The Coffee House

[JonA_CT]

I very infrequently carry any more than a petty amount of cash with me, and I'm not likely start.

It's 2017. If companies are appealing directly to consumers and don't take a credit/debit cards, I think they are probably losing out on potential customers. The brewery that I'm involved with that is opening next spring will actually be relying on people not paying with cash often, and the fees, which are relatively small, for the Square system they will be using were easily rolled into the cost of doing business.

My trip several years ago to Iceland was fascinating. Because their currency was inflated so much when the stock markets fell, cash pretty much went away there. It wasn't reasonable to carry it in such large amounts, and their habits haven't changed since their recovery. I paid what was essentially about 45 cents to use a public bathroom there, and I could use a credit card to pay for that. I didn't see anyone use cash at any point in the three days I was there.

Of course, a company that doesn't sell direct to consumers can get away without accepting credit. Then again, I'd also bet that JC isn't taking huge wads of money in his pockets with him when he walks out after a successful sale .

 

[Gary A.]

Out here, for small items, a coffee, a snack, et al, most young people use a credit/debit card, while most older folk use cash.

 

[Gary A.]

Buenas Dias Coffee Hosers. Looks like Gary's Dodgers are are firing in all cylinders ... everything is clicking, offense, defense, coaching, the peanut guy ... everything.

 

[smoke665]

@JonA_CT the other reason I use CCs rather than cash is because I rely heavily on Quicken and Quick Books for record keeping. It's far easier to download transactions and categorize quickly then to have to keep up with cash expenditures. One thing I've found amusing is that certain large truck stops have a cash price and a credit price, but we belong to an RV group that when we swipe the card, not only do we get the cash price, but it gives us an $.08/gal discount at the pumps, and we get a 5% cash back on the CC purchase. Win/win/win!

 

[limr36 6]

Hey hosers.

I still like to carry cash and use it to pay for smaller purchases in stores. I find that if I take out a set amount of cash each pay day, it helps me keep expenditures down because I can see exactly what I am spending and what I have left for the week. I don't like using a card for less than $20, and I especially hate using a card for anything less than $10. This situation usually happens when I want a cup of coffee or something at work. If I don't have the cash to cover a cup of coffee or a sandwich, then in my mind, it's the same thing as not having enough money to pay for it. Only when I am desperate to I resort to using my card.

 

[smoke665]

@limr I think many people have a fear of running up charges on a card. We do not carry over balances, but pay the balance in full every month. This was a learned process over many years, so for us its a combination of keeping track mentally of our balances, and the fact that transactions are regularly downloaded several times per week, making it easier to keep track of where we are.

 

[SquarePeg43 4]

When I first switched from cash and debit to all credit, I was shocked when I got the first cc bill at how much I was spending just on everyday stuff like lunches and gas and groceries. I hadn’t realized it with the debit card and taking cash at the ATM. Seeing all the charges lined up like that made me start thinking of where I could be cutting back. For me, and this is definitely a “different strokes” thing, knowing that bill is coming and has to be paid in full makes me think twice before I buy anything. It also really helped me create and stick to a budget.

 

[limr36 6]

@limr I think many people have a fear of running up charges on a card. We do not carry over balances, but pay the balance in full every month. This was a learned process over many years, so for us its a combination of keeping track mentally of our balances, and the fact that transactions are regularly downloaded several times per week, making it easier to keep track of where we are.

I also learned the hard way to be careful of this, but honestly, that's not really why I don't like using cards for the small purchases. It's an old habit, held over from the days when using a credit card for groceries, for example, meant that things were so tight that I couldn't even eat without using credit. And the thought that I would need to charge even a cup of coffee so depressed me that I still have a very strong reaction to it.

And yes, I know a debit card is not the same thing, and I do use it when the grocery bill is higher or something like that. And I do use the credit card that carries points and then pay it regularly.

For for small, daily purchases, old habits die hard.

 

[jcdeboever]

I very infrequently carry any more than a petty amount of cash with me, and I'm not likely start.

