Here's a good example of cash equivalents: Families in Appalachia who convert their entire TANF deposit to soda pop and use that as cash. http://www.nationalr

Here's a good example of cash equivalents: Families in Appalachia who convert their entire TANF deposit to soda pop and use that as cash. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/367903/white-ghetto-kevin-d-williamson http://www.nationalreview.com/article/367903/white-ghetto-ke... "It works like this: Once a month, the debit-card accounts of those receiving what we still call food stamps are credited with a few hundred dollars — about $500 for a family of four, on average — which are immediately converted into a unit of exchange, in this case cases of soda. On the day when accounts are credited, local establishments accepting EBT cards — and all across the Big White Ghetto, “We Accept Food Stamps” is the new E pluribus unum – are swamped with locals using their public benefits to buy cases and cases — reports put the number at 30 to 40 cases for some buyers — of soda. Those cases of soda then either go on to another retailer, who buys them at 50 cents on the dollar, in effect laundering those $500 in monthly benefits into $250 in cash — a considerably worse rate than your typical organized-crime money launderer offers — or else they go into the local black-market economy..."