This can be a very tough question - should you actually carry the cash around with you, or should you use a debit card? Some people say that carrying cash is riskier - however, at the same time, a lot of people admit that it is easier to spend money when they are using a debit card because they are not physically handing over cash!

Well, here are some thoughts on the matter that might help you decide which is best for you to carry. First of all, which do you find easier to spend? If it is cash, then you might opt to go with the debit card. If it is the debit card, then you might want to get some cash to take with you, and opt to leave the plastic at home for the day. This can sometimes spur us to stop impulse buying, which can really help to make our money go further.

When it comes to risk, cash and debit cards both have their tradeoff. If you drop a wad of cash on the ground, then you can pretty much count on it as being gone. It is not traceable, it does not have your name on it, and there is no way that it could be returned to you. However, the loss is localized to the amount of the cash that you dropped. With a debit card, however, you are more likely to get it returned or reported since it has your name on it. You can also call and report your debit card as lost or stolen, in which case the bank can shut it off. If you do not notice it, however, before someone dishonest gets their hands on it - it can be pretty easy for them to rack up some major purchases using all of your money in the bank.

Some modern technology is making debit card theft a lot tougher to pull off, but hey - it is still a threat. So, cash or plastic? I think that you should ask yourself which you feel better about. If you choose cash, do not carry a lot of it - but if you carry plastic, you need to know when enough swiping is enough.