# How long can you live on $40 Cash (non frugals only lol)



## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Last week Aug 30 my husband went and got $400 cash from the bank machine then proceeded to use his debit card for $64 Petro Canada , $43 Swiss Chalet , $72.80 M & M meats ,$265.22 at Walmart .So when he came home I asked him why get cash when he spent $446 on debit.He said it was in case we needed cash for the weekend.I took his wallet and left him with $40 cash and told him he was not to touch debit for the week and that cash had to last him.
Well we cooked all week and especially this weekend and tomorrow he goes to work for his one day a week and just came to me and said can he have some money ,He still has $28 left in his wallet after 6 days so I told him tomorrow night I will give him some cash.Anyway I am very impressed for him to go this amount without buying anything but I think I woke him up with this exercise as this is his typical spending pattern.Just wondering how many of us have gas tank full lots of food at home and plenty of clothes for ourselves and the kids yet still send lots of cash on 'STUFF'.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Sounds like an episode of _Till Debt Do Us Part_


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## daddybigbucks (Jan 30, 2011)

i asked my wife and she said (if the gas tank is full) probably a week.

Me, i bet i could easily last a month, but that would be me taking up the challenge but you also did not ask for me /frugals.

" just came to me and said can he have some money "
that sounded weird but i guess if he is only working one day, that is why he is asking for money?
no joint account?


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

LOL i still have his $360 cash and my husband has much more than me but he knows lately he has been pissing me off with his spending.He retired two years ago just works one day a week at his old job to stay out of trouble


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

HaroldCrump said:


> Sounds like an episode of _Till Debt Do Us Part_


Except no consumer debt


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## clovis8 (Dec 7, 2010)

HaroldCrump said:


> Sounds like an episode of _Till Debt Do Us Part_


Not to derail this thread but this show is amazing sometimes. So many people spending two and even three times their income every month. It's astounding.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

Yes the two episodes that stick in my mind is the Doctor who spent $18,000 more a month than he made and the other was a grandmother Sheila who was a real nasty person ,Gail did give them $2000 and sheila said she will put that on the new credit card she got ,they had 90k in debt when Gail got there.


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## Maybe Later (Feb 19, 2011)

In a normal week it would probably last until Friday, then be used for lunch with my wife and/or beers after work. 

If the gas tank was empty, I'd be penniless on Monday morning.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

It's not a fair question for the simple reason that all of us are surrounded with lifestyles which have recurring expenses such as food, gas, car and housing payments, insurance, phone bills, Internet and cable and spending money. EVen if I sit on my hands for the next 30 days, my mere existence means bills will continue to roll in.

Even a baby, which has no direct bills, incurs expense. Same thing with seniors who have paid mortgages and cars upon retirement.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

TRM ,
Do you have to make it complicated ?Did i ask can you live on 40 a week?
I had no idea asking a question was going to be unfair,honestly I am shocked as hell we went a week without accessing our bank cards and having 40.00 cash.Of course I paid mortgages on Friday but thought it was obvious we are talking pocket money here not to pay the cable bill lol.


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

I think Royal's just stating that life costs money. How you manage that can determine your lifestyle, cash flow, savings, goals etc. 

Marina is saying that she was able to cut down some spending by using the old cash method. Relationships and money spending can be hard to balance. I think that good communication and evaluations must always be gone over together. 

I think the point is that credit and debit cards can make us spend more. 

It is really TOO easy to spend $100-$300 at Walmart on stuff. Same goes for costco. Sometimes it's better just to not go. You'll always see something not on your list that's selling for a good price. Problem is, everything adds up, and really quick.


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## 200above (Nov 18, 2010)

i spend about 30 bucks in 13 days while im up north in nunavut

although i spend around 1300 in two weeks on beer/food/entertainment/fuel and clothes when i am home.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

I live dependent upon events and what others are doing.

Sometimes I will stay at home for 2 weeks and not spend a dime on anything.

Other times, I blow $300 easily in one night.

Typically, I'd say I spend $100/week on entertainment or things I do not "need".


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

And that's perfectly fine, KaeJS, because it seems from your other posts that you can afford to pay your bills, set money aside to save/invest, and have money left to spend on treats for yourself. The problem arises with people who can't afford it, see others spending on non-necessities, and decide they deserve to be able to do the same, with no consideration for their different circumstances.

I once had a neighbour who would look around the neighbourhood, see that the people next door had a new car, the neighbours across the street had a colour TV (when they were brand new and a rarity in our neighbourhood), and someone else had new living room furniture. She would decide that she deserved all those things too, not considering that the neighbours had made a choice and bought the thing they wanted the most - she bought them all, on her credit card, of course. She and her husband kept increasing their mortgage until eventually they lost their house - which they had paid $13,500 for, so there was absolutely no excuse for it. They got very little sympathy from the neighbours, I'm afraid!


