Results: Soon to be obsolete items

Cash: In the old days, people actually had to step foot inside a bank branch, fill out a form and wait in line to get their hands on their own money. We actually carried cash. Sure, cash will have a place for a while, but ATMs, direct deposit and simply being able to use a credit or debit card everywhere has made cash much less necessary. Apps like Square, a point-of-sale app, and Venmo, which allows you to electronically pay your friend or family member back, which makes a cashless society even easier.

Landline phones: As we noted in a 2017 story, a majority of U.S. households are now cellphone-only. Yes, landlines do have their benefits. Calls rarely drop out as they do on mobile phones. And it's comforting to think that in case of an emergency when cellular service is down there's a way to connect. But many people now see the landline as an expense that can be easily cut.

Shopping malls: Shopping mall culture has suffered numerous blows over the past few years. Even Grandma has an Amazon Prime account these days. And with anchor stores such as Sears filing for bankruptcy, those days of strolling around the mall for hours is coming to an end. While there are still some Black Friday stampedes at brick-and-mortar stores, shopping online means you won't get pushed under a coat rack by someone in a quest for this year's top toy.

Mail-collection boxes: Disappearing even faster are the bright blue U.S. Postal Service mail-collection boxes that used to decorate many a neighborhood. Nationally, the number of collection boxes declined by more than 12,000 from 2011 to 2016, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General's web-page declares. Still need one? This web-page will help you find the one nearest you.

Classroom chalkboards: Remember the school days spent clapping erasers to get the chalk dust out of them? That's a chore today's students may never understand. Chalkboards (aka blackboards) have long been on the way out, replaced by their cleaner, smoother cousin, the whiteboard. Popularized in the 1990s, whiteboards can be written on with special markers, often in bright colors, that are easy to wipe off. But even traditional whiteboards are likely to be replaced with emerging smart-boards (a high-tech, interactive version) as the price of the new technology comes down.

Plastic shopping bags: If your city or state hasn't banned one-time-use plastic shopping bags by now, that move is probably coming. While such bags can break down in a landfill over time, scientists don't know if they'll ever decompose entirely. A more environmentally safe way to shop is to bring your own reusable tote bags.

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Plastic single-use straws: One of the headline-making transitions of the year was the move away from plastic, single-use straws. Even such giant corporations as McDonald's and Starbucks have moved towards more environmentally friendly choices. The Starbucks coffee company has created a straw less lid that allows for sipping. Even though the widespread use of straws looks set to end, they will likely to survive at some level until someone comes up with an alternative for those who genuinely need them.

Checks: The habit of writing checks, once the default way to pay many bills, is in decline. Many stores no longer accept checks, and many shoppers are too impatient to deal with payments that must be recorded in a register and reconciled. Swiping one's debit or credit card seems much simpler (and it is faster). In 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that writing a check takes about 67 seconds, compared with 25 seconds for cash, 24 seconds for credit cards and 20 seconds for debit cards.

Desktop computers: Computers are fading away? Not computing in general, just the big old desktop dinosaurs that sit atop an office desk. In this era when more and more workers want the option of working from home, a laptop or tablet gives portability and flexibility. As Forbes notes, desktop PCs remain useful for very specific jobs, including 3-D modeling, visual-effects work, video editing, software development and records management.

Paper maps: Between internet guidance, Google Maps, built-in-car GPS devices, smartphones and smart watches that can actually tell you when to make a turn by vibrating on your wrist, paper maps now seem like a quaint nostalgic throwback. But, you might want to keep one on hand just in case!

Alarm clocks: Hey, guess what tiny device is challenging the alarm-clock industry? You guessed it: smartphones, again. Smartphones, and smart watches too, have their own alarm clocks, and plenty of advantages over more cumbersome physical clocks. You can set multiple alarms, program each one with a different ringtone or other alarm sound, and you can take them with you on a business trip or vacation.

Paper receipts: From grocery stores to gardening centers, businesses are increasingly ditching the old paper receipt. It's not surprising anymore to be asked at checkout if you want a paper receipt or prefer an emailed one. (Many stores offer both.) And emailed ones can come in handy if you have to return an item. Just search your inbox for proof of purchase. An email search will The whole trend will save some trees.

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