Where Do You Get Cash? I’m confused...

[latexman]

We get $100 or $200 back when we use our debit card at the grocery store. That's one way. Also, an ATM.

 

[Mmm Rrr]

I get $120 or so every few months as payment for an occasional cat sitting job. I use cash so infrequently that it builds up. When I cash in my Costco rebate, I have to concentrate on paying with cash for a while or give money to my nieces.

 

[kgtest]

One way to do it without going to the bank is to pay for a group dinner and have everyone give you cash...oh wait, now there are apps for that...

I goto ATM, don't use cash often. Maybe > $1,000 /yr. Go to the ATM maybe once a month if that. Even the Girl Scouts take plastic now! I just charged something for $1. Why not.

 

[Rustic23]

ATM

 

[Looking4Ward]

Every time I go to Walmart, I always get $60 cash back when I pay with my Discover credit card.

That way I'm floating cash until the end of the month and get 1% cash back.

 

[grasshopper]

Ms G is the treasurer of the library, we write a check for cash deposits to put in the night depository. Maybe $50 a month, seems to pay for small things here and there.

 

[Squirrel]

I like not feeling poor.

Me too -- but $60 in my wallet makes me feel rich!

I get cash at the grocery store ATM or the closest branch of my bank.

We use cash at small businesses -- especially at mom/pop places that don't take the credit cards that have high fees.

So, cash at the local Asian restaurant (Doesn't take Discover or Visa -- found that out the hard way We were able to scrounge up enough cash for the meal, but we had to send DD back 20 minutes later with the tip. );

Cash for tips; cash at the dog groomer's; cash at the thrift store; cash at the Mexican restaurant; cash at the hospital cafeteria; cash for lemonaide stands ....

I suspect that being regular, cash customers gets us better service in some instances.

Also, in this day of constant electronic tracking, (Your car knows when you gain weight, NYT 5/20/2019) I like not having every-single-transaction residing in a data farm somewhere. Unless the drones are following me to Casa Tomas!

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

I sold a couple things on Facebook marketplace. Thats bern my cash or a while

 

[aaronc879]

I think I have used an ATM maybe three times in my life. I just go to the drive thru of my Credit Union and withdraw $1000 every 3-4 months. That pays for groceries, gas and all other cash expenditures.

 

[Lewis Clark]

I usually get cash by walking into a bank branch.

Most ATM machines in my area are for driving up in a car. Due to some past shoulder problems, I find it difficult to operate ATM machine from inside the car, so I just go into bank branch. It is not inconvenient for me, and I don't go very often, and I choose times when the branch is not very busy. When I get cash, usually get enough to last a month or so.

 

[aja8888]

Whenever I need some cash, usually $20, I just ask DW for it . She has the ATM card. I hate going to the bank. According to our bank statement, she draws out about $200/month for her uses (nails done, occasional lunch out).

 

[Marita40]

Interesting that so many here use cash. I never do at all, unless I've traveling and then will stick some bills in my wallet for back up if needed. Everything goes on my rewards credit card and gets paid off at the end of the month.

 

[GenXguy]

I don't use cash much except at drive-through windows, which I don't use all that much, so I go through my cash pretty slowly. When I eventually want to replenish my cash, I use my debit card at an ATM, but I never use my debit card anywhere else, but rather, I used credit cards.

 

[11522914]

I rarely use cash. Charge everything. But when I occasionally go to Target I get $40 cash back. Will last me months.

 

[N02L84ER]

I have been to an ATM once in the past 5 years. I use Discover at Sam's, Walmart, or the grocery store and get $50 - $60 cash on average twice a month. If we get a birthday or anniversary gift check, we usually take some in cash. We primarily use the cash for tips and inexpensive lunches and we spent $20 on girl scout cookies this week.

 

[jazz4cash]

I rarely use cash. Charge everything. But when I occasionally go to Target I get $40 cash back. Will last me months.

+1
I didn't say I used a lot of cash, I just said I don't want or think it can go away. An ATM withdrawal of $200 will last 3 months. I need to learn the technique of cash back from the register. That would have never occured to me. I watched someone get cash back at the grocery store the other day and I thought it was cool to walk out of the store with more cash than you went in with.

 

[racy]

I wish cash would go away.

I wish the little old ladies at the checkout, who open their purse, search for their coin purse, get out a handful of change and start counting nickels, dimes and pennies, would go away

 

[Dtail]

I only get cash from my local BOA ATM machine.
I use around 4 stores in that strip mall, which is 10 minutes away, so very convenient.

