Showerthought: The blackout last month made me realize how much I miss cash

We had a big storm roll through and the power was out for almost 12 hours. My phone battery was dead, the card readers at the gas station were down, and the one corner store open only took cash. I had about $8 in my wallet from a birthday card my aunt sent, and that was it. I bought a bottle of water and a pack of crackers, but it felt weird being so stuck. I used to always keep a $20 bill tucked away for emergencies, but I stopped maybe two years ago because I never 'needed' it. It made me think about who's really in charge when every single transaction needs a system that can fail. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where the digital system just left you high and dry?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_ward3928d agoTop Commenter

My glovebox stash is a hundred bucks in small bills now, after a similar gas station panic last winter.

spencera7728d ago

That reminds me of the time my car ate a twenty in the seat crack during a road trip.

ray61728d ago

Read an article about how some towns are pushing for cash acceptance laws. They argued it's a basic access issue for when systems fail or for people without banks. Makes you wonder why we ever moved away from something that always works.