I like to buy and sell guitars, motorcycles, surfboards and other cool used and vintage stuff. I always have a cash stash for yard sales and flea markets. My renter pays me in cash. If the stash starts to get too big, I buy groceries and pay for restaurant meals in cash. Virtually everything else goes on the card including bills, especially new products like tools and appliances.
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It would be interesting to ask about how many people write checks today rather than use a credit card (or Paypal).
I wonder how much of the cash economy is specifically motivated by wanting to avoid paying sales or other taxes.
Jeff
I don’t write checks in stores, but pay credit card, and other bills, with paper checks.
Steve…envelope glue, yum!
From my personal experience, its more often for peer to peer transactions. I’ve bought and sold a few lower priced used cars - always for cash. Yes, there are things like Paypal and Zelle, but can those really be trusted? Aren’t there ways to undo a transaction or fail to transfer the money? But when you’re dealing with cash you know you are getting paid.
Zelle and paypal are great for people you already trust. And they’re OK for smaller amounts even with people you don’t trust. The potential loss isn’t too big, and there is little reason to make fake transfers for those amounts.
–Peter
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It’s nice to see that the majority of folks who responded to the poll use credit cards for payment. As long as you pay the monthly balance in its entirety every month, credit cards are a great tool. Many offer cash back or double points or whatever, and credit cards give you some margin of protection over a debit card if a transaction does not pan out as expected (faulty product, failed to deliver, etc.). I was surprised that the number of folks using credit is so high, but I guess that’s because many here are financially astute!!!
(I’m not saying Steve is not financially astute by paying his bills with checks - he just prefers tasting the glue!) 
'38Packard
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The one thing I would avoid doing is using a debit card. If someone else gets through the security they can clear out your bank account. There really is no insurance on that. Unlike a credit card.
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While I seldom use cash, I keep a good-sized stash at home just in case.
Enough to make it to a border if necessary. And enough in foreign accounts to let me get established.
And as a dual-citizen, I keep a second passport available.
These are troubled times, you never know when they might become desperate times.
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Neuro,
Here I thought you were a great guy.
Go Blues!
10 years ago when my husband was applying for a K1 visa we needed to take a specific monetary instrument to the Embassy in Stockholm. I can’t remember what it was, like a certified check. He’s Norwegian, so we needed to exchange Norwegian currency for Swedish, then get this instrument. The Embassy in Oslo did not conduct in-person interviews, hence Stockholm.
We had a hard time finding a bank that dealt with cash.
We stopped at several banks along the 8 hour drive from Oslo to Stockholm. Nope. No cash transactions.
We went to a bank in Stockholm that was manned by two people, but they didn’t do anything with cash. They did point us to an exchange office that could complete what we needed. It was not a bank.
It was definitely a clash of cultures. Nordic Cashless vs US Government aversion to non Cash.
That being said, I have some cash at home (unusual) because I closed a bank account in a fit of pique. I should take it to newbank.
B
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I could not participate in the survey - The “in my pants” option was missing.
Whether cash, credit card or stored value (Clipper card), all three are in my pant pocket 
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In August in Dublin going from EUR to USD meant going to a special window near Trinity. The banks would not do it. In fact one bank in the Trinity area was not manned. It had only ATMs in the lobby. There were stairs to go up if you had an appointment.
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When it is in your pants it is best to participate. 
HAHAHAHA!!! I’m so sorry HoHum!! How could I have missed that option?
I’ll do my best to include that option next time - just for you 
'38Packard
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Per the old “Parks & Rec” line , the options, in this case, are literally “in my pants” with all four (not three) - debit card, credit card, cash, stored value card (Clipper card) there. Credit card gets the most use, followed by cash, then stored value, and lastly, debit card
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I mostly use my phone (Apple Pay) to pay for things nowadays. Next most often is a physical credit card, but less and less often as more places are adding electronic means. And I use cash very rarely, basically only $2 for a lottery ticket now and then. And I write one or two checks a year at this point.
I don’t even use cash for small purchases, and neither do my kids. For example, when they get a slushee at 7-11 for $1-2, they still use Apple Pay on their phone.
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I use a CC most of the time. I try to not use it for small purchases (<$5) because the merchants get hit with higher fees for smaller average purchases…but I often forget and don’t have any cash.
Mike
I use my CC for almost all purchases and usually via Apple Pay and my iPhone. It is so damn convenient and I get the receipt on my phone and don’t need to sign anything. Literally seconds to pay.
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For awhile DW went to using cash almost 100% of the time when she was having issues with her credit card getting hacked. Visa, FWIW. No big deal and not really inconvenient except going to the bank ATM every 2 weeks to withdraw what she needed.
Got her added to my Discover Card which she now uses but still carries some cash. FWIW, I only had my Discover Card “hacked” once about 25 years ago.
The best credit card security move that I did was to freeze my credit. I’ve told the whole story here before, so this is simply a reminder.
Jeff
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We just finished applying for a HELOC for emergency purposes. I totally forgot that we had frozen our credit reports at all three reporting agencies. Had to release the freeze for a day at all three places for the bank. It’s nice that you can “thaw” your report with start and end dates now. If I remember correctly, you had to log in when you wanted to unfreeze it and then log in to refreeze it - for each agency. Making progress!
'38Packard
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