Major Tom
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Until today, I had never heard the word "hundo" and had no idea what it meant. You live and learn!
I wonder how many other things there that it feels as if everyone else has always known except me?
Sometimes you need cash.
- Thread starter Jerry1
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Until today, I had never heard the word "hundo" and had no idea what it meant. You live and learn!
I wonder how many other things there that it feels as if everyone else has always known except me?
I usually have around $400 cash in the safe. The only cash dealings I've had in recent memory have been Craigslist sales. When the cash grows near $1k, half or more goes into the bank.
The same $20 bill has been in my wallet for several years now. Also keep a $10 in my bike seat bag in case I decide to hit a coffee shop. That's safer than carrying a credit card, which I might forget I put there until I need it when shopping.
The same $20 bill has been in my wallet for several years now. Also keep a $10 in my bike seat bag in case I decide to hit a coffee shop. That's safer than carrying a credit card, which I might forget I put there until I need it when shopping.
rk911
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
we do the same but most of our emergency $ are in singles. why? if power is out places may not be able to make change.
NW-Bound
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Of course, cash is still in use and remains legal tender there. I did not watch to keep track, but it appeared that nearly all transactions I saw were done with credit cards or smart phones. Of course, I was happy that I did not have to visit an automatic teller at each of the Scandinavian countries to get the local krones.
A couple of years ago, while in a Portugal grocery store to buy some bread, I gave the teller a 20 or 50-euro bill, trying to break it. The cashier scolded me, saying she did not have enough change in her register to break the bill. It was because most customers paid with credit cards. I had to take out the credit card to pay for the bread, because I did not want to part with the smaller euro denominations that I still had.
NW-Bound
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And then I saw this on the NCL ship we took for the recent transatlantic cruise.
At the ship lobby, I saw a machine that looked like an ATM. Cool, I could get some cash here?
I looked over the shoulders of the few people standing inline, and a cruise ship rep came over to me asking if I needed help.
Said I wanted to see if I could get some euros. He shook his head and said, no people did not take money out. They were depositing cash to settle their incidental bills. Hah! Their credit cards were maxed out?
I charged all incidental bills on this ship to my credit card of course. The total was only a few hundred bucks, but I no longer carry that much cash with me while traveling.
At the ship lobby, I saw a machine that looked like an ATM. Cool, I could get some cash here?
I looked over the shoulders of the few people standing inline, and a cruise ship rep came over to me asking if I needed help.
Said I wanted to see if I could get some euros. He shook his head and said, no people did not take money out. They were depositing cash to settle their incidental bills. Hah! Their credit cards were maxed out?
I charged all incidental bills on this ship to my credit card of course. The total was only a few hundred bucks, but I no longer carry that much cash with me while traveling.
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
i used to keep one large in small bills in my small home safe for "bad times", but now I keep twice as much....inflation.
ownyourfuture
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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Keep between $700 & $1000 at home, + around $150 in my glove compartment.
A couple winters ago, I needed work done on my garage door. When he was done, I asked the guy if payment via credit card was OK ?
He said yes... $200
I thought that sounded a little high, so I asked him if it would be the same if I paid cash ?
Nope... $160
I paid cash.
The only other times I use cash are if I'm picking up food to go.
(Papa Murphy's, noodles and company, etc)
This way I avoid the dreaded tipping screen
A couple winters ago, I needed work done on my garage door. When he was done, I asked the guy if payment via credit card was OK ?
He said yes... $200
I thought that sounded a little high, so I asked him if it would be the same if I paid cash ?
Nope... $160
I paid cash.
The only other times I use cash are if I'm picking up food to go.
(Papa Murphy's, noodles and company, etc)
This way I avoid the dreaded tipping screen
I always carry between $300 to $100 in my wallet all the time. I prefer to pay with cash as much as possible.
I do it because it feels a little more painful to fork over real cash than just swiping a credit card. So that 'pain' helps to keep my spending in check. If a vendor does not accept cash when I want to use it, then I have often walked away.
I had not thought about the comment above that it helps "avoid the dreaded tipping screen" Thinking about it that would be true.
I do it because it feels a little more painful to fork over real cash than just swiping a credit card. So that 'pain' helps to keep my spending in check. If a vendor does not accept cash when I want to use it, then I have often walked away.
I had not thought about the comment above that it helps "avoid the dreaded tipping screen" Thinking about it that would be true.
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Normally I spend about $800-$1000 in cash each month. I don't use my credit card for in-person transactions as much as most of our forum members do.
After unusually severe hurricanes when everything is down, the ATMs may be down. Also it's hard to buy anything around here with credit cards after bad hurricanes, due to lack of connectivity. "Cash is King" around here at times like that. So, we always keep a few thousand in cash in case we need it.
After unusually severe hurricanes when everything is down, the ATMs may be down. Also it's hard to buy anything around here with credit cards after bad hurricanes, due to lack of connectivity. "Cash is King" around here at times like that. So, we always keep a few thousand in cash in case we need it.
I can definitely relate. Until relatively recently, DW and I both felt that any purchase under about $20 called for cash. We have always been reluctant to use a card for those small things. As a result, I always have between $50 and $100 in my wallet.
But cashless transactions have become so easy and convenient, especially when traveling, that we have gradually been coming around to what the whippersnappers do.
I'll always carry cash, but I find myself using it less and less these days.
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
I use my CC each morning at the ROMEO meet up to buy a sr. coffee at MCD's for $0.54.
Me too!
I also carry about $300 cash and keep more at home hidden for emergencies. I use cash for tips where there is no credit card purchase involved. Twice in the last 2 days, I used cash for tips- yesterday to my lawn guy to spread fertilizer and today I tipped the delivery guys who delivered my new refrigerator I bought from Costco.com. The Costco annual rebate is now more difficult to get in cash than before. I don't carry a checkbook anymore, I think I stopped paper checks 20 years or more ago. The hidden cash has come in handy when the power goes out.
