e-Letters: June 23, 2022

Has your cash vs. electronic spending changed since the pandemic? How so?

Ninety-eight percent of my purchases are now made on my credit card versus 75 percent pre-pandemic. The only times I use cash are for purchasing coins, splitting lunch costs with friends and paying tips in cash as waitresses get the tip currently versus waiting for their paycheck the following week.

Steve Cheaney
Address Withheld

Around here cash is still king at coin shows and dealers. But don’t tell the IRS. Pull out a card and the price goes up 3-5 percent.

Gary
Salisbury, N.C.

No, I have made no changes, nor do I plan to make any changes.

William Johnston
San Antonio, Texas

I usually pay in cash and very rarely using a credit card. And I never pay using a debit card.

Lawrence Woode, Jr.
Ewa Beach, Hawaii

I wouldn’t use those bitcoins. Only our USA cash.

Deborah Dow
Address withheld

I mainly use electronic payment. Only cash payments when necessary. No change during pandemic.

John
Address withheld

Yes it changed, but it wasn’t because of the pandemic. It was the new president that caused record inflation

Joseph Shudarek
Stevens Point, Wis.

My spending hasn’t changed because I was already doing most of my buying with plastic. For years I always had some change in my pocket. Now, the only time I have change is if I pick it up in a parking lot while walking or find some in a Coinstar machine. To me the advantage of plastic is that all of my credit cards give money back with each purchase. If you can afford to pay off your credit card each month, it’s the only way to go.

Mike Thorne
Mississippi

My spending habits have not changed since the pandemic. I still use cash for all my regular spending (groceries, gas, restaurants), and use checks (or bank debits) for utilities, insurance and any out-of-town payments. I rarely use credit cards.

Randall Brooksbank
Tullahoma, Tenn.

Since the pandemic started in March 2020, almost 100 percent of our financial transactions are electronic. I can literally have $50 in smaller bills in my pocket for weeks on end without spending it. Also, some places today in our city and surrounding areas will not accept cash for payment.

John Fuller
Bountiful, Utah

I spent about $200 in cash from the start of the pandemic until now. Instead, I’ve mostly used payment cards stored on my mobile with Android Pay.

Henry Mensch
Syracuse, N.Y.

It hasn’t changed at all for me, except for paying cash for my haircuts. I’ve used nothing but my debit cards for years.

Frank Calmes
Address withheld

I used very little cash for many years. Now I only pay for my gas and co-payments [with cash]. I use one credit card for most of my purchases. I get points for using my credit card, which I can redeem for gift cards. You get nothing by paying with cash.

Allan Parker
Hartsdale, N.Y.

My spending has not changed.

Mike Baugher
Address withheld

Habits haven’t changed. Under $25 or so, I pay cash. Most everything else is on one credit card, which gets paid off monthly. Cash is also used for coin auctions as most auctioneers are charging 3-4 percent for using credit cards. I only do in-person coin auctions as online fees are 15 percent or higher

Anthony Cook
Sherwood, Mich.

I hate using credit cards except for gas purchases or ordering online from stores.

Sometimes going through the drive -through, people in front of me are using cards to pay and makes me wonder why they are not using cash instead?

I like the feel of green backs and usually have a couple-hundred in my pocket.

Joe Morgan
Address withheld

Yes, my spending pattern has changed since the pandemic, but not directly because of it. I retired and changed states, and that’s partly because of the pandemic, but the most direct change in my spending comes from spending almost nothing on commuting.

V. Kurt Bellman
Arab, Ala.