How Much Money is Enough

[TowPro]

I am lucky to have $20 bucks in my wallet. but why? everywhere takes credit cards, or Money Access machines are not far away.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by W5CRE

A non-issue for me especially right now. I have no desire or reason to go to Canada.

The OP started this thread because they are going to be traveling in Canada. So they ARE desiring to go to Canada.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by TowPro

I am lucky to have $20 bucks in my wallet. but why? everywhere takes credit cards, or Money Access machines are not far away.

That's true if you always stay in bigger towns or near the interstate
Even in our fairly large home town, several businesses now charge extra for using a credit card. Say they are tired of paying the fees. So far hasn't seemed to affect their business. We will see.
We always carry cash as we like to stop at little out of the way towns and road side stops which frequently either don't have cell service or take plastic.
Also, we always tip in cash.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

That's true if you always stay in bigger towns or near the interstate
Even in our fairly large home town, several businesses now charge extra for using a credit card. Say they are tired of paying the fees. So far hasn't seemed to affect their business. We will see.
We always carry cash as we like to stop at little out of the way towns and road side stops which frequently either don't have cell service or take plastic.
Also, we always tip in cash.

Even in bigger towns near Interstates businesses are fed up with fees charged by C/C companies. I spent the entire month of January traveling from WA to AZ and back. Can't even begin to count the number of places there were small signs on the Credit Card Machine saying there would be a surcharge for using the card.

Locally the spread between Cash for Gas and Credit Card for gas is $0.10 avg and during my trip I saw price spreads of up to $0.20. That's $2.50-$5 extra on a 25 gallon tank fill. That added up with the over 400 gallons of Unleaded I burned.

I think people would be surprised at how large those fees have grown. Before I retired our Dealers were paying less than 2% on average. More like 4%-5% with American Express really over the top on fees.

If one has a credit card with cash back or mileage rewards, guess who's paying for them. At first it was the merchant but more and more are saying "no more" and it's getting added to credit card purchases whenever they can.

I too tip in cash. That way I know that the gratuity makes it into the pocket of the person who gave me the good service.

[flyflotrtim]

We don't take much. I have an emergency Bill that I have carried for twenty years and never used. Enough cash to fill the gas tank and buy groceries in emergencies has always been enough. If I use my cash, I just replace when convenient in the next town.

[NJKris]

Originally Posted by flyflotrtim

We don't take much. I have an emergency Bill that I have carried for twenty years and never used. Enough cash to fill the gas tank and buy groceries in emergencies has always been enough. If I use my cash, I just replace when convenient in the next town.

Ahhhh, the ol' 'emergency bill' in the 'hole'! For many years was a Jackson. Now a 50.

[sherman12]

I also carry an emergency $100 bill in my wallet. The good thing is it's the same $100 for the past several years.

Last March coming home from our Key West trip I needed a roadside mechanic to come out to us at a Maryland rest stop. Talking to the guy on the phone and asking how much the service call would be I was told $250 using credit, or $175 if paying in cash, which is the option I chose (nope, didn't have to use the emergency $100). I do carry some cash on trips for small-money purchases like stopping for a coffee and a bagel, tipping at restaurants, and of course roadside assistance.

Also when traveling I carry my checkbook. Some self-pay campgrounds want either cash or will accept a check for self-check-ins which was the case at several campgrounds during the six week trip.

[sherman12]

A typical RV has many many places to hide any kind of cash being carried on board. Some kept in the DW's wallet and mine, some kept elsewhere.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by sherman12

I also carry an emergency $100 bill in my wallet. The good thing is it's the same $100 for the past several years.

Last March coming home from our Key West trip I needed a roadside mechanic to come out to us at a Maryland rest stop. Talking to the guy on the phone and asking how much the service call would be I was told $250 using credit, or $175 if paying in cash, which is the option I chose (nope, didn't have to use the emergency $100). I do carry some cash on trips for small-money purchases like stopping for a coffee and a bagel, tipping at restaurants, and of course roadside assistance.

Also when traveling I carry my checkbook. Some self-pay campgrounds want either cash or will accept a check for self-check-ins which was the case at several campgrounds during the six week trip.

An example of how we have an "underground economy" that appears to be growing as more and more are either laid off or just decide to go out on their own.

Here's an article that explains how an estimated $2.25-$2.46 TRILLION is changing hands without the government cutting out their share.

https://www.investopedia.com/article...my-america.asp

Cooking a meal for your family or driving your neighbor's kids to school is typically not considered underground economic activity. But food service workers, housekeepers, and construction workers who get paid under the table definitely are in this category, as are self-employed people who work for cash.

Face it, if the person doing the work doesn't have to pay a large percentage of his income in taxes, why not work for cash. Hard to uncover if the person is only selling his labor and doesn't leave a big paper trail by purchasing a lot of goods for resale.

[prairiecamper]

Originally Posted by sherman12

Hello EJ, be prepared to spend an outrageous amount of money on diesel in Canada. My sister in law lives in Hamilton, Ont. and just a couple of days ago she was telling my wife that unleaded is up to $1.51 a liter, which is how they sell gas in Canada figuring folks can't do the math to come up with how much per gallon, which we know comes out to over $6! for 87 octane regular.

You can shop credit cards and banks looking for one that does not charge international transaction fees, and gives the best exchange rate on your money. This is the "only" way to do any kind of purchasing in Canada. Do not use cash, you will be ripped off.

I am a huge fan of Discover. I use them almost exclusively when on the road. They will send me texts asking if that was me that just spent $$$? at a gas station, restaurant, store, etc. Also if you do need to call all of their CSR are U.S. based and you will not be on hold for 59 minutes.

