Why you need to have cash now before NJ snow arrives

Whether we like it or not, winter has arrived and New Jersey is feeling its pinch. Statistically speaking, January and February are both the coldest and snowiest months of the year in The Garden State.

But that of course doesn't mean March is out of the picture. In fact, New Jersey has seen its fair share of late-season snow storms in all corners of the state. Even early April isn't out of the snowy woods quite yet.

Yes, some years are super mild, but not all. 2025, for example, is certainly kicking off on the colder and snowier side with early January snowstorms in the forecast timing up to bookend the first weekend of the new year (I know you snow lovers must be loving this).

But this isn't about any one particular snowstorm. Rather, it's about any time shovelable snow is in the forecast. Despite our current digital world, you should always have extra cash on hand whenever it snows.

And there are multiple reasons for this that we can certainly get into. But I want to take a moment and focus on just one of those reasons. And it's one that I hope you would agree with me on.

Although not as common as it used to be, some neighborhoods in New Jersey still do have kids and teens walking the neighborhood offering to shovel snow for you after a storm. My neighborhood is certainly one of them, and it's wonderful to see.

For just a moment, forget about the companies that can shovel for you or the fact that you can do it yourself, and think about how much less common it is for kids to do that anymore. We should encourage those that do and be prepared to pay them accordingly.

I mention this as a reminder to not only you, with myself included. There's nothing I hate more than having our young neighbors come to my door and offer to shovel the snow, only for me not to have any cash on hand. And it's not our fault that we're not prepared. It's simply because we now live in a cashless world and are often not ready for a situation like this.

Yes, some may be able to take digital payments, but not all. So consider this a friendly reminder to put some cash aside during the winter months just so we have something to give them if they come by our homes after a snowstorm.

As for all the kids and teens still going door to door? Thank you so much for offering to help your New Jersey neighbors. There's nothing better than seeing some old-school action of kids and teens shoveling snow and earning a buck. We appreciate you.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.