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xiphias1) Cash
I didn't even think about this until I glanced at a travel guide in London -- one of those humor books which actually has good points in it. Naturally, I looked up the US in it, and and they had a bit about money. Everyone in the world who comes to the United States is annoyed that all of our paper money is the same size, shape, color, and design, with the only differences being a few numbers in the corners -- written smaller than the numbers in any other currency -- and which basially-similar-looking white guy has his basically-similar-looking portrait on it.
They pointed out that Americans aren't bothered by this (or, for that matter, that we have a $1 bill rather than coin -- I think that other countries believe that, if your average vending machine sells stuff more expensive than your smallest bill and your largest coin, you're doing it wrong) because we almost never use cash.
I'd never thought about it, but it's true. Even McDonald's takes debit and credit cards. I normally don't carry more than $20, back home, because I don't need to.
But I have not seen, in London, Florence, Rome, Paris, Venice, or Trieste, any of those self-service credit-card/debit card readers -- the ones where you swipe your card yourself, sign the little box with a light-pen, or punch in your PIN, and handle the transaction with minimal input by the clerk.
However, ATMs are everywhere and usually fee-free. In the United States, ATMs are a little less common, and almost always charge you for the privlege of getting your own money. If they only charge you $1, you count yourself lucky. If I want cash, I go to a supermarket, buy something small, and pay with a debit card, asking for "cash back".
But I almost never want cash.
In London and in Italy, we can use our Visa card at some restaurants (mainly the ones which cater to tourists), and to buy more expensive, big-ticket items (in general, if it's expensive enough that you're going to fill out a VAT exemption form for it, you can use a credit card), but, mainly, it's cash.
The advice we'd gotten had been to keep your cash in a moneybelt under your shirt, and only have what you need for the day out in your wallet, in case you meet a pickpocket. But we've found that a better place to keep your money is in a bank, and just go to the Bancomat every day to get your cash for the day. The Italian sentence I've used most is "Dovè ille Bancomat, per favorè?" And I've always gotten a helpful answer.
We have a credit union, which doesn't charge us for ATM transactions on their side, so we can do this. (Yes, in the United States, your own back can, and usually will, charge you to get your own money, and then the bank which owns the ATM will charge you again). So, for us, just getting money as we go makes more sense than getting extra.
I didn't even think about this until I glanced at a travel guide in London -- one of those humor books which actually has good points in it. Naturally, I looked up the US in it, and and they had a bit about money. Everyone in the world who comes to the United States is annoyed that all of our paper money is the same size, shape, color, and design, with the only differences being a few numbers in the corners -- written smaller than the numbers in any other currency -- and which basially-similar-looking white guy has his basically-similar-looking portrait on it.
They pointed out that Americans aren't bothered by this (or, for that matter, that we have a $1 bill rather than coin -- I think that other countries believe that, if your average vending machine sells stuff more expensive than your smallest bill and your largest coin, you're doing it wrong) because we almost never use cash.
I'd never thought about it, but it's true. Even McDonald's takes debit and credit cards. I normally don't carry more than $20, back home, because I don't need to.
But I have not seen, in London, Florence, Rome, Paris, Venice, or Trieste, any of those self-service credit-card/debit card readers -- the ones where you swipe your card yourself, sign the little box with a light-pen, or punch in your PIN, and handle the transaction with minimal input by the clerk.
However, ATMs are everywhere and usually fee-free. In the United States, ATMs are a little less common, and almost always charge you for the privlege of getting your own money. If they only charge you $1, you count yourself lucky. If I want cash, I go to a supermarket, buy something small, and pay with a debit card, asking for "cash back".
But I almost never want cash.
In London and in Italy, we can use our Visa card at some restaurants (mainly the ones which cater to tourists), and to buy more expensive, big-ticket items (in general, if it's expensive enough that you're going to fill out a VAT exemption form for it, you can use a credit card), but, mainly, it's cash.
The advice we'd gotten had been to keep your cash in a moneybelt under your shirt, and only have what you need for the day out in your wallet, in case you meet a pickpocket. But we've found that a better place to keep your money is in a bank, and just go to the Bancomat every day to get your cash for the day. The Italian sentence I've used most is "Dovè ille Bancomat, per favorè?" And I've always gotten a helpful answer.
We have a credit union, which doesn't charge us for ATM transactions on their side, so we can do this. (Yes, in the United States, your own back can, and usually will, charge you to get your own money, and then the bank which owns the ATM will charge you again). So, for us, just getting money as we go makes more sense than getting extra.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-01 12:53 pm (UTC)I still feel odd about charging groceries and other small purchases, even though I'm paying the credit cards off in full every month. So, cash for groceries, and for many clothing and most book purchases. I use plastic mostly for travel expenses (train, airplane, and bus fares, and hotel bills) and clothing. And I'm still making a number of transactions that have to be cash--the street vendor selling me a roll or a pint of blueberries, my morning newspaper, and my usual Chinese restaurant don't take cash.
There were signs at the farmer's market yesterday, saying that starting next week vendors at that location would be taking credit cards and EBI (welfare/food stamps) cards; I've been paying cash there, for fruit and bread and fish and vegetables, for the last few years. My drugstore and supermarkets would, but I usually give them cash.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-01 04:23 pm (UTC)I have to lose the card and the PIN, or at the very least the card number and the PIN to someone with a card writer. It's a calculated risk, since I only use it at the grocery store to get cash back, or as an ATM card. Every other time (including grocery store trips without doing cash back), it's the credit card instead.