You Should Always Pay For These Items In Cash

You Should Always Pay For These Items In Cash

Cash is slowly but surely becoming a thing of the past, with debit and credit cards being the standard way to pay for items nowadays, save for the odd farmers' market. But what are some instances where cash might be the preferred payment method?

Let's explore which items you should continue to pay for in cash.

Meals You Eat Outside Of The Home

Paying for dinner out can become expensive in a hurry if you're ordering that extra side or that extra appetizer—because why not? But if you discipline yourself to have a budget for, say, $40 for each dinner you eat out, you'll probably save money and not order the extra appetizer because you're paying with cold, hard cash.

Man is Taking Order at the Restaurant

Yan Krukau, Pexels

Drinks At The Bar

We all know how expensive a night out can become, particularly if you've slammed down a credit card on the bar and told the barkeep to "put it on a tab". Well, you're in for a rude awakening in the morning—and not just the pounding headache.

If you're going out drinking, set yourself both an alcoholic and financial limit. This will stop you from spending and drinking more than you should.

Woman at club.

Gabriel Passos, Pexels

Online Marketplace Purchases

We're all familiar with buying things on places like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. But there are plenty of scams out there that rob people of tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, every year. Always—always—meet whomever you're buying from in a public place and always pay for the item after you've inspected it for functionality. Using cash also helps keep the transaction simple and avoids any conflicts or long wait times for electronic transaction confirmation emails and the like.

Man opening a bag with a leather purse inside sitting on a bench next to a friend

samuel perales, Shutterstock

A Used Car

Unless you're financing a vehicle, there's no reason why you can't make a used car purchase with cash, particularly if you're only spending about $2,000 on one. It's a great way to avoid crushing vehicle debt, which reached $1.6 trillion in 2023. Ensure the seller provides a receipt—you'll need one for the DMV.

Woman gives cash to a man when buying a car. The car is out of focus

Slava Dumchev, Shutterstock