Cash is King

Somehow, I avoided a flat tire earlier this week. While driving past an accident, I ended up with a piece of someone's headlight connector stuck in my tire. It was pouring rain and Frankie was in the back seat. I did not want to change my tire in the pouring rain, so I decided to drive less than a quarter mile to the www.autoclinicautorepairllc.com where I had taken it once before with a screw in my tire. Luckily it happened almost directly across the street from them. These guys were great. It took them less than 15 minutes total to remove and plug my tire. One of the men even said he remembered fixing my back tire the last time. They even gave me a $10 discount for paying cash. It makes me happy to know that some people still prefer cash, because I know we are only a few cash withdrawals away from being all digital.

We shop local, small businesses in our area for just about everything. Not only do they make you feel like a human, but they also take pride in the work they do and don’t treat you like just another number or dollar sign. Quality customer service is a thing of the past. When you go to big box stores, if there is anyone there to service at all, they seem annoyed or unhappy to be there. Usually, I notice that the self-checkout is about your only option for these days, and there will be a long line, no matter what. It is apparent that people just don't want to be bothered with you or your business. I have been through a few checkout lines where the clerk didn’t say “hi”, didn’t tell me my total, didn’t even make eye contact with me. It was like my groceries walked themselves onto the conveyor belt and the machine cleared the transaction with a tap of my card. It makes me sad to see that type of person working with the public. It seems so impersonal.

Now, when I go to the local farmers market on the weekend and see Charles from Alvarez Farms Alvarez Farms | Facebook, I always get a warm greeting. “Hey Kathy, you got to taste the cantaloupe I have this week.” or “I got the ribeye you like”. He knows what I like and that I am willing to pay cash because if I can avoid paying tax, I will. I feel that if the government can tax my income tax return, I should pay cash to a vendor willing to take cash to avoid having “the man” get involved. Anyway, Charles knows I come with cash and that he can have it all because he provides me with honest service, locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables, grass fed beef and pork. His wife makes the most authentic salsa and her pickled vegetables and jams are all phenomenal. His products never disappoint me.

Another lovely vendor, Brenda, from Home (edensleafnaturalsoaps.com) will accept cash and will also discount a dollar per empty container returned. She is always willing to produce a product or tweak a product at my request. We use her hair shampoo and conditioner because all her products are made from 100% natural and vegan ingredients. She makes them all by hand and grows a lot of her own herbs and plants used in her products. Although I love the smell, Frankie requested an orange scent. I asked and Brenda made it without hesitation. She also makes lotion candles. Not only do they smell amazing, but they also moisturize wonderfully. They also burn longer than any other candle I have burned. Her FrankinShea is a heavy moisturizer that I use every day to help keep my skin looking young and bright. We also love her bar soaps, bath bombs and Mermaid Mist for our hair. My hair and skin have never been healthier. We have been using her products for years.

I usually have cash on hand, a side effect from being in the restaurant industry. I make it a point to pay cash where it is appreciated. It probably won't be around forever and if your coins aren’t made from some sort of pure metal, it probably won't always be worth much. My father got into coins some years back and I never really understood why until recently. You won’t find any of his coins to be made up of anything but silver and gold. He knows and has always known that it isn't worth a flip unless it is made of precious metal. I plan to hold onto any of the coins he gave me until I pass them on to Frankie, or I need to make bullets out of them to protect Frankie. I know the digital currency is not far off in the future, but for now I will continue to use cash where it is accepted and appreciated. In the words of Phil from Auto Clinic “Cash is King”.