by We live in the world of virtual money — but has the ATM card replaced the money in your pocket?
I know so many people who swear away from ATM cards and prefer to carry hard cash in their pocket and I wonder why they risk robbery and forsake the safety of the electronic transaction.
If I carry cash in pocket, it is usually under twenty dollars. I’m not even sure why I carry that much cash when everything I need to buy can be bought with an ATM card.
I know people — “regular people” not rich people — who routinely carry $600-$900 in their pockets every single day!
What are they doing with that much cash in pocket?
I know they are not selling drugs or buying and selling in the grey market — but I have no idea what they plan to spend so much money on every day.
I can’t directly ask them what they’re doing with all that cash in hand — rent and vig rates and lease terms are always fair game in The Big City — but hard cash is, for some reason, a different game with a wild-eyed drummer and a riskier strategy against the living.
That is crazy — carrying around that much money, I mean. My friend Joe always tells me I should have an emergency $20 on me at all times JUST IN CASE but I have yet to do that. There have been a few times when that emergency twenty would have done wonders. However, in general I never carry cash. 🙂
I don’t know why I know so many people who carry around “wads of cash” — but I do and they do and they flash it and they aren’t mobsters or drug dealers.
I guess they’re just Olde Skool and they like to hold their money instead of investing it in a bank? I don’t get it, really, and I purposefully carry as little cash as possible… more out of fear of spending it than fear of losing it…
My tax guy routinely carries at least $300 in his wallet every day… for tips and stuff? I don’t know. I do know he he mocks me because I never have any cash on hand when it’s my turn to buy.
Are these men showing wads, David? Any women? I don’t carry paper money very much but I do have lots of coins. You can’t feed a meter or buy a hotdog on the street with atm.
Ha! Yes! It’s always men with the big wads, Anne! Do you think they’re stuffing their pockets to show how happy they are to meet me? Heh! I don’t remember any women flashing cash — and you’re right that it is usually “women to the rescue” when it comes to feeding the meter or buying a dirty water dog.
I am absolutely a “cashless” person David, I do not carry cash unless it is planned.
But you are right, I have seen people carry and flash cash along with their “n” number credit cards…
I think it satisfies them somehow…
I suppose it is a sense of safety factor, Katha. Cash in hand means you don’t have to rely on the electric grid to do business.