Cash. Is the word part of your daily or even weekly vocabulary anymore? Isn’t it frustrating going somewhere with a card minimum or “cash only” sign posted? In our current generation, almost everything is electronic, from our social interactions to our life planning and handling. The common saying, “It didn’t happen if it’s not on snap or insta” is practically words we live by. That said, perhaps the most intriguing function of everyday life that continues to astound me is the handling of our financials. Since I opened a bank account and participated in direct deposit I practically never handled cash. In fact, I hated it. The bills, change, the clutter they create, and the constant fear of losing a tangible means ofsupport was anxiety producing. My first week of the semester I had carried $300 cash with me that I was supposed to deposit in my account and, by the third day, I thought I lost it and almost lost my head. My poor roommate had to watch me cry (sorry Nicole).
That kind of hassle is not for me, which is why you’ll rarely see me with more than my phone in my hand. My phone electronically holds my accounts for Apple Pay and the rest is stored in the hand sticky card holder on the back of my phone. (Praise the Rutgers freebies!) I’m sure you can relate, because even at tabling events for bake sales and donations there are Square and Venmo alternatives. When you go to Easton and suddenly forgot your own cards or meet the infamous “cash only” or “card minimum” Venmo swoops in as the heroic alternative, no one gets ripped off and sometimes I find it easier to meet the darn card minimum if I lump our orders.
The downfall? Security and ease of spending but this is where in my case the positives outweigh the odds. With digital transactions, I have a detailed journal of all my expenses and with a slew of apps I can handle my spending and keep track of fishy behavior. I don’t know about you but I certainly haven’t carried cash in a while and don’t regret it…
*Disclaimer: Maybe you should have a safety stock of cash around though, as the rest of the world still relies highly on cash.