on junk food than people who use credit cards, according to a recent
study. The theory is that people who use cash are more aware of how much
money they're spending and won't splurge on impulse items such as candy,
cookies, pies and cakes.
For consumers, the lesson is that if you need to trick
yourself into eating more healthfully, carry cash. But how can grocery
stores profit from these findings?
Easy -- set up credit-card-only
lanes, then retrofit all the check-stand magazine racks to dispense
full-sized pies.
Meanwhile, at a cash-only restaurant like the Westport Flea Market, I'd
wager the opposite is true. Cash-only actually simplifies the process of
ordering an appetizer. Everybody can just pool a couple of dollars and
get their Titanic Nachos on, without worrying that the server isn't
going to split the bill right.
Note that the researchers conducting the study didn't bother to analyze the
spending habits of people who write checks. It doesn't take science to
know that people who write checks in the grocery line are the worst.
