Hand money

[CdnCarrie]

So should I keep my paper Canadian currency as a collector's item or turn it in at a bank when I am up there next year? Last time I was in Canada was 2019 and in Victoria the touristy places still accepted it, but they also take U.S. dollars.

Of course they still take it.
I just prefer card over cash.

If you use US currency at a store you will get hosed on the exchange rate.
Just take it to your local bank if don’t want it.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I always have cash on me. Yesterday I went to a farm stand and today to a farm to pick raspberries. Both were cash only.

I only use cash to get gas. It’s cheaper and every time a CC has been breached the source was a gas station.

My favorite local breakfast place gives a cash discount.

I pay for both my hair and nails with cash and get a discount for using cash. (Two different salons)

I have never seen an establishment here in my province with a cash discount.

Sounds like it’s common where you are.

 

[greeneyedchick]

I use cash and restaurants, especially to tip waiters and I try to pay use cash for small businesses. I know that credit cards hurt them.

 

[disneychrista]

I have cash mostly used to pay the handyman when I have him come do something. I also use cash at the donut shop when I get by Thai Boba tea.

 

[luvthatduke]

Many restaurants in my area offer cash discounts,
they definitely prefer cash vs. credit/debit.
My hair stylist shouted w/a smile, "Thank you! I love cash!"
when I tipped her with it.
We only pay with cash at any gas station, after having our
chipped card skimmed - not supposed to happen but it did.

 

[barkley]

I always have cash on me. Yesterday I went to a farm stand and today to a farm to pick raspberries. Both were cash only.

we are going to a conference that will have allot of vendors and farm stands. we've received several f.y.i. notifications on the events with reminders that many stands and vendors will only accept cash and that there are very limited atm options at the venue.

My favorite local breakfast place gives a cash discount.

a popular local diner only accepts cash. if you fail to bring it your only option (without driving elsewhere) is one of those high cost atm machines. to be fair-their website puts customers on notice and there is prominant signage at the entry and the counter.

I pay for both my hair and nails with cash and get a discount for using cash. (Two different salons)

i'm seeing more and more buisnesses do upcharging for the use of a credit card. i hesitate to use a debit card b/c i've seen too many issues with fraud (and dealing with fraud on a credit card is easier/does not potentialy empty my checking account and any associated overdraft account). seemed like some years back many buisnesses did'nt want to deal with paper checks anymore but now to avoid a surcharge i'm writing out more for than in prior years.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I have never seen an establishment here in my province with a cash discount.

Sounds like it’s common where you are.

It is really common by me for small businesses to offer cash discounts. They are getting killed with fees when people use cards. Restaurants have it printed on their menus (per the law in my state) but others offer it. I bought soda from a local soda place last weekend and it was $3 less a case if you paid in cash. I often ask before paying at small businesses. I also tip in cash even if I pay for the meal with a card. I didn’t carry cash for years but started to again a few years ago.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I just use cards. I never carry cash. I am just out of the habit of using cash.

 

[Miffy]

OP, I've never heard the term "hand money" until this thread. I like the term!

I use cash for tipping. And where I live the only way to pay the water bill is with a check. You can't even set up a direct withdrawal from your checking account. Weird.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Cash is sometime advantageous as it can't be traced and therefore taxed...

 

[Babs Johnson]

I go to an old-fashioned barber shop that only accepts cash.

I usually use a card for most purchases, but there are other instances where I use cash, like at the local farmer’s market. Plus tips for valet parking, hotel housekeepers, etc.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I tip with cash when possible. We always keep a bit of cash at home in case we have a power outage and merchants can't take credit cards. Of course, gas stations can't pump but we have two full cars and several 5 gal cans. It has happened several times in my adult lifetime and usually for many days to over a week during snow/ice storms.

 

[mjkacmom]

My daughter is getting her house ready to sell and the landscaper, roofing company and power washing guy all offered a discount for cash or check, all stating their bank card fees were getting out of hand, so there is a bit of a backlash to plastic by some.
I still pay cash for a lot of things, and ALWAYS have enough cash in my wallet for a tank of gasoline. Like @_19disnA I have seen cases where the POS (Point of Sale) systems go down and some people are stuck. A pretty big area of where I live had a POS failure at gasoline stations, and I was at one as a steady stream of people running on fumes were trying to find a gasoline station with a working POS system. I had cash, so no problem.

