I guess I'm German. Anyone else here prefer using cash?

[Murphy Slaw]

Originally Posted by jseth

CASH IS KING, BABY!!!

Especially for tipping buskers.....

[C-ville Brent]

I'm mid 50s and use 1 credit card for online (guitar/music related) purchases and those times when a card is required. I started using cash many years ago to stay on budget. Pay day, get cash, and that's what was available to live on until next pay day. I've kept the habit. No auto pays, I write checks and mail from inside the post office for bills. The news sometimes carries stories of hacking and folks stealing card information so I'm a bit concerned with that, especially regarding debit cards. I saw a story a few months ago that Warren Buffet seems to operate via cash for living expenses. If it works for him...

[Pitar]

The plastic monetary system is here to stay until digitally eclipsed, but the security is certainly an after thought.

Problem with technology is it can be manipulated to dastardly ends and there's nothing anyone can do about it. I have no doubt the known security companies are employing hackers to search for ways to breach their latest security measures. It makes perfect sense to do that for the legitimate purpose of developing counter-measures to them. But, what if some enterprising hackers on the payroll are finding breaches and black-marketing them?

It's like the diseases of old, at one time mitigated by antibiotics, have found ways around them and now they're back.

[aknow]

Originally Posted by Tico

Like many Germans in the article below, I carry cash.
My wallet usually has around $200 cash.

Why?
I'm creeped out how the system increasingly abuses our personal info.
What when and where I buy things is nobody's business to exploit.
Cash is the most private way to pay.

When younger I filled up huge cans of coins because I never left the house with change.
Now I carry around a change purse to make exact change.
My goal is to spend all of my 8 trillion coins before I croak.

I do have one CC for online purchases.
All my bills are on auto-pay from my checking account.
I'm not interested in applepay, paypal, bitcoin, or any of those other new ways to pay.

How do you pay for various things?
Do you carry cash?

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/09/72832...-is-still-king

I would never use autopay, apple pay, to pay routine bills. I too am against the never-ending corporate stalking every time I try to shop online. Our elections, our private enterprises, all subject to repetitive hacking by the Chinese, Russians, and who knows who?

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by fazool

It's not a "German" thing (at all) as you say, more of a generational thing.

Retiree-age folks almost always seem to fish around in their purse or pocket to get exact change.

Having a massive collection of coins is, to me, a total nuisance. Go change them in. Roll them and deposit them at the bank.

I agree. We ol' folks, grew up when it was cash or nothing.
Credit cards were a new and for some, scary thing, esp. those who regarded them as "free money" and ran up debts.

I've always been uncomfortable with debt, (another sign of age) and so never needed to pay a credit card a penny.

I've carried credit card(s) since the first came out in the '70s (?)

My wife and I travelled around Europe quite a bit in the '80s and '90s and some southern countries were slower to adopt credit cards and so it was cash only for some years.

I welcomed credit cards, but not as "credit" and also the ability to manage matters online.

[KevWind]

What is interesting and there may have been a thread about this but many smaller businesses are now accepting only cards no cash. It has raised some controversy also.
But apparently the reason is that when all is said and done it is logistically better (and presumably cost the merchant less) than ringing up cash sales, mistakes, employee theft , time making change, and dealing with cash deposits ect.

[vubui]

I live in Sweden, which (if all goes well) will be a completely cashless nation by 2023. I never have cash in Sweden, and haven’t for maybe 5 years. Digital or card payments are easy, secure, and of course more sanitary than cash. And they are considerably more convenient. When I lived in the US I wasn’t the best at remembering to go get cash from the ATM before needing it.

I’m all for a cashless life, most payments I make on a daily basis at restaurants, grocery stores or other shops are done by tapping my Apple Watch. The rest are done over the internet.

I do travel about a third of the year though, so I need cash for other countries and to be honest it’s a real pain. I have a drawer full of smaller amounts of cash and coins in maybe 10 or so currencies because unless I have a considerable amount I usually am not motivated enough to exchange it when heading home.

[MikeBmusic]

I played at a farmers market on Saturday, most of the vendors will take cash or credit cards (some fresh food vendors even take WIC - food stamp cards). No shortage of cash, though, and never saw anyone who looked they would tip me via a card/app.

[6L6]

I only deal in cash when it comes to selling guitars and other related gear.

I do my deals in a private room at my bank (free of charge) or my local Police Station. Never had a problem.

[imwjl]

I sure get some of these reasons.

My unusual work arrangement is 17 years with my business filling the exec level job at a much larger one. I need speed and simplification for "gig economy" to work.

Serving on nonprofit boards and lots of volunteer work are a reminder of the labor issue.

My core job in IT security gives understanding for other issues such as crime. I'm fine with the moves that make it harder for some to skirt the rules. The way some criminals use cash has been apparent where I work. On one of our returns from Cayman Islands I observed at the car rental return the dad give each of the family and his girl's boyfriend a big wad of cash where I wondered if each was the maximum amount US customs allows. Most of us don't get $50,000 of play money without paying taxes.

My wife's German and she's sure a fan of Apple Pay.

[vubui]

For cashless to work you also do need a substitute. In Sweden the 6 major banks got together years ago and created a payment system called Swish that functions similar to PayPal or Venmo in how you can easily send money to people, except that it comes directly from your bank account and goes directly into theirs with no delay, it’s instant. And it’s free, no fee.

So when doing what would have previously been a cash deal, like selling used gear, you show up, inspect the stuff, then Swish the payment. It’s completely secure and foolproof because it’s not tied to a credit card which could be stolen.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by vubui

For cashless to work you also do need a substitute. In Sweden the 6 major banks got together years ago and created a payment system called Swish that functions similar to PayPal or Venmo in how you can easily send money to people, except that it comes directly from your bank account and goes directly into theirs with no delay, it’s instant. And it’s free, no fee.

So when doing what would have previously been a cash deal, like selling used gear, you show up, inspect the stuff, then Swish the payment. It’s completely secure and foolproof because it’s not tied to a credit card which could be stolen.

Same here in the UK. Instant transfer from account to account. Cleared, irreversible, safe and final. Why bother with all those unfoldable plastic notes ?