 

[geeky_grrl]

I use the ATM when I need cash (every month or two). I use cash at yard sales, to tip at bars, and at marijuana dispensaries.

I do my checking at Schwab and so I don't have a local branch to get money from but they rebate fees from any ATMs. I never use a debit card.

 

[dixonge]

In a recent thread, many/most replies said they hoped cash never goes away, at least for smaller purchases. Many went on to say they only used credit cards for purchases above $20 or thereabouts.

Then today there’s a thread where many/most say they don’t use their ATM cards often.



So where are you (even limited) cash users getting your cash if not at an ATM? Bank walk in? Cash back with (grocery) purchases? Larger bank withdrawals for a cash stash at home?

DW and I usually use a nearby ATM to take out $40/week each for “allowance” to buy all sorts of small incidental purchases (lunch, snacks, 1-2 items at grocery, etc.).

https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/how-long-before-cash-is-obsolete-102245.html

https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/is-paper-really-that-expensive-102307.html

We used a lot less cash when we lived in the states, but this last trip was crazy. With my new Apple Card and watch and ApplePay I just double-tapped my watch button and money magically moved around the internets. I used it *everywhere* - needed cash even less than usual.

Back home in Mexico, not so much. We get a few hundred out every 3 weeks or so, and that covers all expenses including rent. Lately I've been using the apple card for groceries though, but only at the big stores. Also Uber. It's still a big cash society down here though...

 

[Midpack]

I’m still surprised at how little cash most here seem to be using. In another article I read cash was used for 85% of transactions worldwide, 40% in the US.

The 2018 report on the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (DCPC) was the fourth Diary study conducted by the Federal Reserve. A demographically-representative sample of approximately 2,800 individuals participated in the Diary in October 2017. Findings from the 2017 DCPC show:

• Cash continues to be the most frequently used payment instrument, representing 30 percent of all transactions and 55 percent of transactions under $10.
• While online shopping continues to grow, 77 percent of payments were made in-person.1 For these in-person payments, cash accounted for 39 percent of the volume.
• Survey respondents between 18 to 25 years of age and those 45 years and older use cash approximately 34 percent of the time to pay for transactions.
• In 2017, consumers held more cash on average than their 2015 and 2016 counterparts, though the difference was not statistically significant.

https://www.frbsf.org/cash/publicat...gs-from-the-diary-of-consumer-payment-choice/

The drawbacks of these digital alternatives are evidenced by the resilience of cash. Eighty-five percent of all transactions globally (and 40 percent in the United States) are still carried out using cash, particularly transactions involving small amounts of money. There are good reasons why that is the case. Cash is convenient. Cash is private. Cash is intuitive. Cash does not incur explicit transactions costs.

https://slate.com/technology/2015/0...rcent-of-transactions-still-involve-cash.html

 

[ls99]

I wish the little old ladies at the checkout, who open their purse, search for their coin purse, get out a handful of change and start counting nickels, dimes and pennies, would go away

Then there are the folks who can't remember their pin, or zip code, or just have fumble fingers and takes them three or four tries to complete the transaction. Each time the cashier has to re-initialize the transaction.
Just a few days ago I walked out of a store behind such a comedy routine, leaving the merchandise on the cashier's counter. I was followed out the door by three other customers in the same manner.

I use cash (from ATM) for all under $20 transactions. Won't feed the tracking trolls of where and when I have coffee or ice cream or KitKat etc.

Besides it is cheap entertainment giving the cashier pennies, and them trying to figure out change when the register is not working.
Darn kids can't do arithmetic, even using their fingers and toes.

 

[brett]

We withdraw $200 at a time from the ATM. It can last us a week, it can last us for two months...or anything in between. Our first choice is always a credit card.

 

[Sue J]

I go to the bank in our grocery store the last few days of the month and I get cash for the next month. We use cash for all local spending which is grocery stores, Walmart, Home Depot, etc, and eating out. So it’s usually under $1500/month. I don’t use the ATM because of their amount limits.

DH likes the reality of using cash. I used to enjoy playing the credit card rebate game but when DH retired I asked him to get involved in our finances and he asked that we try paying cash for things. Now, I also like using cash.

DH using cash for local spending is still his only involvement in the finances. But at least he got that far. I tried.

 

[audreyh1]

I’m still surprised at how little cash most here seem to be using. In another article I read cash was used for 85% of transactions worldwide, 40% in the US.

Well, what do you and your wife use cash for?

This group is often very different than the general population.