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

Terrific story from the wise, Karen!

I never thought of it that way, but you're totally right. I would go so far as to extend those views to society as well. ie. those who are in a lower class look to those higher than them and feel they "should have" those same things also, without considering the different paths both people took in life. Life is like a flowchart, with a series of decisions, and the product of a person viewed at any given time is the result of all the decisions they've made, along with some good and bad luck and their personality/appearance and how people through their life have reacted to same.


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## Echo (Apr 1, 2011)

I find that if I have cash I'm more inclined to spend it on stupid stuff like coffee, magazines, ice cream, etc. I try and use my rewards credit card for everything and rarely withdraw cash from an ATM.

This is true even when going on a trip. I went to Orlando for a week in June on a work conference, and my co-worker asked me how much cash I was bringing. I said, none. I made it the whole trip just using my credit card until one night we grabbed a taxi back to the hotel and the driver informed me that she didn't accept credit cards so I had to take out cash from a nearby ATM and pay a hefty withdrawal fee


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

I use a credit card to pay for almost everything as well (Scotiabank cash-back Visa card), Echo, and pay it off in full at month end, but I always keep some cash in my wallet just in case of something like that. But there are few things one can't use a credit card for these days, so the $100 cash I carry usually lasts a long time. When it doesn't, it's usually because I've taken pity on one of my grandchildren and given it to them for gas money!


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## colossk (May 11, 2011)

People spend cash these days still?

I don't think I've carried cash on me in probably 2 years. Every store takes debit or credit these days. When My kids come home from school and need $5 for their agenda for the school year or $3 for candygrams I end up writing a cheque because cash..what's that?

Not long before we become a cashless society.

In answer to the original question I could easily go 2-3 weeks with that $40 assuming no bills or food. My wife wouldn't last the day


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## Echo (Apr 1, 2011)

@Karen - Yeah, I hear what you are saying. I should probably keep some cash on hand just in case, but I'm usually within range of a TD Bank machine...just not in Orlando, I guess.

@colassk - I was with you there until you said that you still write cheques


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

8 hrs and 46 minutes.

The meaning of the question is fuzzy to me, I can go weeks with $40 in my pocket, as long as you don't count it towards, you know, bills, or living.

So, my yearly budget is 40k. That means I burn through 7.6 cents a second. Living.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

This is way off topic but I had to reply to the apathetic post above regarding cash. Cash is still a very useful, no-fee option. I hate standing in line behind someone at the store who whips out a debit card for a $5 purchase because they were too lazy to get some cash from the ATM. Many times you arrive at the store or owe your buddy $10 and the debit option is not available. It's also faster in takeout lines to pay with cash and not hold up the line. 

A cashless society is a VERY bad idea, as we've already seen with the thievery of CC companies and paypal with their greed and need to charge fees on every single transaction. You can bet prices on everything will go up if we should ever go cashless, as retailers will simply pass on the added fees to us on everything. 

In a society where people can't find work and are having trouble making ends meet, the last thing we should be doing is encouraging more fees to be passed on to consumer (yes yes I know someone's going to say the fees are built in to prices already, but my point is there will be MORE fees if we lose cash as an option).

Don't be lazy. Use cash, save on fees and keep control out of the hands of the big money companies and in your hands.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

crazyjackcsa said:


> So, my yearly budget is 40k. That means I burn through 7.6 cents a second. Living.


I'm 100% sure that your math is incorrect.

It costs me $0.0228159105277245 per _minute_ to live.

If it's costing me 2.2 cents a minute to live, and its costing you 7.6 cents a second to live, you're in DEEP trouble, mate.

It costs me $1.368954631663468 per hour to live
It costs me $32.85491115992323 per day to live
It costs me $229.9843781194626 per week to live
It costs me $996.5989718510045 per month to live
It costs me $11959.18766221205 per year to live

*crazyjackcsa,* here are your numbers (based on [almost] $40k/year):

It costs you *$0.076*0530350924149 per minute to live (Whoops, maybe you meant to say MINUTE, instead of Second? haha)
It costs you $4.563182105544893 per hour to live
It costs you $109.5163705330774 per day to live
It costs you $766.614593731542 per week to live
It costs you $3321.996572836682 per month to live
It costs you $39863.95887404018 per year to live

And yes, I know the numbers get a little bit skewed lol.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

TRM, while I agree that a cashless society would be horrible, I believe it would only be so because then all transfer of funds would be tracked with a paper trail.

I use my CC for everything. Everything.

Cash is only good for paying friends, pooling money or gambling.


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

TRM, it's somewhat akin to the prisoners' dilemma. 

