In a PIX11 Morning News interview, financial coach Ash Cash Exantus warns that the modern obsession with convenience—tap‑to‑pay, credit‑card processing fees, third‑party grocery delivery services, and rideshare apps—can silently erode personal finances. He explains how cashless payments create a “blind‑spending” effect, how hidden convenience fees and credit‑card service charges add up, and how delivery platforms like Instacart or Shipt impose mark‑ups, tips, and fees that often exceed the cost of shopping in‑store. He also highlights rideshare surge pricing, especially during rush hour, as a rapid expense accumulator. To combat these hidden costs, Ash recommends digital guardrails: setting spending alerts, using separate accounts or prepaid cards with limits, monitoring apps for fee disclosures, opting for direct store apps instead of third‑party aggregators, and considering carpooling or early departures to avoid surge pricing. The interview frames convenience as a double‑edged sword—saving time but potentially breaking budgets if left unchecked.
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In 2025, convenience is king. From tap-to-pay purchases to same-day delivery, we're all finding faster ways to get things done. But while these modern luxuries save time, are they quietly costing us more in the long run?
Here to break it all down for us is financial coach Ash Cash Exantus. Good morning to you. Good to see you again. Welcome back.
Likewise. Likewise.
Let's go. Tap to pay, right? It seems like it's a convenient thing to do. Talk to us about the many ways, though, that it actually could be dangerous to your wallet.
Yeah, it's super duper dangerous. You know why? Because when you think about how we spend, when you used to spend cash, you know, right, that where the money is going. You break $100, all of, you know, you, you know how much you're spending. But when you have tap to pay, psychologically, you don't even see the money, uh, coming out. And so it almost feels like you have unlimited amount of money to spend, and that could easily lead you to breaking your budget.
Yeah, but nobody carries cash anymore.
Yeah, yeah, no, 100%. But you know what, you know what I think? It's important that we start to create like, uh, digital guardrails, right? So think about, you know, maybe, um, having separate accounts for spending, right? Don't have all of your money, um, all in one place. Or maybe use prepaid cards. Just, you know, have a limit. So, you know, you know, just understand that, you know, you don't— you just don't want to have it unlimited where money is just going out and you can't really control it.
Yeah, yeah, well, and also I set an alert, right? So if I spend a certain amount, I get an alert just to remind me, hey, by the way, you went over what you said you wanted to be your spending limit. But here's the thing, the other day I was at a restaurant and somebody turned to me at my table and said, what does this mean? It's a convenience fee. What is that?
Yeah, so a convenience fee, these are like the hidden costs, right? And the issue with convenience fees is that you really can't control them because they may pop up during, you know, you're saving money Saving time, you know, maybe, you know, if it's rush hour, these things could add up to like hundreds of dollars. So it's really important that you understand ahead of time like what fees are gonna be associated with, you know, you spending money.
We asked what it was. I said, you know, can you explain what this was? And the guy said it's because you're using a credit card.
Right.
Yeah.
And that's the thing, right? Because with credit cards, you have, you know, processing fees, you have service fees. And so they're trying to, you know—
Ash, I had questions. I said, how did you know I was using a credit card? It's on the bill before I gave you the card.
You know what? You should pay him in pennies and go, yeah, you want to talk about convenience? Anyway, how about you want that card back? Can we talk about other services though, like Instacart, Shipt? I mean, they're really popular, but what really is the cost of convenience there?
Yeah, when you think about, you know, markup prices, delivery fees, tips, These things could actually cost more than you actually going inside of the stores. And so, you know, there is a price for convenience and the convenience can really break our pockets.
Well, and everybody knows, too, that, you know, the days you have those sales, right, they, they make the sale prices so smartly balanced that if you put certain things in your cart, you still don't get the free shipping until you spend a certain amount.
You're like, I got $35, I got to keep spending more anyway.
In grocery stores, though, delivery is certainly big. Now, can you explain how it's inexpensive compared to the grocery shopping experience?
Yeah, because, you know, you know what happens, like the third-party apps, they have extra fees that are naturally associated in there. Sometimes if you go directly to the store, right, if you go directly to the store, they may actually offer free shipping. So they might actually give you the price of the item and free shipping. So sometimes going through a third-party app is actually costing you. So definitely check in with the actual, you know, the actual store.
So you mean like instead of using Instacart, you go directly and use the Target app instead of buying from Target?
Absolutely. Okay.
Okay.
I get it.
All right. What about rideshare apps? That's so easy. It's like, did you just pick me up?
But you know what though? Like, it's easy, but it adds up really, really quickly. Like I talked about rush hour, right? Like you cannot control the price. Like if you are going during a time where everybody's looking for rideshare, the cost is actually going to be a lot. And when you look at all of the, the, the cost, you, you're paying a car note. You might as well, you know, hire your own driver and have them pick you up whenever you want. You, when you start to add those things up, so, you know, maybe sometimes leave a little early, uh, maybe carpool. Like, there's other ways that you can mitigate the cost and not, it not be so costly.
Yeah, I mean, there is something to be said about paying for the convenience of it all.
Absolutely. And, and when you think about it, right, these are— you could go on vacation. Like, these little, you know, little costs are adding up. And it's killing you. It's not allowing you to fully live how you should be living.
That convenience fee still gets me, though.
Go back.
I don't get it. Ash, there's certainly a lot to unpack there. Thank you so much for coming on, as always.
