If you tend to pay with a debit or credit card, you're not alone: Only 14 percent of Americans use cash for everyday purchases.
But there are some benefits to keeping bills on hand. Here are three unexpected ways using cold, hard cash can help you meet your goals this year.
1. It can help you lose weight
Dr. Brian Wansink, Cornell science and author of "Slim By Design," offers a handful of strategies to lose weight without actually dieting.
One is to pay with cash. According to Wansink, people who stick with paper buy fewer sodas and desserts at work. And workplaces, like restaurants and stores, are "booby-trap hotspots" — meaning, places where you're more likely to eat unhealthy foods.
2. It can help you save money
Ditching your cards for cash can help you save big by leading you to curtail your spending. That's because researchers have found that paying with cash — physically handing over your money and watching it disappear — is painful.
If you're sticking to a tight budget, or just looking to cut back, ditching your plastic for bills can make a world of difference. Simply withdraw a predetermined amount of money for the week or month and commit to spending only that amount.
3. It can help you negotiate better deals
When it comes to sharpening negotiation skills, cash can help.
According to billionaire and "Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban, a pocket full of cash can be a powerful negotiation tool: "I tell people all the time, if you're out — you're going to take a yoga class and they want to charge you $30, say: 'Look, I've got 20 [dollars].' You know what, they're going to take it.
"Negotiating with cash is a far better way to get a return on your investment."
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