Done With Chase

Now I hold in my hand all the money in my name, in the form of a check from Chase Bank. This morning I closed my final account with Chase, and until this afternoon when I open a new account with local Portland credit union Advantis, my life's savings are tucked in the back of my wallet.

It reminds me of living in Turkey, where I kept all my money in cash in an envelope in the top drawer of my nightstand. I could count out a few thousand Turkish lira and know exactly how much money I had saved throughout the year. I paid rent in cash, bought groceries in cash, bought plane tickets in cash, and didn't use a credit card almost at all. This cash-based everyday life actually made it much easier to plan a budget because I could hold in my hand the exact amount of money I had left, so I could see it either grow during moments of frugality (and salary) and shrink during splurges (travel during holidays). I could see and feel it.

It's both terrifying to know that if I was to be mugged at this particular instant I would have nothing left. Or, more likely, if I were to misplace it. But it's also very empowering. I know exactly where my money is. It's so close I can feel it, the stuff that's going to keep me fed, clothed, and warm. And in this moment I find it strange that so many people don't know exactly where their money is. We know it's in a bank, but we don't really know what the bank does with it, our money specifically. It's much more comforting knowing exactly where my money is and how much is there. Much more real than a bunch of numbers in an ATM.

Move your money; keep it local.