Paying With Cash Means Less Junk Food

Who pays with cash anymore? Today it's all about plastic. Heck, even gentlemen's clubs have ATMs. Not that I know first hand. I've just heard they do.

But maybe we should break out the dead presidents again, because a new study says when you pay with cash, you're less likely to buy junk food.

I bet the vending machine industry has known this for years. Their dirty little secret, "If you build it, they will buy."

Published in the Journal of Consumer Research, scientists found people are less likely to buy unhealthy foods when they go grocery shopping if they pay with cash, instead of those evil plastic credit or debit cards.

When analyzing the shopping carts of 1,000 United States households over six months, researchers observed shopping carts contained more impulse buys or junk food when people paid with credit or debit cards, and not cash.

The researchers called cash payments "more painful than card payments." Painful is the perfect word for it. Buying junk food with plastic is easier to swallow, so encouraging people to shop with cash could help them develop better shopping and eating habits.

Its really tempting to over-shop when you're not paying with cash. When you put your toilet paper, generic vodka, and orange juice on the register, it's easy to grab a Snickers bar. You're money seems limitless. Just deal with it when the bill comes.

I haven't gone grocery shopping with cash in years. If I went to pay and ran out of cash, I'd have a stroke and drop dead on the spot.

Image credit: South Park Studios

Health junk food vending machines 4 Comments Maggie on 9 Nov 2010

Husband and I made a decision about six months ago to use cash for groceries because it seemed our grocery budget was creeping upward and we have goals to meet - namely paying off our mortgage in the next five years (20 years ahead of schedule). To do that means we live on a tight budget and groceries are a generous column item (we buy almost all organic), but it was creeping up.

When he gets paid, I take the grocery budget, put it in an envelope and that's what I use - I know exactly how much I have and guess what? We stay within budget!

It has nothing to do with junk food versus healthy food - we already eat healthy and did before - junk just doesn't come into our house. For us it's that I am much more conscious about sticking to the list and picking up things on sale over buying stuff whatever the price. I now look at the price and if, say, red peppers are outrageously priced, I'll sub green peppers or change menu plans for something else that is within the budget.

We do the same thing for eating out - we don't have a defined number of nights in a month we'll eat out, we have a defined eating out budget we work with and since we eat healthy, eating out with cash, within the budget means just once or twice a month - but it's incredible food and we savor the treat to eat out!

Reply blob on 9 Nov 2010

Using actually cash instead of atm's or credit makes you keenly aware of what you are spending. Add to that a monthly food budget and you will be amazed at how frugile you will become.

I highly recommend looking into Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover." It will not only change your financial fitness, but you will become prudently aware of what you are spending on food. You may even drop a few pounds while incorporating Dave's tenets into your lifestyle.

Maggie is right, the envelope system is simple and genius.

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