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Cashless Economy

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Clarissa

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Have you guys tried depositing money into your bank account lately, as in cash money? If not, then let me tell you, it’s an adventure and a half.

The branch of my bank in my town closed a few years ago, so I have to drive to a drive-through ATM. These ATMs are all 20 miles away from me and from each other. I drive to the first one, and it’s broken. The second one was closed, apparently very recently, and Google Maps does not reflect the closure. The third one is in an area where there is no likelihood I will stop my car or roll down the window because I don’t want to get shot in the head. The fourth one is in an area where there are road repairs, and you cannot drive up to it. It’s all closed down. The fifth one is also in a shady area, but by this point, I’ve been on the road for hours, and I just want this all to end.

Is there something that I’m not understanding? Why is this process so painful? I’m not doing anything shady or unusual. I simply want to deposit my money into my bank account.

4 responses to “Cashless Economy”

  1. Demotrash Avatar
    Demotrash

    If the branch closed in your area and there’s no nearby ATMs…there’s your answer. Is there something exceptional about this bank that leads you to want to use it and no other bank? I would consider opening an account with a bank that has a nearby physical location.

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    1. Clarissa Avatar
      Clarissa

      It’s Bank of America. I’ve been with them since I first came to the U.S., and yes, I should open a new bank account. I just didn’t want to bother.

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      1. methylethyl Avatar
        methylethyl

        oof. Why not try scoping out the local banks and credit unions that do have ATMs in your immediate area, opening a basic no-fees checking account, and using it for local-banking stuff that needs an ATM or an in-person branch?

        It’d let you audition another bank, in case you ever want to switch. We do this basically every time we move (and we’ve moved a lot). We have a “home base” bank that has no ATMs we can access, BUT they have real actual humans who actually work in the bank office who answer the phone when you call, so we are never letting go of that one. Then we open a basic checking account somewhere local, wherever we are currently living, and use that for local-convenience purposes, as a satellite. It’s kludgy but it works. When we move, we just close out the local account. If you’re not moving every three years, even easier!

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  2. methylethyl Avatar
    methylethyl

    Cash: I don’t attempt to deposit it. I hold it and then use it for local-business purchases. It saves them the transaction fees that go with card purchases.

    Yes, there are big-money interests that would like to force us all to go cashless so all transactions are trackable for tax purposes. Large banks are part of that push. They profit from the transaction fees.

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A conservative literary critic and college professor

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