Times I have needed cash this fortnight

[marymarkle]

I know there are some on here who say they never ever use cash. I don't know how they manage. Like most people I use a mixture of bards and cash.
So in the fortnight the times I have had to use cash are as follows.

Buying the Big Issue. I assume those who never use cash never buy the Big Issue.
Paying for drinks at a cash bar at a wedding. Very posh venue, but cash bar only, no cards.
Getting the bus into town. I live in a City where the buses only take cash or a bought bus card. I hardly ever use the bus, so no point buying a bus pass, so I used cash. You can not use a card.
Went to a local vintage fair today. This is a small fair and the best stalls are always some people who do this as a hobby/to make a bit of extra money, and none of them take cards. I assume because of the cost of taking cards.
Paid a tip by cash in a restaurant. I always pay tips in cash so servers get the whole amount. Even the best places take an admin fee.

By refusing to use cash I would have negatively affected my life this fortnight and not supported someone who is homeless.

The only one of those which would potentially affect me is the Big Issue - and no, I don’t buy it, so that wouldn’t affect me, either.

I live in London - all public transport is cashless; traders at markets and fairs 99% of the time have portable card readers or accept Apple Pay; I cant remember the last hospitality venue I went to which didn’t accept cards.

I appreciate that things might be different in small towns and rural areas. But I can genuinely go for weeks without using any cash at all.

I am in a City, not a small town. Although the wedding was in a rural venue.

And proper traders here usually have card readers. I don't have an iphone so cant use apple pay. But my point was at this vintage fair the proper trader stalls are just okay. They are there to make a living. The good ones with more interesting stuff are hobbyists. And I am sure in the whole of London there are still hobbyists with stalls that sell for whom it is not worth buying a card reader.
I know they are hobbyists as I have got to know some of them. Most are people like myself who collect stuff, but who have collected so many things they have to sell some of them. They are passionate, know their stuff and sell really good things. The proper traders are much more meh.

I live in a large town.
I honestly don’t remember the last time I used cash.
I walk most places so don’t use it for the bus or to park. Card for everything else.

This evening to pay for parking using the brand new ticket machine that had a big label on it saying CASH ONLY.
Local take away only takes cash. Also Violin teacher, Maths tutor , driving instructor, riding school and lady who has a roadside veg stall.

I'll get cash out for any collections in work, and usually have a couple of quid in the house.
But for coffees, car parking, petrol, shopping everything is by card.

If I take a chunk of cash out then it just goes on I don't know what.
I try to pay by card for most things so I can keep tabs on my outgoings.

I don't buy the big issue. I fundraise all year round and the charity has changed from cheques to a designated payment phone line. I just ring with my own reference number.

Of course you can still keep tabs on your outgoings if you use cash. People have managed to do that for a long time. Kerp your receipts and write it down

Do none of you ever give to people begging?
And paying restaurant tips by card means the servers get less. I always pay for meal by card and tip by cash.

£4 cash for DD drama lesson.
£1 for non- uniform day for charity.
70p in town centre carpark that's cash only.
£6 for window cleaner.
£3 tip in a restaurant.

Also I am always surprised by those that say they use a card to keep track of expenditure. People in debt and/or who are spending too much, are always advised to take out discretionary spend in their budget in one cash sum every week. Then when it is gone it is gone. It is way easier to overspend using a card.

The window cleaner is the regular reason that I have to get cash out.

I also sometimes buy a weekly bus pass which has to be cash on the bus.

Other than that it's tips for Take away/taxi drivers and my hairdresser, only takes cash.

We have Farmers markets were I sometimes get cheese from, they are cash only. So is the chippy.

I live way oop north and even we can pay on the bus using a card! and all of the shops and certainly all pubs/bars/restaurants. I'm lucky to have £1.20 on me in cash! I've been to loads of craft type places and they all have a card reader- even one of local big issue guys does. I keep cash for mini cabs (Uber yet to reach these parts) and the window cleaner and that's about it. To be fair we keep a decent stash in the house generally but only maybe £100-£200ish 'just in case' but it's never really needed.

