Where'd the money go? Cash survey III*Results

mhammerman

Here's an interesting survey that should yield some interesting results. We can dissect what the results imply, after we get some results.

For today, Saturday the 4th of September, please report where you spent cash; not credit cards, not checks, not computer transactions, just cash...frn's from your pocket. Not how much or what you bought, just where it was spent. If the cash went to multiple places, let us know. If no cash went out, that is good information too. We can keep it as generic as we want like say grocery store, coin store, barber, dog track, convenience , bar tab, dining, or what ever. We'll keep the survey open for the day and close it about 10 pm cst.

Got Cash?

This in the third of the series, yielded some interesting results.

23 respondents
16 spending cash today
7 not spending cash today
ranged in cash outlays from $1.25 to $400
total spent frn's was $1839.83
average outlay was $114.98


Characterization of expenses reveals that most of the cash transactions (we'll include pm's here since that's what we do) were for daily chore type expenses.

Analysis...Average of $114 is not far off from the average cash in the pocket amount of $150.00 from a previous survey. Of the 60 or so folks that seem to generate posting traffic on this forum, about half responded in some way. So, if we make some inferrences about our group, about 30% (26%)or so of this forum spend cash as part of their daily routines as opposed to just using the debit, checks, or charge card. If that is projected to the population, we could say that 30% of people use cash in daily transactions and 70% use debit or charge cards and that somewhat fits what I have observed in public.

I'm somewhat awed that people use charges and debits for everything from a pack of gum to cheeseburgers. It's just stunning that most folk don't keep $5 in their pocket for a burger...hummmm. I am encouraged though because my wife has started using cash. She takes $100 cash out every Monday (as do I) and on Sunday, if she's short she just reaches in the jar and grabs some and if she is long, she throws it in the jar...jar is lookin' good. It's amazing that when you have $30 cash in your pocket and you're looking at a $40 item it's not so hard to walk away when you're workin' with cash. This observation would do a lot to modify the consumption based society we find ourselves in.

On going assignment: Look around and see if that 70% of the pop uses debit or credit and if 30% uses cash. That should yield some interesting observation.

Wild ass assumption: if there were some kind of crisis with the cash, 70% of the population would be SOL and 30% could buy stuff. Those that have a jar would be in good shape.

Got Cash

gsa1fan

$64 at feed store & $10 at flea market.

Buffalode

It's still early in the day but I probably won't use any cash today. I'll edit this if I do. On average I use cash maybe 2-3 times a month and usually for purchases less than $20 or so. I do roll search for coins and average buying $800 or so worth of rolled coins per month but those are usually not spent except for some of the Kennedy halves.
Edited to add the rolls are purchased at one bank using a debit card and what I don't keep or spend is deposited at another bank.

Mesquite

I plan on spending about $15 taking the wife out to lunch (gyros) before she heads off to work today to run CBCs, platelets, urines, etc. I figure anyone who has a night of that stuff ahead of them should be treated. I'll provide an exact amount spent this afternoon.

2ndCharter

Wednesday and Thursday night, spent cash at the bowling alley to pay my league fees, last night, spent cash at Taco Bell. Today, I'm staying home. Tomorrow morning, will put a few bucks in the plate at church.

OffMetal

I've been out and about yard saling this morning.

$2 for a box of books at a yard sale
$.85 for a soda at Circle K
about $3 at Jack in the Box.

Overall a terrible morning buying for resale. Most sales had pretty much junk and most I've already been to more than once. No scrap sterling.

Plan on spending a few dollars more for lunch at a restaurant and some groceries.

All my transactions are cash, no plans on using plastic of any sort.

mrearlygold

mhammerman

$35 taking the grandkids and wife out to breakfast.

pmcollectour

<< <i>$64 at feed store & $10 at flea market. >>



This sounds like a typical morning in southern new jersey.

1jester

Fill-up for $60, pizza delivered for $10, $30 for some groceries and then a little shopping spree at the local hardware store, spending a bit over $300 for some tools and equipment. All fiat paper; no checks or credit cards (don't even own one).

