Posted: 12/31/2010 11:05:12 AM EDT
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I remember when only wealthy people had credit cards. In fact, people would say of someone "Yes, he's rich. He carries a credit card." For most people, credit was a mortgage, a car note, a page in a ledger book at a local store, and maybe one department store charge plate (kept at the store, awarded only to the solidly established middle class) .
It would be hard to get along now without at least an ATM card. Most people can't even get paid unless they have a bank account. 25 years ago, I didn't have one. I negotiated my "check" (a paper document directing a bank to pay "cash"* in a specified amount to a named recipient) at the bank on which it was drawn and gave the "cash" to my wife to put in her account, from which she would draw "checks" for payment of household bills. When I was very young, my Dad received an actual "pay envelope" each week containing his week's wages in cash along with a slip of paper documenting his earnings and deductions. I was amazed at our apparent wealth when my mother got a BankAmericard (precursor to Visa). As I recall, they were only useable at department stores, nice restaurants (not that we ever ate out except at Krystal, which didn't take the card) and for major expenses like car repairs and big appliances. Times have changed. *Coins and paper currency, useable by the bearer without personal identification for the purchase of goods and services |
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My only complaint about our digital plastic economy is that the biggest bill you usually see is a $20. I don't know how many places around here that say they won't take anything larger than $20. Hell, you can't get anything but $20's from an ATM. Maybe I just don't roll in the right circles. ETA: I won't even get into the fact of the many eyebrows raised (and subsequent problems that can arise) if you were inclined to travel with larger sums of money. |