"Do none of you ever give to people begging?"

I sometimes do, but it's usually out of the change from needing cash for the other things.

"I live way oop north and even we can pay on the bus using a card!"

And yet here in Liverpool, a major city with a lot of tourists, we can't and our transport isn't great.

I use a mobile beautician and a mobile hairdresser and have had to withdraw cash to pay both this week, neither has migrated on to those independent trader chip and pins yet.

I also had to give someone change to go grab a pint of milk as I couldn't very well hand over my card.

our transport isn't great

@Birdsgottafly

Are you kidding? As an exiled Scouser now in the sticks, literally semi rural I could cry for the convenience of Merseyrail and regular bus services. Like it's the thing I most miss!

This weekend at a city centre car park, it only took cash. I always tip in cash, and pay the window cleaner, though he does have a direct transfer thing.

I think small traders who don’t take cards are behind the times and losing themselves business. You can buy a portable card reader for £20 and the transaction fee is about 1.5%, so affordable even to “hobbyists”.

I have nothing against cash - it’s just that 99% of the transactions I make can be done with card so I’ve simply gotten out of the habit of carrying it. And again, because of where I live there’s so much choice that if a cafe only accepts cash and I don’t have any I’ll simply go a few doors down the street to one which takes cards.

I spent £1.50 in cash at the ice cream van and that's it. Even the local farmers/craft market in our village is all card readers now!

We could probably rustle up a fiver or so in change if we ransacked various places around the house/checked pockets of old coats.

Yes our city buses do not take cards. I live in a city.
Shocked at a Big Issue having a card reader though, I have never seen that.
Craft type places that take cards are those that do it for a living. As I have said, they are not that interesting. I am talking about hobbyists who sell very interesting stuff as a side line. Stuff that is actually hard to get even on ebay.
Also forgot, a £1 for the local pub quiz. Drinks you can pay by card, but entry is cash only.

I'm with you OP. I can't understand how people get by without cash.

Like you, I find I need it at craft fairs / car boots / Christmas or school fetes or Summer fetes etc; collection for Church; collections at work (people leaving etc); when you all 'put in' to buy a gift; when you split the bill for a meal; some venues - like you say - don't take cards; my local takeaway doesn't take cards; the local caff; when I loiter in the car and expect one of the dc to nip into the shop to pick up that loaf of bread; when someone has booked tickets for something and I want to repay them; I need a coin for the locker at the gym (OK I get it back, but I need to have it); people need coins for vending machines; when you go out to a 'pay on the door' event (socials and fundraisers at your local rugby club or parish hall); then raffle tickets etc; when you buy a ticket for the local good cause; when I pay the ref for my dc's football team; when parents buy a coffee whilst watching the match;

I'm sure there are loads more
But don't other people give their dc a couple of £ for this that or the other day after day.....?

Baby massage class at sure start - £1
School disco tickets - cash in an envelope in school bag
Corner shop for bread (minimum card spend £5)
Vending machine at gymnastics
Parking machine at local wildlife reserve

comtesse Well £20 for a card reader plus transaction for each fee is obviously too much hassle for them or costs too much. So one stall I go to is two women who seem to do stalls about once every two months for a day - that is it. So 6 times a year, it is not worth them paying an extra £20 for that. I am happy if people don't buy stuff from them as their stuff is amazing and a great price. Really rare vintage stuff. So leaves more for me. And others must agree as they always sell out before the fair finishes.

@ComtesseDeSpair

I agree with you but it just doesn't seem to have caught on everywhere - I live in a rural county and it's a bit behind the times in lots of ways.

As for tips, I always make a point of having cash and card with me on a night out.

If I have spare cash around I tend to blow it on crap.
Using a card helps me save a lot more. I give myself a weekly budget to use from my account.
I try to stay well under so anything left is transferred into my savings a/c at the end of week.