OPA

Haven't spend a dime today & not planning to either.

KUCH

$125 Food ..... cash
$45 gas for car ..... cash
$20 gas for boat ..... cash
$20 lunch (restauant) ...... cash
$27 Bait,Cleaning Supplies ...... cash

&

$90 Gold and silver PM's ...... cash

Weiss

$20 puzzle for my son
$10 coffee for me and wife
$200 silver bar

sebrown

After a nice late lunch out with the wife and daughter (debit), we stopped at the Mobile Gas Station to pickup some beer for the house ($25) and some Powerball tickets ($10). Hey, someone has to win, and you can't win if you don't play!

Baley

don't really spend cash on Saturdays.

typical weekday has me buying lunch for cash, $5-10. maybe go with a group and have a beer and it's 20.

I feed our vending machine at work to the tune of 5 a week, in small change.

odds and ends (coffee here, muffin over there, pack of mints on occasion) another five a week.

the rest (gas, groceries, nicer meals out) is on a credit card with miles

business travel is mostly credit but some airport food cash, and is reimbursed

Coulport

Breakfast (restaurant) $10
Hardware $3

Car wash $0. In front yard.

Ciccio

Almost all of my transactions under 60/80 bucks are in cash.
This is what I spent today in Manhattan

$5.16 - 4 croissant
$7.50 - 2 hot sausages
$32 - swimsuit for my wife
$5.23 - bib for my son
$1 - bottle of water
$19 - 6 bottles of wine

mhammerman

Water melon and Coffee ice cream $5.65 at the market.
2 bottles of wine $13.78 at the liquor store.

Done for the day, about $55 cash out.

DrBuster

I've been cash only all week, but here's today's action

$20 at the bar for the UGA game
$17 at chic fil-a for for me and the wife
$145 at Costco for party supplies for tomorrow
$98 at the liquor store for tomorrow and a little re-supply of the bar (bottles of Malibu, Bacardi Gold, vodka, 4 12 packs

pragmaticgoat

$21 Farmer's market
$7.06 Taco Bell
$8.67 Lowe's

PreTurb

$23.17 groceries. Slow day.

If my wife was shopping, coulda been $223.17

OnlyGoldIsMoney

$60 for a Mexican Dos Pesos (local coin shop)

$8 for breakfast

$19.50 at church picnic (food, beer and small games of chance)

bestmr

$1.25 for a Mtn. Dew.

jmski52

I forget. Something like $80 at Sam's Club and another $120 at Walmart.

mhammerman

Results posted...in original thread.

Buffalode

Interesting results. Several years ago I used and carried a lot more cash with me than I do now. My job at that time required me to visit different store locations in my district, about half of which were not in my home state. I would typically carry $1000 or so cash on these trips in case of some emergency out of state where checks or cards might not be readily accepted. Now I rarely travel any distance from home and normally carry less than $100 cash on me. I am less likely to buy something on impulse if I have to use a debit card to purchase it rather than pulling out cash to buy it. That probably doesn't make a lot of sense but I think having to use the card makes me think more about the purchase and probably pass on more than I would otherwise. I wonder how many people are more or less likely to make an impulse purchase with cash versus a debit card?

ranshdow

I know I'm late, but..

$20 at the barber
$4 at the bagel shop
$20 at a yard sale (I overspent for 4 carpenter's clamps)
$12 at Home depot, plant and some fertilizer.

All this was cash, and an atypical purchase day for me. Groceries, gas & such go on the credit card.

500Bay

<< <i>On going assignment: Look around and see if that 70% of the pop uses debit or credit and if 30% uses cash. That should yield some interesting observation. >>



I would suspect the answer to that question would depend on where the person looking is located. In a suburban shopping center or higher end restaurant, you will see far fewer people using cash than in other areas.

pragmaticgoat

<< <i> It's amazing that when you have $30 cash in your pocket and you're looking at a $40 item it's not so hard to walk away when you're workin' with cash. >>




This is true for me, paying with cash makes me a frugal consumer.