No Money Left? Here Are Some Silver Linings to Cash Crunch

These little good things that may have happened to you after demonetisation were definitely not in PM Modi’s list.

If you are running low on cash, cutting your daily expenditure and spending endless hours at ATM queues, even borrowing cash from friends and not so friendly neighbours, reading this might bring you some relief.

Cash crunch has brought a lot of hardships. However, if there is anything good about you being deprived of your own money, it must be these:

Taking 'Dabba' to Work, Eating Healthy

For those who would eat-out at the drop of a hat, demonetisation has ensured that they 'eat healthy'.

Difficulty in getting cash means you save whatever little you have. So, you carry ‘dabba’ from home and say ‘No’ to outside food. Yummy momos, crispy but oily paranthas, and the ‘Indianised Chinese’ food from roadside vans have been replaced by sabzi, roti and salads. Three cheers for those who realised that home-cooked food is actually not a bad idea.

No More Binge-shopping

If shopping was your way to get rid of a bad mood, demonetisation suggests that you find a better cure. When shops do not have card swiping machines and you are short of cash, the first casualty is binge-shopping.

I am not an online shopper. I love street shopping, so I miss cash. But I am loving the idea of market-hopping without shopping. My mom is definitely the happiest. 

Rakhi Saluja, Student, Delhi 

Bye-Bye Smoking

For India’s better future I have sacrificed my smoking breaks and post lunch ice-creams! My parents don’t know that I smoke, so I can’t buy cigarette packs and keep it with me.

Nayan Saxena, Pune

The 27-year-old software professional is saving her ‘small-cash’ for travelling and eating. The only thing that makes her happy nowadays is the post-lunch walks that have replaced smoking and ice-creams.

As Oldies Go Hi-Tech

Fifty-three-year-old Poonam Gupta has avoided this day all her life. But on 24 November, she stepped inside an ATM for the first time. Her fingers trembled as she tried to focus on the task that she is supposed to complete.

My son had explained everything, I had everything written on a piece of paper, but the long queue behind me and people looking over my shoulder made me extremely nervous.

Poonam Gupta, Delhi

With a nine-hour job and three hours of daily commuting, Poonam’s son has no time to stand in ATM queues. As cash at home started to run out, she finally decided to take the plunge and go hi-tech.

I followed everything the machine said and read everything carefully. It took some time but the sound of the currency-count at the end was so relieving! It is never too late to learn anything. 

Poonam Gupta, Delhi

'Free' Time is Family Time

Most urban middle class families go out almost every second week. An ordinary outing would mean expenditure on bottled water, street food, shopping or movie tickets. Post demonetisation, family time is ‘free’ time, literally.

You cannot go out with kids and family and not spend. We went for a picnic last week and it was much more fun than a mall, where everybody is busy looking around. 

Shanti Devi, Jamshedpur 

‘To Tip or Not to Tip: That is the Question’

Tips are always paid in cash and no cash simply means no tips. Rs 100 is too precious to give up, Rs 500 is no more available, and Rs 2,000 in tip will make you bankrupt.