Monopoly Money

Thought for the day: It’s what you do when no one is looking that matters most.

The past couple days I have looked at the advantages of paying for things in cash. Today I'll play Devil's advocate and look at some problems with my own theory.

Know anyone who can't keep cash in his pocket? I used to work with a guy who would cash his check on Friday afternoon. By Monday morning he was crying about having no money. This blows my pay with cash theory right out of the water! Except that I am not writing to the guy who has no idea about being responsible. If you're reading these posts you are probably already making an effort to manage your money responsibly.

Not everyone understands why you can't just throw cash away. I have a theory on why some people behave this way. For generations now we have been buying on credit, writing checks, borrowing and paying back. Few people deal in cash and those who do are thought to be shady (some with cause). As one who deals a large part in cash transactions I will say that we're not all working under the table or under the radar.

Ever meet someone with this philosophy? "Spend it now. Tomorrow it might not be there." Duh! It won't be there because you just spent it...

For a lot of folks cash is seen as something that is disposable, not real, like play money in Monopoly. Hopefully if you have been treating cash in this way you will begin to pay bills with cash as I have suggested. It's not so much fun spending it then!

Tip of the day: Repurpose grocery bags. Use them as trash bags and you will save money. Some grocery stores offer you money for bringing them back (just not with trash in them). At the very least find a place to recycle them so they're not filling up a landfill.