Photo credit: © AMagill
I used to like cash. A lot. Of course, it was back when I was younger and cared how others viewed me. I would love getting paid, then going to the ATM and pulling out some cash so any time I’d go out I could whip out a wad and look like a big shot. That all seems like a lifetime ago now. These days, I don’t really carry cash, save for a few buck in case of an emergency (which I can’t imagine needing since almost everyone takes credit cards). I prefer to travel lightly, carrying as little on my person as possible. It just makes sense not to load up my wallet (and pockets) with unnecessary stuff. Now, I prefer to use credit cards for every purchase if I can.
Don’t take this as me telling you how to live your own life. If you haven’t been able to figure out by now, that’s not how I roll. I don’t believe that what I do is something that should be followed by everyone. I’m not one of those people. Far from it. I’m of the belief that everyone needs to find what works for them and that no financial advice applies to everyone’s situation.
So, why do I hate cash so much? The reasons are many (and not very serious at times):
- You don’t get rewarded to use it
- There isn’t a special, exclusively colored version to show your true “status”
- It’s slow to count out when making a purchase
- And if you want to use exact change it really is a pain in the ass to find that last coin needed
- There is no security measures built-in in case of theft
- You can’t get help disputing a purchase
- It’s stinky
- It’s Filthy
- It feels funny to the touch
- It’s bulky to carry around
- It can rip
- And if it rips, some places won’t accept it
- Vending machines definitely won’t take it ripped
- Coins are heavy
- They make a lot of noise in your pocket
- When a coin drops it can roll under heavy objects
- When cash is lost it’s lost forever
- It’s difficult to keep track of if you aren’t meticulous
- If you don’t keep the receipt, you’ll never remember what It was spent on
- It’s racist: there are only dead white dudes’ images on money
- It doesn’t give you any kind of insurance
- You can’t customize it with a picture of your pet or kid
- Pennies. Need I say more?
- You have to go out of your way to get it from the ATM
- And in an emergency, it takes too long to transfer it between banks
That’s pretty much it…for now. I’m sure I will think of more ways in which cash sucks from time to time, but this should be enough to get me in a bit of trouble with some of the anti-credit or pro-cash people 
It’s cool though, I don’t mind people disagreeing with me as long as they can back it up with a little more than an “Uh, because…” response. Besides, this was kind of fun!
About Eric J. Nisall
