this is One thingA column full of tips on how to live your life.
In early April, I took my daughter to see Olivia Rodrigo in concert at Madison Square Garden. The tickets were a Christmas gift for her, and we were counting down the days until the concert. There was one problem I hadn’t anticipated: how to get home. For reasons unrelated to this article, I needed to drive home instead of take the subway, so after the concert ended at 10:30 p.m., I ordered an Uber. The app warned me that it would take 30 minutes to arrive, due to swarms of teenagers and moms who also needed to get home.
No problem. We could wait. We stood on Seventh Avenue and followed the car. But as we got closer to the venue, we got a notification that my car was leaving… and then it was gone. Someone had gotten into my car and stolen it. We were screwed!
Just a few minutes later, a yellow cab with its lights off pulled up. I knew what this meant. The driver was off duty, but he might give us a ride. “Where are you going?” he asked. “Brooklyn.” “Cash?” “Yes,” I said. “How much?” “I have $40,” I said. He waved and we got in. We headed home. This is not scripted. My daughter said to me, “Good thing I always carry cash with me!”
She’s right, it’s true. I always carry cash with me, and you should too. My recommendation is $40-60. Carrying cash is in my DNA. I grew up with parents who cashed whatever check they had every week, stayed on a budget, and lived debt-free (which is pretty amazing).
Nowadays, more and more people Choose to abandon I carry bills, but I still prefer to pay for small purchases with cash. I stop at the general store for milk and watermelon gum, which are $4. Why use a card? The nail salon across the street gives me 10 percent off if I pay with cash. (Don’t worry, I tip 20 percent of the undiscounted amount.) My car repair shop is also cash only, so I have plenty of cash on hand to pay for inspections and oil changes.
One final reason: when a Showtime dancer shows up on my subway car, I always give them money. I don’t give money to every subway performer, but I’m really grateful to them. Gymnastics person Dancing on a moving train car earned me nearly universal applause and smiles at the end of a workday, a rare quintessential New York moment, a group of random strangers coming together to express their appreciation for something so New York. I suppose you could Venmo the dancers now, but I prefer to drop $5 on a young man’s baseball cap after he’s done a backflip.
After all, I cash.