I also carry about $300 cash and keep more at home hidden for emergencies. I use cash for tips where there is no credit card purchase involved. Twice in the last 2 days, I used cash for tips- yesterday to my lawn guy to spread fertilizer and today I tipped the delivery guys who delivered my new refrigerator I bought from Costco.com. The Costco annual rebate is now more difficult to get in cash than before. I don't carry a checkbook anymore, I think I stopped paper checks 20 years or more ago. The hidden cash has come in handy when the power goes out.
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
MC Rider
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Easy, just slide that little card in the slot and pull it out when prompted!
Or in some places, just "tap" aka hold it there for a sec. I agree cash is king. The downside is it makes it hard to know what you are spending on. Do you really keep ALL the receipts and enter them in a spreadsheet?
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
Or in some places, just "tap" aka hold it there for a sec. I agree cash is king. The downside is it makes it hard to know what you are spending on. Do you really keep ALL the receipts and enter them in a spreadsheet?
The thing I like about the CC use is I can log in the the CC site and see all my charges. And also look at my balance on the 2% cash back. I used to keep all my receipts, cash or CC, but now I just keep the large ones until my monthly review of the CC charges.
NW-Bound
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Or in some places, just "tap" aka hold it there for a sec. I agree cash is king. The downside is it makes it hard to know what you are spending on. Do you really keep ALL the receipts and enter them in a spreadsheet?
No.
Just look up Quicken which downloads all of my financial transactions. It says that on 6/27, I was charged US$1.40 on my City Advantage card to use the toilet at Gallerian Shopping Mall in Stockholm. On 6/28, it was US$0.47 for the toilet in the park on Djurgarden Island.
Can you keep such records for your cash spending? Heh heh heh...
All I do with Quicken is to click on "Download all". Heh heh heh...
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djsander
Recycles dryer sheets
People mentioning the credit card machine is down and the vendor will only take cash. We ran into that a few years ago and the store pulled out the manual machine, filled out the multiple carbon paper, put the card on and made the imprint! I didn’t even know anybody still had them. Can’t remember where it was. We still carry cash especially when traveling. Pay tips in cash at restaurants. The downside of all the lack of cash it’s a long time between finding change in the parking lot. We will still bend over to pick up a penny.
MC Rider
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I'd rather use cash than leave records of my toilet visits for all time. Do they charge more for #2 than #1? What if you think #1, but it ends up being #2 plus #1? I probably don't want to know.
NW-Bound
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As I mentioned in an earlier post, in Scandinavia even the pay toilets accept credit cards and smartphone apps.
And visitors to these countries should know beforehand that public toilets are not free, except at airport terminals.
And the pay toilet stalls are unisex and completely enclosed. There are no men's public toilets with urinals.
Tourists commonly complain about the cost of taking a leak, but that's the way they do it over there. And the pay toilets are always clean and well maintained. You get what you pay for.
PS. The cost of US$1.50 to visit a toilet (no matter if #1 or #2) is the norm. I was surprised to see the toilet at the park in Djurgarden being so cheap.
PPS. It's not easy to find a pay public toilet. People just go buy a beer (US$10-15) or a coffee (US$5-7) at a restaurant to use the facility.
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CardsFan
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Must have been a while ago. None of my CC's have raised letters anymore, let alone the card numbers in raised letters.
audreyh1
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Right, no more CC raised letters. They would have to fill out the whole thing by hand now.
scrabbler1
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I carry $30-$80 in cash with me, with about another $100 in 10s and 20s in a drawer at home. I used to use CC for transactions over $40, sometimes $30-$40, and cash for less than $30. But when the p pandemic hit, I shifted my ranges down $10.
I still use cash for tips at restaurants even if I pay the check with a CC. During the pandemic, some restaurants removed their portable card readers placed at each table. I won't give my card to the waiter, so I pay cash for the entire check no matter what. I use cash for gas because my local gas station charges 20 cents more per gallon if I use plastic. I use cash for the barber and when I buy a pizza pie, both cost about $25. Our building's laundry room machines use a prepaid card with a chip and the reloader only took cash until recently when you can use plastic to load money on line. I prefer cash, about $10 at a time.
So, per month I use between $80 and $140 in cash.
I remember during the 2003 northeast USA and southern Canada blackout, I lacked the means to light my candles (no matches or lighters). The nearby mini-mart was still open but took only cash, so I was able to buy one for about $1. Thankfully, my neighborhood got its power back after only about 7 hours without it, a far shorter time than most of us here in the LI/NYC area.
I still use cash for tips at restaurants even if I pay the check with a CC. During the pandemic, some restaurants removed their portable card readers placed at each table. I won't give my card to the waiter, so I pay cash for the entire check no matter what. I use cash for gas because my local gas station charges 20 cents more per gallon if I use plastic. I use cash for the barber and when I buy a pizza pie, both cost about $25. Our building's laundry room machines use a prepaid card with a chip and the reloader only took cash until recently when you can use plastic to load money on line. I prefer cash, about $10 at a time.
So, per month I use between $80 and $140 in cash.
I remember during the 2003 northeast USA and southern Canada blackout, I lacked the means to light my candles (no matches or lighters). The nearby mini-mart was still open but took only cash, so I was able to buy one for about $1. Thankfully, my neighborhood got its power back after only about 7 hours without it, a far shorter time than most of us here in the LI/NYC area.
Music Lover
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So, you only saved the amount of the sales tax but they saved reporting income for the entire job. They came out ahead on that deal.
