I recently had something occur that has not only thrown a ,monkey wrench into my weekly routine but has made me realize just how dependent I’ve become on modern resources and technology. About a month ago, I started a load of laundry and tossed my jeans in; jeans that just happened to contain my debit card. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be such a big deal. On this occasion however, it was a hot water load and it caused my debit card to warp and bend. I realized this when I emptied out the washer and found the card sitting at the bottom of the drum.
I have this unfortunate habit of taking my debit card out of my wallet, using it, then slipping the debit card back into my pocket without placing it back in my wallet. Lesson #1 for me, as this action is what caused the problem. Had I simply put the card back into my wallet as opposed to dropping it loosely in my pants, all would be well. As a result of my oversight, I now found myself with a debit card that would potentially not function for its intended use. Considering this is the primary expense account for our household, access to those funds is rather important.
Over the next couple of weeks that followed, I tested and used this debit card without issue. The chip function worked normally, despite the card’s misshapen state. The tap function also still worked for day-to-day purchases. In essence, it appeared as though the card was fully functional despite the damage I had caused to it. As a result, I was in no hurry to try and have the card replaced. I had no issue until I tried to use the card at an actual ATM machine. I had stopped in at my local bank’s branch and tried to put the card into the ATM to withdraw a cash amount. This is when I discovered that the warped state of my debit card wouldn’t allow the ATM to accept the card. Fuck me. Of course there’d be a problem…
While most banking or payments can be done by debit or credit card, some payments do occasionally need to be done in cash. Further, there is a growing movement by local businesses to prefer cash payment as debit or credit card payments tend to impose fees and charges against a business that don’t happen if a consumer is paying in cash. But i digress. My point is I needed to replace this shitty debit card so things could get back to normal. And as those who know me may have noticed, I’m not a big fan of change, especially to anything I do that’s routine.
I walked into my bank and requested a replacement card. Since debit cards are embossed and need to be created, I was issued a “temporary” debit card with nothing on it but a magnetic strip. We’re talking old school swipe to use. On top of that, the card would only work in my bank’s branches or ATM machines. Lovely. Since the majority of retail locations don’t house an ATM machine from my bank, I’ve been forced to calculate my expenses ahead of time ands withdraw money BEFORE running errands or shopping.
This additional need has opened my eyes to a few different things. First, it’s woken me up to how much we spend on a weekly basis without thought. I’m not claiming to be rich. In fact, far from it. But having to use cash and calculate whether i have enough for what’s sitting in my shopping cart has made me realize that I never bother to do such calculations when I’m using a debit card. I mostly wind up tapping or paying without paying much attention. For obvious reasons, this isn’t a good ting and I’ve found myself putting back the “nice to haves” and unnecessary items that I may have grabbed in prior shopping trips that I realize I wasn’t carrying enough cash to purchase.
What initially started as an inconvenience has opened my eyes and made me aware of our household’s spending and what steps I can take to mitigate some of it. Sometimes, the most inconvenient of instances can still yield some positive outcomes. I think there’s something there about finding the silver lining. In all honesty, given that I grew up in the generation where debit cards became the “thing,” I’m not sure how I survived shopping and living life on cash alone. Sometimes it’s good to take a look back and go back to a simpler means of getting things done. There are always lessons to be learned. Food for thought… ☯️
The Blogging Buddhist 