My genius thinking is backed by studies, I'll have you know. Research shows that we're much more willing to pay for stuff—and pay a lot more for that stuff—when we're waving a credit card around as opposed to clutching a wad of cash. Another study shows that buying food at a grocery store with cash instead of credit cards leads to fewer impulsive and unhealthy food choices.
I was very excited to do this experiment and effortlessly become a better person.
Day 1: Reality bites.
I flew home on the first day of the cash-only month. Arriving at the airport, I opened my on-demand ride app on my phone only to realise that I cannot pay for it using cash. *Grumbles* I then paid $60 in taxi fare, whereas a ride using the app would have cost me around $30.
Day 4: Transport woes
I had (before agreeing to this experiment) brilliantly scheduled a dentist appointment for myself at 8:30 in the morning. The only ways for me to get to my dentist are by public transport (an hour and a half travel time) or by Uber or taxi (15 minutes). I begrudgingly took a cab and pay $30 when an Uber is normally around $14. This article has now cost me $46 dollars to write.
On the way home (when not pressed for time) I take public transport and notice that, when you have the time to spare, public transport is actually kind of nice, because it is nice to be around other people. I took public transport everywhere for the previous 15 years, because I did not have enough money for cabs. While I do not miss all aspects of it, I realize, bizarrely, that I do miss parts of it.
Day 8: How do I donate?
I make a point to donate money every month. (I have even made myself a little advent-type pocket calendar to hang on the wall and keep track of how much I am donating.) How do I do this? I cannot go to the office of Doctors Without Borders and The White Helmets and hand them a bunch of folded $20 bills the way I pay my babysitter. I do not donate anything this month. I will donate next month, but I'm a little bummed at ruining my streak.
Day 9: Um, what about shopping online?
Our juicer breaks. I go online and find a juicer I love but cannot buy it because it seems to only be sold through Amazon. I write the phrase "things to buy online when this stupid month is over" at the top of a piece of paper. Under it, I write, "Juicer."
Day 10: Cash makes it hard to be thoughtful.
I realise I need to buy a birthday gift for someone but cannot order it online as I often would, because again, I cannot buy anything online.
Day 13: I go to Target.
My arch nemesis is Target. I do not like to spend money (which is why I decided to do an experiment that I thought would assist me in becoming even more frugal) and Target wants nothing more than to divest me of my money, because they have so many things that are totally lovely and nice. I buy the birthday gift, a pair of shoes for my 4-year-old (he needs them and I have been putting it off), underpants (I need some and I have been putting it off), vitamins, detergent and chocolate, which will inevitably give me more cavities, which will necessitate more cab/public transport rides to the dentist because if there is one thing I have learned about myself, it is that I do not learn from my mistakes.
I spend under $80 at Target. This is a victory. I usually spend closer to $180. Easily. And I am never sure what it is that I'm buying that is making it that high. Stationery? Sugarless gum? A 24-pack of crayons? HOW IS IT A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DOLLARS?
Day 16: No cash minimum!
I go to the local fruit market. There is a $10 minimum on credit card purchases, which usually means that in addition to the two things I need, I must pick up six things I don't need, and which usually go bad before I can eat them. Paying with cash allowed me to pay the $1.89 for my two bunches of shallots and a couple of loose carrots and walk out the door without trying to figure out how many mangoes would put me over the $10 limit.
Day 19: I failed.
Months ago, we had made plans to visit a friend in another part of the city. A cab to get there will be close to $100 each way. Public transport will easily take us several hours in each direction, and will be unbearable because we are traveling with two young children. While I am angry at myself, I allow myself to use my Uber app because I just can't. I am sorry.
Day 21: Debt, paid. Albeit in a creepy way.
I owe a friend $300 for something she picked up for me a while ago. I pay her back with an enormous wad of bills and she looks at me like a confused peasant who has wandered into the Dark Ages.
Day 22: In which I read an actual book. Like, a real paper one.
I consider downloading a new book to the Kindle app on my phone, but realise I am not allowed to do that and so go to my bookshelf and find a book I bought months ago on a whim. It winds up being good. I add the Kindle book to my "list of things to buy when this stupid month is over".
Day 23: I take out a lot of cash.
Even though the experiment is almost over, I go to an ATM and take out $300, because I have to do a big grocery haul in a day or two.
Day 23 (Several hours later): I lose my wallet.
I have lost my wallet with over $300 dollars in it. I have nine heart attacks. I curse myself for agreeing to write this article. I curse myself for being so careless—for leaving it in the zippered pocked on my baby carrier that I am always opening and closing. I curse my general scatterbrained personality, and I go to a physical therapy appointment and explain that I cannot pay them today because I have no wallet, and then do all my boring sciatica exercises with the heated fervor and emotional instability of Michael Douglas in Falling Down. I am furious.
Day 23 (Several hours later): I find my wallet.
It somehow fell out of the carrier and landed behind a large wall of bookshelves. I have not lost $300. My heart goes back to a normal heartbeat-type pace.
Day 28: Public transport hates me and my cash.
I miss two trains because I am trying to buy a ticket with cash and the machine is continually rejecting my bills.
Day 29: Cheap and charitable, that's me.
While I can't make large donations, I've started giving money to street performers or homeless people, because I always have coins on me. Always. I don't know if that is good, because it's a direct person you're giving it to, or bad because maybe they'll spend it on something stupid like I probably would, but either way, that's what's happened.
The wrap up
And just like that, I am done. Did I enjoy the month? No, I did not. I would absolutely not recommend it for people who don't have cars. But it wasn't all bad. I was super impressed at how little money I spent in Target. And I think about money a lot more now when I'm spending it. I try to have some cash on me at all times, whereas before I would have almost none. I find it particularly helpful when it comes to buying food—I don't buy too much at one time anymore, which means I don't have to watch it go bad and get teary over wasted mangoes.
And any undertaking in which I learn something about myself is a plus. When life gives you lemons (even if you are not allowed by go online and buy yourself a new juicer) it is still possible to make at least a small batch of lemonade.
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