Currency exchange while traveling: why do some still carry wads of cash? (page 18 of 28)

The summary’s already been done...

Why do you want me to talk about it? 😏

You're the leader, right? 😕

You’ve never seen people pay with their smartphones at the supermarket? The last one I saw doing it was at least 70 years old.

Lesson learned after shopping at Place de Jaude...

But oh, the joy of Apple Pay! When I see others digging through their bags, pulling out a card (usually debit) from a vintage cardholder, trying to slide it into the reader—after refusing contactless payment with a scared look—I really feel for them.

That’ll teach me to do my shopping at Place de Jaude...

I wrote 70, not 115 !😉

Oh, the joy of Apple Pay!

Or something else... (I think you know this magazine...😇) Personally, I don’t use it. Haven’t needed it yet.

When I see others digging through their bags, pulling out a card (usually debit) from a vintage cardholder, trying to slide it into the reader after refusing contactless payment with a scared look... I feel for them.

Are you also trying to outsmart Murphy’s Law at supermarket checkouts or highway tolls?

I often fail...

The one who wants to pay in cash with exact change, the one who wants to pay by check, the one who wants to pay by card but forgot their PIN... The one who drops a coin under the car, the one who stops ten meters from the machine, the one who lost their ticket...

Afterward, I admit I’m sometimes that person too.😄

But what a joy, Apple Pay!

Or something else...

Your link doesn’t work. But yeah, there’s also Google Pay or Samsung Pay... or others.

(I think you know this magazine...😇)

You bet. I’ve been subscribed for ages. But only for the crossword puzzles. There are also some interesting articles, on hip replacements, for example...

The one who wants to pay in cash with exact change, the one who wants to pay by check, the one who wants to pay by card but forgot their PIN... The one who drops their coin under the car, the one who stops ten meters from the machine, the one who lost their ticket...

Ugh, what a bunch of idiots...

Your link doesn’t work.

Our time is ahead of its time—it protects its data...

Or maybe they're just promoting Sabri Louatah's latest book...

I don’t know about others. But you, on the other hand...

Tell me, is it better to buy this book in cash, by card, or with Apple Pay? 😇

The question is: should you buy it? Because a suitcase full of banknotes is already heavy—imagine a suitcase full of books... (And back to the topic!)

Oh... a 10 kg suitcase of banknotes is still lighter than a 10 kg suitcase of books... 😏

Is it better to pay in cash, by card, or with Apple Pay?

Not Apple! Not Apple!

😏

I’m one of those people who really hesitate to pay by card, even in my own country (France). So far, I’ve managed to avoid it, except for two bad experiences where I ran into shady merchants—one charged my card when I’d only given it as a guarantee, and the other went ahead and did his online shopping with my card.

But it’s not just about distrusting merchants’ honesty.

I’m increasingly uncomfortable with how dematerialized the world is becoming. Plus, automatic debits have already made budgeting so confusing that I don’t want to add card payments to the mix.

Oops, I forgot about online card payments: unfortunately, I don’t always have a choice, and some items I can only find through e-commerce, which requires a card. I got a virtual card to limit risks, but that doesn’t solve the problem of keeping track of my budget. Before, it was simple: regular cash withdrawals of the same amount for daily expenses, and for exceptional expenses, checks where the amount, payee, and purpose were recorded and filed chronologically in a stub for easy tracking.

But things aren’t getting any better. Recently, a relative had all their accounts frozen due to a tax authority error, and I’ve had my own Kafkaesque experiences with tax services and my bank. That’s why I’ve gone back to doing what our ancestors did—stashing cash "just in case."

Of course, if I’m trekking in the middle of nowhere on the other side of the world, where ATMs aren’t always available, card payments aren’t always accepted, and walking home isn’t an option, I make sure to carry enough to handle emergencies. Yes, I take my card (I only have one, and it already stresses me out), but I also have enough to get by without it for a while.

For now, I’m leaning more toward going back to gold coins than toward using more cards.

this doesn’t solve the problem of how hard it’s become for me to keep track of my budget

I really don’t see the issue???

My grandma had a notebook where she jotted down her income and expenses. Like this:

Pension 7800 (francs...) bread 1 Eggs 3 France Télécom 200

Whether the 1, the 3, or the 200 was cash, a check, a card payment, or a direct debit didn’t matter.

I still keep this kind of journal—just a bit simpler—for vacations. I know where I stand.

