McCain hopes currency change can 'make it rain'

Thanks to the rise of debit cards, a large and growing segment of the population no longer carries cash. Go to a convenience store sometime and watch how many people pull out their cards to buy a bottle of soda or a candy bar.

 

Lord knows I've proven time and again around here that I think the government often does good work...but for the life of me I don't understand why it keeps trying to push the dollar coin idea. We've rejected the plan over and over and over again.

 

I am very minimalist. I carry my wallet in my front pocket. It contains my DL, credit card, atm card, insurance cards (truck, bike, health), 4-5 bills of various denominations, and that's about it. The only reason I ever have any change in my pocket is if I am away from my truck to drop it in the ash tray. My key ring has 4 keys - truck, Harley, house, classroom (which is nice because I have a skeleton key that opens every door in the building). I have a slim pocket knife and a cell phone. Otherwise, I don't haul a bunch of crap around.

 

Yep. And society is going to be majorly screwed the day all the computers go down and you can't buy a Coke.

 

The Dude wrote a sub-$1 check for milk, so I don't see how a card swipe is worse for the consumer. Unless you visit store that adds a surcharge for the absurdity of having a card in 2013.

 

It's actually a great way to see exactly how much you spend each month and where it goes.

People spend so much money without even realizing it. And then when you check you bank balance it typically seems less than it should. Seeing everything itemized on a sheet (or 2 or 3) in front of you helps you understand, "So that's where those two paychecks went last month."

 

The surcharges are levied on small purchases because the card providers charge a fee no matter how small the transaction. Although if I remember correctly, and it's possible that I don't, at least one card provider's agreement forbids that.

 

That's a reason why some small businesses have a $10 minimum charge limit. To prevent people from putting a pack of gum and bottle of soda on their credit card and then the store owner gets hit with the swipe fee.