If retailers are charged 2% by CC companies to use CC in store, they raise the price by 2%. That's the cost of doing business, life goes on. In an incentive to get me to use their credit card, they offer perks, money back, miles etc. To pay for these perks, they now charge retailers 4% which raises prices by 4%. If I get 2% cash back, all is well. If you pay cash, you're now suffering. 

CC's will keep getting better and better bonuses, raising fees, raising prices and the cycle continues. The prisoners' dilemma comes in when everyone knows that the net benefit of a credit card is less than if prices were universally reduced by 4%, but I am motivated to get the most rewards (read most expensive to retailer) from my credit card to make up for the price increase.

The only way this would change would be if retailers charged less for cash purchases, which is only done for major expenditures. By paying cash, you're actually just giving the retailer an extre x% on each purchase.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

Many years ago, I used to shop at a ladies' wear store that automatically gave a 5% discount if you paid by cash (or cheque). I've never seen this happen at any other stores.


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## DanFo (Apr 9, 2011)

I deal with cash...mostly because it's usually quicker and simpler and it allows me to track spending easier..if i goes quick I'll be like wow what the hell did I do or if lasts I know I'm doing good.....no network error has ever affected my ability to pay with cash and "almost" everyplace excepts it (hotel/vacation bookings usually always need a cc) Everyone i meet says they never pay interest on their CC and they reap all the benifits but the CC companies seem to be extremely profitable. I'm pretty sure the majority of CMF'rs are pretty religous paying off their balances though.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

DanFo said:


> I'm pretty sure the majority of CMF'rs are pretty religous paying off their balances though.


Paid off every single balance in full since I got my card. So far, having a CC has made me hundreds and hundreds of dollars. I make around $150-$200/year. 

My January Billing Statement is always a joke to look at!


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

Good for you, KaeJS!

The last time I paid any interest on my cc was in 1991. That was when I'd been in the hospital when the statement came in and it didn't get paid on time.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Karen said:


> The last time I paid any interest on my cc was in 1991.


I'm surprised they haven't taken that thing away from you!


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

I used to wonder about that, too, but that was years ago - before I realized that the card issuers make money on every transaction, so they're still making money on me.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

One thing people seem to be forgetting is privacy. When you use plastic/loyalty cards instead of cash you are giving up a lot of privacy and information about yourself. Same thing with Air Miles. That they are giving you cash back or discounts isn't the point. It isn't free. You're selling your privacy when you do that. They can and do freely run all sorts of report on your spending history, every purchase you've ever made, every trip you've ever taken, it's all in a database and the information is out there. This makes you vulnerable to taxation, fees and more junk mail and marketing. It's ironic in a world that gives so much lip service to privacy and blurs out license plates on TV shows lol. If I walked up to your house off the street with a clipboard and started asking for detailed spending history, most people would refuse giving me that info and would slam the door in my face. Yes at soon as people set foot in a store they seem all too happy to give up their phone numbers, postal codes, addresses and other loyalty cards etc. Wake up!


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## Maybe Later (Feb 19, 2011)

the-royal-mail said:


> This makes you vulnerable to taxation, fees and more junk mail and marketing.


I agree with the junk mail and marketing, but curious about taxation. Unless you're considering under-the-table or off-the-books cash deals?


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

TRM - I don't see the big deal.

Its not even private.

Why do I care if someone knows I purhased $43.56 worth of Ultra 94 Gas at PetroCanada #9837 on September 10 at 1:03am?

I don't. I couldn't care less.

Do I mind that Rogers knows where I am when I make a Phone Call? Do I care that they know the number that I'm calling, how long I was on the phone, who that person was and where they are located?

Does it matter that my iPhone keeps data about where and when I snap a picture?

If someone wants to look at where I've been and what I've bought - they can go ahead and look. At the end of the day, everybody takes a ****.

It's only private information to people that are insecure.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

Once again, I find myself agreeing with KaeJS. I am often amazed at the public's attitude towards privacy. Of course there are many privacy issues that are extremely important, but people don't seem to be able to draw a line between what's important and what isn't. If anyone wants to know where I shop, how much I spend on anything at all, or even how much I paid in income tax last year, all they have to do is ask. I've always thought our society's obsession with secrecy about so many things is a little bit ridiculous.

One example is a disagreement that arose in my neighbourhood a few years ago when one neighbour asked another how much the annual property assessment on his house was. The other party was offended and told the first neighbour that it was none of his business. I was not involved with the disagreement, but my personal opinion was that it was the neighbour's business. His house is very similar - same size, same age, same basic style. We have the right to appeal our assessment based on, among other things, the assessed value of similar houses in the area - how was the first man to know whether his assessment was fair if he didn't have that information? The funny thing is that a few years later, the assessment authority started posting all assessments on line for a few months to help people compare and decide whether they want to appeal or not.


