This is a guest post from Danny Kofke, author of How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher’s Salary.
Times are tough. Many are finding it more difficult to stretch their dollars. I know this first-hand because I am a school teacher, and my wife is a stay-at-home mom with our two young daughters.
Despite earning a modest income, we have managed to own all of our possessions (including two cars!) except our house, set aside a six-month emergency fund, and invest so that we are on track to retire as millionaires. We live a financially secure life on a teacher’s salary.
One strategy that has helped us is to use cash to pay for our purchases as much as possible. Here are three reasons I believe that cash is king:
We know where our money is going
I believe that one reason so many people are in financial trouble is that they do not know how much they are spending. It’s not the big-ticket items that are hurting most of us, but rather the $10 lunch here and $5 coffee there. These add up over time.
Pulling a set amount of cash out of your account on a weekly basis for your expenses can help eliminate this mindless spending.
We spend less
There are studies that show you will, on average, spend 12-18% more when using a credit card instead of cash. For most people, it’s much easier to swipe a card through a machine than to pull out the green stuff.
Using cash causes my wife and me to think twice before making many of our purchases. This leads us to buy only those things that we truly want, since we’ve paused to consider before opening our wallets.
You can get a great deal
Here’s the fun part. Most stores are hurting because people aren’t spending as much as they used to. Many are willing to lower their prices if you offer cash when buying their products.
A month ago, a friend told me she was going to an electronics store to buy a television that was listed for approximately $1,000. I told her to walk into the store with $700 in cash and tell the sales associate that she really wanted that particular television but this was all she could spend on it. After some talk, the associate agreed — my friend saved $300.
This approach might not work at all stores, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
I know that not everyone will be able or willing to use this approach. But I hope that my examples have shown you that there are advantages to using cash. With the credit markets tightening, I really believe that cash will be king during the next few years.
J.D.’s note: I know that GRS readers are divided between the “cash only” and the “wise use of credit” camps. I believe both have their merits. Though I’ve elected to join the “wise use of credit” folks, I support those who opt for a cash-only lifestyle. For more on this option, check out my pal NCN at No Credit Needed. Photo by Refracted Moments.
译文:
现金为王的3个理由
这是Danny Kofke客座发表的文章，他是怎样依靠教师工资生活的作者。
岁月艰难。很多人觉得手头的钱不够用。我直接知道这一点是因为我是一名教师，我的妻子是一个全职家庭主妇，在家养两个年龄很小的女儿。
尽管收入不多，除了房子，留出6个月的应急资金和投资外，我们能够维持所有财产（包括2辆汽车！）。这样当我们退休时将步入百万富翁的行列，依靠教师工资过上经济上有保障的生活。
一个对我们很有帮助的策略是尽可能使用现金来来购物。这里有现金为王的3个理由：
我们知道自己的钱花在什么地方。
我认为很多人陷于经济困难的一个原因是他们不知道他们花费了多少。我们一会儿在午饭上花了 $10， 一会儿又在买咖啡上花了 $5，虽然不是巨额花费令人头疼这档事，但是经过一段时间，把诸如此类花费加在一起，数目并不小。
针对你的开销，每周在你的账户上设定一个现金值，它可以帮你减少不经过大脑思考的花费。
我们花得更少
有研究表明，当你使用信用卡代替现金消费时，平均会多消费12-18%。对大多数人来说，在机子上刷一下信用卡要比从钱包中抽出绿色的票子方便得多。
使用现金可以让我和妻子在购买前三思而行。因为我们在打开钱包前停下来仔细考虑一番，所以我们只买那些真正需要的东西。
你可以获得更多
这里有一个有趣的片段。因为人们不像以前那样花钱，很多商店加强了促销力度。如果你在买东西的时候用现金支付，那么很多商家愿意降低价格。
一个月之前，一个朋友告诉我她打算去一个电气商店买一台标价大概是 $1,000的电视机。我对她说当你走入这家店的时候只要随身带$700就行了，然后跟销售人员说自己真的非常想拥有这台电视机，但是$700是她所能出得起的价格。经过商量后，那个人竟然同意这个价格——因此我的朋友省下了$300。
这个方法不可能对所有的商店都奏效，但是它不耽误我们去尝试一下。
我知道不是所有的人都能或者都愿意去使用这个方法。但是我希望我的例子已经在使用现金上显示了三大优点。由于信用市场的紧缩，我认为通过现金支付将在接下来的几年中变得尤其重要。
J.D.’s 备注：我知道GRS的读者可以分为“只用现金”和“明智地使用信用卡”两大阵营。而且我也知道它们两个都有各自的优点。虽然我选择加入“明智地使用信用卡”那些人当中，但是我还是支持那些选择只用现金生活方式的人。更多关于选择，请在无需信用卡中查看我的NCN。图片由Refracted Moments提供。