Money rocks, but cash is a drag. I'm a debit card kind of girl. It's the best of all worlds: living on a cash budget but not having to carry cash. I don't even want to think about life before it.
Using my debit card, I end up with a managable pile of receipts, neat pieces of paper I stash in one of three places until it's time to compile them to update our financials for the month. Those little receipts are individually input in the computer and voila! I know where the money went.
But using cash? I end up with bits and pieces everywhere. A $7.86 purchase? A tolerably tidy $10 bill becomes two one dollar bills, one dime, four pennies and a receipt.
The pennies end up jingling around in my pocket or the bottom of my purse. From there they make their way to the olive dish that sits atop the dresser where I empty my pockets each evening and fill them each morning. Why do I keep my pennies in the olive tray? Why not? Once they hit the olive tray, they can consider themselves out of circulation. I rarely pick them up again. The bottom of my purse is also a penny graveyard.
I've often thought of how nice it would be were pennies to fall out of favor. Every purchase would round to the nearest nickel. Could any sane person object?
Real coins, and by that I mean anything that is not a penny, go into my Poker Can which sits next to the olive dish on my dresser. When the Poker Can fills up as Poker Cans are wont to do, the whole lot is transferred into the Super Poker Can. This coinage system is only two years old. I'm not sure what I'll do when the Super Poker Can overflows.
Neat storage of bills in purse or pocket is another issue. I like my bills orderly and neat, denominations collated with all heads facing the same direction. That takes effort. Not to mention paper money is far from sanitary. It's the nature of the beast, trading from hands that have been god-knows-where doing god-knows-what into other hands with a similar history and so on and so on. It's a germfest out there, people.
I know, I know. I should be grateful to have money to spend, no matter what form. Even when it's pennies. Truly I am. Yet I am equally as grateful for my debit card, without which life would be less organized, less efficient and germier. Long live the self swipe!
Using my debit card, I end up with a managable pile of receipts, neat pieces of paper I stash in one of three places until it's time to compile them to update our financials for the month. Those little receipts are individually input in the computer and voila! I know where the money went.
But using cash? I end up with bits and pieces everywhere. A $7.86 purchase? A tolerably tidy $10 bill becomes two one dollar bills, one dime, four pennies and a receipt.
The pennies end up jingling around in my pocket or the bottom of my purse. From there they make their way to the olive dish that sits atop the dresser where I empty my pockets each evening and fill them each morning. Why do I keep my pennies in the olive tray? Why not? Once they hit the olive tray, they can consider themselves out of circulation. I rarely pick them up again. The bottom of my purse is also a penny graveyard.
I've often thought of how nice it would be were pennies to fall out of favor. Every purchase would round to the nearest nickel. Could any sane person object?
Real coins, and by that I mean anything that is not a penny, go into my Poker Can which sits next to the olive dish on my dresser. When the Poker Can fills up as Poker Cans are wont to do, the whole lot is transferred into the Super Poker Can. This coinage system is only two years old. I'm not sure what I'll do when the Super Poker Can overflows.Neat storage of bills in purse or pocket is another issue. I like my bills orderly and neat, denominations collated with all heads facing the same direction. That takes effort. Not to mention paper money is far from sanitary. It's the nature of the beast, trading from hands that have been god-knows-where doing god-knows-what into other hands with a similar history and so on and so on. It's a germfest out there, people.
I know, I know. I should be grateful to have money to spend, no matter what form. Even when it's pennies. Truly I am. Yet I am equally as grateful for my debit card, without which life would be less organized, less efficient and germier. Long live the self swipe!
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12 comments:
I would be totally lost without my debit card. I very rarely carry cash any more. When I do carry it, I go through it far too fast. I'm not good about entering the debit receipts, though. I usually just scan the online bank statement, and then enter them at some point every couple of weeks... which drives Fran insane.
Debit, like the Metra is the only way to fly.
My poker can (pennies included) is routinely raided by one lovely daughter.
lol great post and I couldn't agree more on the pennies issue!! I have a similar system to yours with the coins on the dresser and the Poker can...only my poker can holdings are routinely lost at poker games!!!
I use my debit card, but sometimes I get paranoid that someone is going to steal my pin number.
And, nice Pink Floyd reference in the title, babe.
On a totally different note, how is your mom doing?
Love the debit card!
The debit card is good!
I also love my spare change... I always deposit it in the large jar in the kitchen, when I have it. That change pays for gas all the way to and from Orlando, every summer for our vacations.
i too love my debit.
tho we had to go through some 'adjustments' as Ferris got his first debit card this september.
must learn to check balance...frequently.
sooo, you've got a poker jar eh?
my gamblin' wife will want you to bring that along for sure...
Pennies suck. Debit cards rule.
And Weese... tell the wife she can play a real poker player after she "warms up" with Suzanne...
Definately Debit Cards!
I just wish I had more in there.
If we got rid of pennies, what would happen to K-Mart's 88...hey--there's no "cents" sign key on the keyboard anymore. There used to be one on a typewriter, remember? Something's going on here--they're plotting to get rid of pennies. It's just that the plot is unfolding very very slowly.
Hi! I found you by way of Gunfighter's blog.
I love my debit card, too. I rarely carry cash, but when I do, I store my bills just like you - "denominations collated with all heads facing in the same direction." My daughter scarfs up all my change for her piggy bank.
Totally with you on the debit card front, and so pleased to hear about your facing of bills in order of denomination. Any sane person should recognize that need.
We have similar pennies vs. other coins receptacles. The pennies go into an obelisk-shaped souvenir cocktail glass from the Luxor, and other coins go into a nameless jug. Best of all, when the containers start to overflow, Sporks rolls them and takes them to our bank to convert them back into real dollars!
This is so awesomely true. I love it. Debit all the way. My favorite thing about debit, it can be used online, and I love to online shop, whereas cash, I must actually go out and buy something!
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