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## daddybigbucks (Jan 30, 2011)

Karen said:


> , all they have to do is ask.


So you don't mind a telemarketer phoning you while you are having dinner with your family for a 20 minute phone call about where you shop.


I use cash almost exclusively now. I just got to find on of those change convertor as you sure get alot of coin going cash-only.


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## DanFo (Apr 9, 2011)

I have no phobias about privacy...My lifes not that interesting to begin with but I never give my phone number away or put it on a form, my email or my addy sure but I never get telemarketers calling me and I want to keep it that way. 

Karen in my town every property assessment for tax purposes, on every property in the county is available online for all too see from the county website.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

> So you don't mind a telemarketer phoning you while you are having dinner with your family for a 20 minute phone call about where you shop.


Of course I would mind that if I had no choice but to spend 20 minutes talking to them, but I have no trouble saying that I don't do telephone polls and hanging up. I'm sure I've never wasted any more than 30 seconds on such calls.

Interesting that your property assessments are available year round, Dan. Here in BC, they're just posted during the period that appeals can be made and even that, as I said in my earlier post, has only been in effect for a few years.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

I have to agree with Karen and Kae, I"m not sure what the big deal is about what I am buying, and privacy. The main concern I have with privacy is only that there are those dishonest cons out there who use my information against me. Other than than, I really don't care who knows where I shop, what I buy, etc. In fact, I am often in focus groups and provide this information. I don't see what the big deal is.

I actually find that I receive very in terms of junk mail. For telemarketers, I find I can handle them quite easily. I either don't answer, or if I do, I ask them not to call me again and that I'm not the do not call list. If they persist and don't follow the rules, I will usually teach them a lesson. I actualy kind of miss the calls. 

I am curious what are the privacy concerns. Sure, I don't want people to have my bank accounts, credit cards, sin, so they can't commit illegal activities, but other than illegal activities, what is the concern.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

I'm glad you agree, PA. I remember a few months ago there were a few snide remarks made by a couple of members about others who post their net worth statements. They weren't directed at me because I don't do those online NW statements, but I had sensed in the past that some people disapproved of my openness about my financial situation. Why would people disapprove of things like that, especially on a money forum? I admire forum members who are open about their own circumstances - good or bad. To me, it helps others to assess their comments and to give advice, if appropriate. 

I hate it when people I know take a conversation around in circles to avoid saying how much they paid for something. Last year I treated myself to a beautiful pullover sweater in an expensive ladies' wear store where I don't usually shop. I paid $269 for it. One of my friends was shocked when I told her where I'd bought it, so I told her what I'd paid for it and she was horrified that I might have thought she was hinting for that information. I told her it wasn't a question of having to hint - if she wanted to know how much anything I owned cost, all she had to do was ask. I've never seen any reason to be secretive about things like that; in fact, I find them interesting. I remember being told by a teacher many years ago that there were three things we should avoid discussing in polite company: money, religion, and politics. My thought at the time was that it doesn't leave much of interest to talk about, does it?


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

I actually do find it a little surprising on how taboo finance and money can be in real life. In some cultures, it is perfectly normal to ask someone how much they make or how much they spent on something. I don’t mind telling people (if asked, and assuming they are not using against me). I think this reluctance in sharing information is part of the problem with debt and society that we have today. Since few people are willing to talk about it, people make their own assumptions (often wrong), and then make their own decisions based on wrong assumptions. For example, I was one of the first people in our group of friends to decide to have a nanny for childcare. Most of my friends assumed it was because we were in a higher income than they were and could not afford it. It turns out that they were paying much more in childcare than we were, and we were getting more service or value for the money with our nanny. Many of my friends have started switching over from their childcare situations to a nanny. It took one of them saying how much they were paying for childcare, and not happy about it, and wishing they could have a nanny. When I responded that I am actually paying less than they are, they were really surprised. 

I think because people are not sharing information, they look at others and just assume that everyone is doing better, or having more, or spending more, therefore it must be okay. Honestly, I don’t understand why all the privacy. It’s the same for networth, I do not always post my profile on line, only because I am still trying to make sure it’s secure enough that no one is going to use my information to target me. In real life, I think knowing peoples financial pictures would be useful. Not for competition, but rather to help us better our own selves. Its been a real eye opener for my spouse and I. Many of the people we know, all seem to have much nicer houses, cars, and things. I was really surprised to find out how many of them had a lot of debt, and just assumed this was normal. These are all professionals that make really good incomes, so I just assumed that they were debt free. It has kept me focused that the grass is greener on the other side.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

I agree that money shouldn't be taboo.

That said, one reason I can think of for not talking about money specifics is to avoid having friends and family asking for money.


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