Side note, hope the Sportscoach is treating you well, we are heading for a two-month cross-country trip starting in May.

Not sure were you studied Math, but my calculations say that regular gas is less than $6 a gallon. $1.51cdn x 3.8 litres = $5.74 per US gallon. Yes still quite expensive, but a little perspective helps. That $5.74 cdn equates to $5.74 x .79 =
$4.53 US dollars per gallon. Now for a little more perspective today gas buddy in San Francisco regular gas ranging from $4.35 to $4.99 per gallon.
Have a good day.

[Orangecrush]

Originally Posted by 5er_tom

Had a situation a few years ago when a Shell gas station had had a power interruption. Killed the computer and electronic cash register. They could not take a card nor could they take cash as the register was dead. They would, in this rare instance, take a check. Good thing we had the checkbook as it was a long way to the next fuel station and I really needed fuel.

So we take credit/debit cards, cash, and the checkbook.

What is this checkbook you speak about?



I haven't used checks in over 20 years...lol.

Mark

[Herk7769]

I lost a wheel bearing in Texas and needed the truck and camper to be towed. The Tow company wanted $600 to tow me to the place to get my axle repaired.

They only wanted cash and the 10 Franklins I kept in the small safe came in very handy.

[Chuck_S]

There are ATMs almost everywhere and credit cards are accepted in even more places. I've been somewhat following on YouTube a young woman who has driven her motorcycle in many parts of the world and this "season" has been riding from just north of Chile to Alaska mainly on back roads. Currently in Panama and always seems to find ATMs in places more remote than Canada. I've stepped off the airplane in Australia and several European/UK locations and hit the ATM on the way to the limo/taxi and then almost daily for cash.

I always let my credit card/debit card company know when I'm going to be traveling outside the US so they know transactions are legit.

Check your mobile phone roaming. I've had to correct charges to Canadian cell service when near the border and not in Canada after returning.

Carrying cash? USA $100 bills seem to work everywhere in emergencies so I travel with a few for that purpose -- rarely need them.

-- Chuck

[W5CRE]

Originally Posted by prairiecamper

Not sure were you studied Math, but my calculations say that regular gas is less than $6 a gallon. $1.51cdn x 3.8 litres = $5.74 per US gallon. Yes still quite expensive, but a little perspective helps. That $5.74 cdn equates to $5.74 x .79 =
$4.53 US dollars per gallon. Now for a little more perspective today gas buddy in San Francisco regular gas ranging from $4.35 to $4.99 per gallon.
Have a good day.

How can they or you for that matter have a good day at those prices. My local station is $3 a gallon. That's some steep taxes there.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by W5CRE

How can they or you for that matter have a good day at those prices. My local station is $3 a gallon. That's some steep taxes there.

Your exact same statement was made back in the 70's when gas went from around $0.35/gallon to over $0.80/gallon.

It's been repeated numerous times since, whenever gas prices pass to the next dollar level. Yet here we are, still driving and towing.

Most people will never give up driving (and buying expensive fuel) but will probably adjust by not chasing the latest clothing style or standing in line for the next edition if an iPhone (often costing >$1,000).

Just part of everyday life as we now know it

[W5CRE]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Your exact same statement was made back in the 70's when gas went from around $0.35/gallon to over $0.80/gallon.

It's been repeated numerous times since, whenever gas prices pass to the next dollar level. Yet here we are, still driving and towing.

Most people will never give up driving (and buying expensive fuel) but will probably adjust by not chasing the latest clothing style or standing in line for the next edition if an iPhone (often costing >$1,000).

Just part of everyday life as we now know it

I agree Mike but so much of what we pay is in taxes I can't help but feel for you guys that must pay so much for the same product.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by W5CRE

I agree Mike but so much of what we pay is in taxes I can't help but feel for you guys that must pay so much for the same product.

When it comes to gasoline/diesel the actual product cost is going up more rapidly than the gas taxes.

Here is WA the combined Fed/State tax rate on Gasoline is $0.678/gallon and on Diesel $0.738/gallon.

Those tax rates haven't changed since July 1, 2016 when the average price of gasoline in the Seattle area was just over $2/gallon. Today the average is ~$4.12.

In short, gas prices have doubled (here) in the last 5-1/2 years but taxes have remained the same. The extra $$$$ is NOT going into the State's pocket.

Want to see some real screaming from the public? Wait until they change the fuel taxes from a fixed per gallon amount to a percentage of the selling price, just like a Sales Tax. When that happens I'm buying a team of Clydesdales to tow my trailer.

[sherman12]

prairiecamper, good for you, you can sit in front of the class!

And if what TitanMike predicts comes true, we will have our own Canadian Truckers demonstration with a good old U.S. twist. Here's looking forward to 2024.

[U.S.ArmyVeteran]

Cash is a lot like Sex.

If you have enough it is not a problem.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by sherman12

prairiecamper, good for you, you can sit in front of the class!

And if what TitanMike predicts comes true, we will have our own Canadian Truckers demonstration with a good old U.S. twist. Here's looking forward to 2024.

I just realized that in my comparison of fuel taxes in 2016 vs today, we were actually paying a higher percentage back then.

2016 fuel tax in my area was ~33% and today it's only ~16%.

Guess what's going to happen when the "You Know Who's find out about You Know What"

The "You Know Who's" are going to see that as some low hanging fruit they've overlooked.

As for demonstrations, the demonstrators will all have to ride public transportation as nobody will be able to fuel up their rigs

Fun times are ahead------NOT.