The world of currency has changed a great deal over the past several decades.

Gone are the days when it would be typical to see someone writing a check at the check-out counter or counting out change to pay for a major purchase. Here are the days of Debit cards, Credit cards, and even methods of payment that use only a smart phone.

It’s convenient, but that convenience can come at a cost. Using cash as your payment method can actually minimize or totally remove these costs, though. Here are three ways that cash can save you money.

Never incur an overdraft fee again.

We’ve all made the mistake of thinking that there was more money in our account than there really was. Oops! But that financial mistake can be expensive.

 Overdraft fees to the tune of $30 are not unusual, and that can really add up. And every one of your dollars that goes toward an overdraft fee is a dollar that you worked for and will not be able to spend it on anything that you would like to.

If you operate in cash, you can easily see how much money you have, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Have physical control over your money. 

Using debit or credit cards can make it difficult to stick to a budget, because you do not see your money leaving your account, and going to the places you planned that it would go.

But when you use cash, you can divvy your money up into different sections of your wallet or into envelopes.

Who you are and where you are in your life influences what your sections are, but some general ones are gas, just-for-fun money, rent, and groceries.

Divide your money into these sections then hold yourself to the system. If you plan for your money to go toward something, be sure that it goes there. And once the money is gone, it’s gone.

 Have a physical attachment to your money.

When you make a purchase using a Debit or Credit card, it can be easy to think of the transaction as not really affecting your bank account.

You didn’t actually see any of the money that you work so hard for leave your account, so it doesn’t seem real. But when you use cash, you see exactly how much you have, and how much you will have left after making a purchase.

Many times, if you go into an establishment with cash, planning to make a purchase, you might realize that you would rather hang on to your money than have it disappear into a cash register.

Even though using cash in your everyday life can be less convenient than swiping something plastic, it’s pros outweigh its cons.

Use cash to help you avoid overdraft fees, and tame your money and help it to stay put in your account until you really want to use it.