It used to be easier to pay with cash. If you went to the Toronto Hydro offices on Carlton Street you could pay a cashier in a wicket on the main floor. Not any more. The Rogers kiosk in the Eaton Center still accepts cash payments though.

Until I got the credit card, I used postal money orders to pay all my bills well in advance. I figured that by never having a late payment charge, it offset any paltry interest I might be missing from keeping my money in the bank. Instead the account credits I had at all the utilities served as money in the bank. By paying half a year's worth at once, I saved on the flat-rate money order fees, envelopes and postage.

Now I simply go to the bank that administers my credit card. Even though I don't have an account with them, they'll take my utility payments for a fee of $1 each. I still keep account credits though. As I said, money in the bank.

The banksters don't know what to think of me. I come waltzing in wearing my BTC ballcap and give them cash, only to find I don't have an account. Some of the flunkies tellers recognize the symbol on my cap and a few of them have struck up a conversation about it. One of them, obviously a real go-getter, even tried to talk me into selling some coins to "invest" in one of their fine financial products. LOL.