It's 2017. If companies are appealing directly to consumers and don't take a credit/debit cards, I think they are probably losing out on potential customers. The brewery that I'm involved with that is opening next spring will actually be relying on people not paying with cash often, and the fees, which are relatively small, for the Square system they will be using were easily rolled into the cost of doing business.

My trip several years ago to Iceland was fascinating. Because their currency was inflated so much when the stock markets fell, cash pretty much went away there. It wasn't reasonable to carry it in such large amounts, and their habits haven't changed since their recovery. I paid what was essentially about 45 cents to use a public bathroom there, and I could use a credit card to pay for that. I didn't see anyone use cash at any point in the three days I was there.

Of course, a company that doesn't sell direct to consumers can get away without accepting credit. Then again, I'd also bet that JC isn't taking huge wads of money in his pockets with him when he walks out after a successful sale .

Correct, just fat checks made out to the company

 

[smoke665]

old habits die hard.

Agreed on that!!! I refuse to use a debit card, my wife has one for emergency but we "never" use it to pay for anything. I don't want anyone with direct access into a bank account. I've had purchases go bad, and learned the hard way, it's easier to get a credit card charge removed than to get money back into my account. Sort of "he who holds the cash has the advantage". I follow a layer approach to all financial dealings.

 

[jcdeboever]

When I first switched from cash and debit to all credit, I was shocked when I got the first cc bill at how much I was spending just on everyday stuff like lunches and gas and groceries. I hadn’t realized it with the debit card and taking cash at the ATM. Seeing all the charges lined up like that made me start thinking of where I could be cutting back. For me, and this is definitely a “different strokes” thing, knowing that bill is coming and has to be paid in full makes me think twice before I buy anything. It also really helped me create and stick to a budget.

I take out cash every Friday and use that. I rarely use the debit card. I like to budget myself. I use one credit card for online purchases and that gets paid off at statement time via internet, I even budget for that. I don't autopay any bills either as they are entered in a budget. My budget is toast but I will not go into all that other to say, no more online purchases for me the rest of the year, I cut my own planned purchases. I had x amount in the budget for Christmas presents, well that is being cut but got a feeling the wife is gonna trump all over it. Shoot me now

 

[terri41 13]

Hey hosers.

I still like to carry cash and use it to pay for smaller purchases in stores. I find that if I take out a set amount of cash each pay day, it helps me keep expenditures down because I can see exactly what I am spending and what I have left for the week. I don't like using a card for less than $20, and I especially hate using a card for anything less than $10. This situation usually happens when I want a cup of coffee or something at work. If I don't have the cash to cover a cup of coffee or a sandwich, then in my mind, it's the same thing as not having enough money to pay for it. Only when I am desperate to I resort to using my card.

Totally agree - I love to have simple, old-fashioned "mad money" for small items like a quick coffee or random small pickup at the store. The transaction is done, nothing to show up on my statement that I need to reconcile - keeps life simple. Which I prefer.

 

[terri41 13]

Ugh. Had the sonogram on Friday, doctor's office called this evening. They can't tell what the mass is from the sonogram, so now I get to have my first MRI. The problem with that is, after 33 years, my size 12-1/2 wedding band is on a size 16, or so, finger.

Ice and olive oil only makes the pain a bit easier to handle. I'll either have to convince them that gold is not magnetic and therefore not a problem with the equipment, or I'll have to get the ring cut off.

I hope that all of it goes quickly and easily for you, Charlie.

I had a lumbar MRI a year or 2 ago - first one for me, too. Being in that tube was not a good place to discover that, why yes, I am claustrophobic. Had no idea I would react like I did. I barely got through it, they had to keep talking to me, and then had to peel the table paper off of me from having broken out in panic sweat. Strange experience.

 

[SquarePeg43 4]

I do keep a bit of cash on hand for the Princess's allowance and the 8000 other times each week that she has her hand out! I put her on a budget recently since having a teenage daughter is like this:

 

[smoke665]

@SquarePeg Sorry I just had to laugh, apparently teenage girls haven't changed much since my daughter was that age. She followed the belief that "she couldn't be out of money, she still had checks in her checkbook".