Earlier quoted context omitted.
I had the same concern and tracked it. In my family’s case, making cash our primary spending vehicle reduced our 2018 spending 7% vs 2017 when we were card focused. The value of the credit card point is about 2% best case. Points exist to create a fomo attachment to the card.
Was this because of using cash or simply paying more attention to spending? I’d love to see a well done research paper to get a sense of the expected value of cash vs credit.
With cash I check my wallet, and think “that’s $50, I have $300, and need to go shopping and get gas later”.
Just the act of reconciling what I have on hand defers many purchases. And deferrals stop many from happening!
That said, I’m not a caveman and have a credit card. I just don’t use it without planning or having an emergency/unplanned event.