Here in NJ, I’ve never met a contractor who took credit cards. We have a deli here in business for decades that doesn’t take credit cards, told my son to pick up bread, he didn’t have cash so they just gave him the bread, got home and I gave him cash to go right back. We always pay our mechanic in cash or check for the discount. ETA salons here don’t let you tip on credit cards (and even my little town has dozens of hair salons, nail salons, day spas).

 

[mjkacmom]

OP, I've never heard the term "hand money" until this thread. I like the term!

I use cash for tipping. And where I live the only way to pay the water bill is with a check. You can't even set up a direct withdrawal from your checking account. Weird.

All of our town bills (water, property taxes) incurs a huge fee if paid with credit.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I almost never carry cash. Some of the area school sporting events won't even take it. If you want to get in, you have to buy tickets via their app or website. We encountered the polar opposite this past weekend. We were at a travel tournament in Oklahoma and it was cash only. It was $40/pp and there were three of us. Even if I did carry cash, I never would routinely have that much cash on me. I had to leave DH and DD17 at the gate and drive about 15 minutes away to find a bank. The alternative was driving another 5 minutes to a CVS, but I would have had to make three separate purchases to get enough cash back to cover entry. So, paying the $4 ATM fee at this little town's local bank was the better option.

 

[tvguy]

Here in NJ, I’ve never met a contractor who took credit cards. We have a deli here in business for decades that doesn’t take credit cards, told my son to pick up bread, he didn’t have cash so they just gave him the bread, got home and I gave him cash to go right back. We always pay our mechanic in cash or check for the discount. ETA salons here don’t let you tip on credit cards (and even my little town has dozens of hair salons, nail salons, day spas).

Plumbers, electricians, home repair type folks around here take credit cards.

 

[tvguy]

I almost never carry cash. Some of the area school sporting events won't even take it. If you want to get in, you have to buy tickets via their app or website. We encountered the polar opposite this past weekend. We were at a travel tournament in Oklahoma and it was cash only. It was $40/pp and there were three of us. Even if I did carry cash, I never would routinely have that much cash on me. I had to leave DH and DD17 at the gate and drive about 15 minutes away to find a bank. The alternative was driving another 5 minutes to a CVS, but I would have had to make three separate purchases to get enough cash back to cover entry. So, paying the $4 ATM fee at this little town's local bank was the better option.

It does seem to be either or anymore. But school events tend to be cash only still here. Travel tournaments are a whole other world in every way. My son was invited to join a travel baseball team when he was 13 and buy in was $7,500! They ended up winning the USSSA World Series so I hear the final tab came to $13,000 per player because of all the additional play, travel, hotels, food etc.

 

[CdnCarrie]

All of our town bills (water, property taxes) incurs a huge fee if paid with credit.

All of ours are direct debit from our account.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I try to use cash as much as possible. It's getting increasingly difficult. So many places won't accept checks (I get it). Now I'm running into getting an additional charge if I use a credit card. Our insurance company charges 3% for using a credit card. Last week got a notice from the bank that they'll be starting to charge to use their ATM. I only use my banks ATM but now it's ANY ATM. This week got another letter from the bank stating they're changing up their checking account system and other areas and, in short, will be more charges.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

It does seem to be either or anymore. But school events tend to be cash only still here. Travel tournaments are a whole other world in every way. My son was invited to join a travel baseball team when he was 13 and buy in was $7,500! They ended up winning the USSSA World Series so I hear the final tab came to $13,000 per player because of all the additional play, travel, hotels, food etc.

DD15 started playing travel ball in 4th grade. The costs weren't too bad in the beginning. The older and more elite things get, the more $ it costs. I'm not sure how USSSA baseball compares to USSSA softball. I think 12U was the last time we did any USSSA on the softball side. All I know is that we were in Oklahoma this past weekend and while it was a great tournament from the talent and recruiting angles, $40 a head in cash wasn't in my plans.

The flat buy in amount is an interesting angle. Ours is structured a bit differently. We have initial admin fees each year, annual uniform costs, monthly dues, and fundraiser requirements that are all done separately. This, of course, does not cover our travel expenses. For our summer season, we had a couple of days in College Station TX, 5 days in Plano TX, we were supposed to have 4 days near Kansas City but that was shifted to Houston (wallet said thank you!), we had 5-6 days near OKC, we have two back to back in Colorado that's around 2 weeks total, and then the last one is in southern California for a week and a half. We also have some collegiate camp stuff in this mix. Thankfully, I'm pretty certain that the remaining ones all take credit cards for entry fees! I'm bracing myself for the fall schedule!