You must be bad at math, right?😉

It goes without saying that if I’m trekking in the middle of nowhere on the other side of the world, where ATMs aren’t always around, card payments aren’t always accepted, and walking home isn’t an option, I make sure to have enough cash on me to handle a bunch of emergencies.

That wasn’t the point. A traveler rarely lands straight in a time-warped zone. Where does the money they need to cover expenses *there* come from? That was the topic... From an ATM at the airport or in the arrival city? From a currency exchange office (which you also have to locate, since they’re not everywhere, just like ATMs)? From exchanging money before leaving your home country?

And why choose one over the other?

So far, it’s mostly a matter of habit. Travelers—myself included—are creatures of routine.

My grandmother had a notebook where she recorded her income and expenses.\nLike this:\n\nPension 7800 (francs...) bread 1\nEggs 3\nFrance Télécom 200\n\nWhether the 1st, the 3rd, or the 200th were cash, checks, a card, or a direct debit, it made no difference.\n\nBefore:\n_One withdrawal per week for the same amount\n_Payments by check noted and filed chronologically as they happened, with the details I found relevant.\n\nNow:\n_Withdrawals still fairly regular (though larger recently, since the difficulty in withdrawing cash makes me stock up for future trips and to guard against bank or tax errors, for example)\n_Payments by check when I can for non-routine expenses (increasingly rare)\n_Automatic debits that require extra monitoring to ensure a given company doesn’t overstep its bounds (happened this week)\n_E-card payments whose purpose I forget when I read my bank statement\n\nBefore, to get an idea of what I’d spent in a month, I just had to glance at my checkbook stub. Now, I also have to turn on my computer, enter annoying usernames and secret codes to access scattered information that’s not presented the way I’d like—and on top of that, it exposes me to hacking risks (I’ve already had a Trojan on my computer from a "trusted" source).\n\nA traveler rarely arrives directly in a time-warped zone.\nWhere does the money they need to cover expenses in that zone come from?\nThat was the topic...\nFrom an ATM at the airport or in the arrival city?\nFrom a currency exchange office (which also needs to be located, since like ATMs, they’re not everywhere)?\nFrom an earlier exchange in their home country?\n\nIf the traveler in question is spending a long time "in the middle of nowhere," they might not want to spend several days in the big arrival city just to withdraw stacks of cash, especially since daily and weekly withdrawal limits are capped. So in that case, if their name is Ludoméro, they’ll bring stacks of cash obtained with great difficulty in their home country.\n\nSo far, it’s mainly a lifestyle habit that dictates each person’s choice.\nTravelers, including me, are creatures of habit.\n\nYes, routine plays a big role—it’s a way to lighten the mental load.

Currently: _ fairly regular cash withdrawals (though more significant recently, the difficulty in withdrawing leading me to stockpile for future trips and to guard against bank or tax errors, for example) _ check payments when possible for non-recurring expenses (increasingly rare) _ automatic debits that require special monitoring to ensure a given debtor doesn’t overstep their bounds (happened this week) _ e-card payments whose purpose I forget when I read my bank statement

You’re spending too much...

I honestly don’t get your stress at all.

he might not necessarily want to spend several days in the big arrival city just to withdraw stacks of cash, ........he’ll board with stacks of cash obtained with great difficulty in his home country.

Either way, it’s not easy...

Just check your card’s website for ATM locations, save them on a site like Maps.me, and you’re done in 2 minutes.

his daily and weekly withdrawal limits being capped.

A limit is flexible. Just ask your banker to adjust it.

I think some of your issues stem from not being comfortable with computers.🙂

There's one aspect we haven't touched on: the fees that cards impose on merchants. Eventually, merchants will inevitably be tempted to raise their prices to offset the loss caused by these fees. We keep hearing about "free" cards for users, but it's a mirage—there's no such thing as free services... Paying in cash incurs no fees for either the customer or the seller....

Cash isn’t free either. And not just for the consumer, but for society as a whole.

It encourages fraud. And who pays for fraud?

All of us...

Cash assumes a level of virtue that’s too often lacking.

Hello,

Why do you assume bad intentions from others, especially those who pay in cash rather than by card? Aren’t you just playing the virtue teacher?

Moana

Because it's kind of the field I'm immersed in...

Life in all its forms teaches you quickly not to be naive.

I even think we've all cheated at some point or another. Some even brag about it.

Because it’s kind of the field I work in...

... I even think we’ve all cheated at some point or another. Some people even brag about it.

I feel like you’re undermining your own point. Your arguments, like the one about the moving cap (in your previous message), don’t really hold up. For example, after adjustments, the cap is modified but it’s still there. So...?