Changes in US paper currency

[PennySycamore]

4 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

I use cash frequently. I find it easier to budget cash. We have bank accounts and are adequately financially educated, that is just what works best for me personally. 

Not everyone who uses cash is impoverished, ill-equipped or lacking a bank account. 

I had to get a new debit card recently and having to pay cash for things did make me more mindful of what I was spending.

[bashfulpixie]

3 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

I had to get a new debit card recently and having to pay cash for things did make me more mindful of what I was spending.

Me too.  With plastic it's too easy to just swipe, where with cash I can actually see it disappear. 

[Maggie Mae]

I'm the opposite. With cash, it reminds me of being a kid when cash was plentiful and didn't mean anything. With a card I can track my purchases and use budgeting software to be mindful of my spending. Cash is so easy to spend. Also it's dirty and old fashioned and kind of gross. 

And using a card is safer. If someone steals my card, I can tell the bank that I didn't make those purchases. If someone steals my wallet full of cash and coin, I'm out whatever amount of money it is. If I want to return an item, Nordstrom can look up purchases based on my card; whereas with cash I have to keep receipts. 

[Witherwings]

18 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

I'm the opposite. With cash, it reminds me of being a kid when cash was plentiful and didn't mean anything. With a card I can track my purchases and use budgeting software to be mindful of my spending. Cash is so easy to spend. Also it's dirty and old fashioned and kind of gross. 

And using a card is safer. If someone steals my card, I can tell the bank that I didn't make those purchases. If someone steals my wallet full of cash and coin, I'm out whatever amount of money it is. If I want to return an item, Nordstrom can look up purchases based on my card; whereas with cash I have to keep receipts. 

I agree with all of this. When I have lived in Europe and Japan, I found it frustrating that they did not use cards as frequently. Many places don't even accept cards. When I travel overseas, I am always sure to have cash on me, whereas, when I travel in the States, I can use my card. I understand this is partially due to the fact that others are not as likely to charge items (vs using a debit card) than we are in the States, but that doesn't mean I don't prefer having a card.

[samurai_sarah]

3 hours ago, Witherwings said:

I agree with all of this. When I have lived in Europe and Japan, I found it frustrating that they did not use cards as frequently. Many places don't even accept cards. When I travel overseas, I am always sure to have cash on me, whereas, when I travel in the States, I can use my card. I understand this is partially due to the fact that others are not as likely to charge items (vs using a debit card) than we are in the States, but that doesn't mean I don't prefer having a card.

In some places in Europe, one of the issues is that banks take months to honour credit card payments. That's not an issue for a large company, but for a small business it can become a major issue.

[Maggie Mae]

The other day, I was thinking about "the mark of the beast" and how I can't wait for it to get here. SO convenient to just have a chip embedded under your skin that controls your ID and money. I HATE having to carry extra things, I really only need my debit card, keys, and ID, and even that seems like too much sometimes. I hate purses and women's clothing designers have something against pockets (because they want to sell more overpriced handbags).