Here’s an idea. How about urging all of us to pay cash for island-based goods and services whenever it is personally convenient or appropriate?
It would be especially meaningful to the smaller, one or two person operations and the providers of personal services where the 3% to credit card companies is especially inefficient.
Think of this. Ten years ago it was probably uncommon to put day-to-day charges on a credit card, at least on the island, maybe even on the mainland. Now I would bet that most businesses take credit cards for just about any amount and substantially more often than they are offered cash.
Yes, things cost more than they once did and “who wants to carry cash?” are both incentives to use a credit card.
However, items like massages, meals in restaurants and small purchases like plants or gifts could easily be paid for in cash and the 3% difference to our fellow islander owner and workers could begin to add up.
Food for thought. Maybe others have relatively painless ideas for conserving what we can for our local benefit?
By Martha Farish
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