I am not a fan of carrying around cash.  Honestly, that stuff burns a whole in my pocket so fast that I am liable to buy the most useless junk ever just because the cash is right at my fingertips.  With my debit card I have to think about the money I spend.  I visualize my money coming out of my checking account, and usually that can keep me from making some pretty impulsive purchases.  Seriously, once I bought more than a fair amount of incense so I am set for years, no need for legalherbsdirect.com.  I also like the convenience and ease of using my debit card, but could it be that making purchases might be getting even easier with smartphones?

Mobile payments are soon going to be available to anyone who owns a smartphone and wants to use the technology.  Imagine, just waving a code on your phone in front of a scanner to pay for a treat you picked up at Starbucks.  Or think about those trips where your hands are full and reaching into a wallet to pull out cash or a card just seems so inconvenient.  Simply wave your phone and voila, a payment is made.  Starbucks, Amex, and Intuit have already started to come up with some technologies, and hopefully other places will quickly follow suit.

Learn more about the new technologies of mobile payments from the infographic below.