER EXPENSIVE (?) THINGS WITH CASH IN MY HAND AS OPPOSED TO PLASTIC OR CHECK. NOWADAYS VERY FEW VENDORS BOTHER DIFFERENTIATE. IT STILL HAPPENS THOUGH. AS FOR PEOPLE NOT USING CASH, BESIDES THE AFFOREMENTIONED REASONS, I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT MANY PEOPLE SPENT NOW, NEXT MONTH'S PAY. SO, IN THE END THEY ONLY HAVE PLASTIC MONEY WITH 20SOMETHING %INTEREST TO BUY GAS AND FOOD. GO FIGURE.

There is a definite danger to overspending with plastic money. Its very easy to do, as most people don't keep a mental conection to their bank account, the same way that cash has a physical connection. You can see the wallet becomming empty, and then make the needed changes to your spending. I've seen alot people with surprised looks on thier faces when the plastic card gets declined...

(Its hilarious until it happens to you... )

[Lifer]

I think young kids just starting out should be paid in cash for their first year in the "real world." This pay should be in the form of one-dollar bills and coins. Assuming that they take home $450 per week on a minimum wage job, that's a pretty thick wad of cash. They will be very pleawed to get it. Then, imagine the loooks on their faces when they discover how fast it disappears! When I was still in the service, I had young troops running afoul of the bank (and the commander) for overdrawing their accounts all the time. They honestly thought that as long as they had blank checks in the checkbook, they still had money in the bank. This was before debit cards came into being. I'm sure the problem is even worse, now.

[SOTVEN]

THEY SAY THAT MONEY TALKS, WELL IN THAT CASE MINE ONLY KNOWS HOW TO SAY "GOODBYE"

[Lifer]

Yes, but yours can say "goodbye" in more than one language!

(So can mine!)

[MikeOneSix]

There is a definite danger to overspending with plastic money. Its very easy to do, as most people don't keep a mental conection to their bank account, the same way that cash has a physical connection. You can see the wallet becomming empty, and then make the needed changes to your spending. I've seen alot people with surprised looks on thier faces when the plastic card gets declined...

(Its hilarious until it happens to you... )

Truer words were never posted . I've been slowly making the switch back to cash from plastic for the above mentioned reasons.

Matt

[Carter]

Plastic & credit do seem to be the way most folks "spend" these days, just struck me as unusual that no cash changed hands at the grocery store even when making small purchases. Large ones are a different story as most seem not to have enough reserve to buy the big items we all need from time to time. Last summer Sandy wanted a new car and when it was time to pay for it we were told that a "better deal" ? for us was to finance the buy and get a discount from the MSRP stated on the sticker, however when the interest was figured in at 14.9% over time I was better off paying in full instead of taking the sales persons advice. Credit does have it's place in our society but I feel I am still better off carrying and using cash and paying as I go.

[SOTVEN]

Yes, but yours can say "goodbye" in more than one language!

(So can mine!)

LIFER, WE ARE TWICE AS DOOMED!!! LOL

[MSeriesRebuild]

We don't accept cards; WHY? Don't get me wrong, if we were a parts vending business, then we probably would take them. The truth for those who never thought about it, every transaction with a credit card cost the SELLER a percentage of the purchase price of the item or service. If you do less than a preset number of transactions monthly, there is a penalty fee charged again to the seller. Who pays for this? The price of the item or service is padded to cover these extra cost; so the buyer is actually paying extra for the card use convenience. We are able to offer customers a better rate on parts and services because we have no added fees from credit card Companies. Now what hurts my feelings worse than anything is an instance like Cater mentioned, the store where he paid cash made more profit on his cash transaction than they would from a customer paying with a card, because they saved the transaction percentage charge on his purchase. The minimum wage earner working at the check out may love cards over cash; but since the prices are set to cover the credit card fees, the wise merchant loves to see a person pay with cash, more profit in his pocket.

Now how many of you with excellent credit ratings have been declined credit cards?? Here's a true story.

We have a local Marathon fuel station that offers a .13 per gallon rebate on all fuel purchases every day if paid for with a Marathon Credit Card. I thought about the savings we would recognize monthly by taking advantage of this rebate for Company fuel purchases; so I picked up a form to apply for the Marathon Card, filled it out and sent it in. A couple of weeks later, we received a letter from the card company saying our request had been denied. My first thought was something was wrong because I knew our credit rating was excellent and always has been. I continued to read the attached letter which stated that we had been an excellent customer for years, but our payment record had proven that it would be more costly for the card company to service the account than they could profit from us; request denied. Long story short; if you don't run up a huge tab and string it out so they can make huge profits from interest payments; you aren't worth the trouble. We have Company cards we use for various purchases, the balance is paid in full each billing cycle, so we pay no interest on the accounts. Therefore, if you pay on time, you are not a good customer; if you get behind on your minimum payment, they try too and will ruin you for life. Makes me wonder just where the system is headed with the high promotion of card use; responsible people, they don't want, irresponsible people they can't afford; the folks who will just string it along they love. But what are these people enjoying by using a card, convenience? Maybe, but it is indeed high priced convenience after all is considered. Moral of the story, the fees charged to the seller's are no longer enough for the greedy card companies; they want that interest too. NOTHING is free, convenience is nice, but it ain't free.

[Master Yota]

You're absolutley right Charles. Big credit companies learned along time ago that there was more money to made in service charges and interest that there ever was in selling merchandise. Sears is a prime example of this trend. An acct. with Sears carries a 28% interest charge per year. The average Visa or Mastercard is around 18% per year. With the average 5-10K limit, its not hard to see how these companies can make alot of money, for doing nothing. And its really easy to see how people can get into trouble. The biggest issue is that for 90% of the average working Joe's a big ticket item cannot be purchased without using credit of some sort. Its just plain easier to come up with a 25 dollar a month payment on the never-never plan than it is to fork out 2 or 3 thousand dollars in one shot. I see alot of people up here with new trucks, two quads, two snomobiles, a boat, a nice holiday trailer or camper, and a house, and for the life of me I can't figure out how they get all this stuff. I suppose its pretty easy to do if you make small payments, for the rest of your life. If lucky, some of these people might even own thier stuff by the time they retire...

[Lifer]

....and that is exactly why I do not have a credit card and don't plan to ever have one. Not having one makes it nearly impossible to rent a car, though. None of the major rental agencies will accept a cash transaction. The reason? If you "forget" to bring it back or damage it beyond what their insurance will cover, they apply their costs to your credit card and you have just bought a car.