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.

@reflectant

Unless shops pay their staff and suppliers straight out of the till, they have to count it and take it to the bank. Of course, a lot of shops do pay their staff and suppliers straight out of the till, but I don't feel a moral need to facilitate tax evasion

How dare you accuse my OH of tax evasion?

He has a shop where 80% of transactions are cash. He does have card transactions but this was a pain to set up. You don’t just buy a card reader and everything is fine. Because he is processing cards he has to register with GDPR and data protection even though he and the staff don’t even touch the cards and have no way of cloning or theft. He has to re register each year and it is difficult and takes most of his one day off a week.
And his staff do want paying by cash so he does pay them out of the till. But it is ALL recorded and the correct tax is paid on them and his wages. All utterly legal.

He spends two hours every Sunday doing the till reconciliations for the previous week. I really hate it when people assume it is tax evasion. Just stop and consider what you are saying.

I forgot about the tooth fairy. I had to lend someone 💰 for the tooth fairy last week.

Blimey. I can't believe how aggressive and angry / worked up some people have been getting on this thread.
The OP was just pondering how people manage without ever using cash. A little light pondering - lighten up people.

I'm glad the op posted this thread as I have been thinking about my use of cash.

Last time I withdrew cash was in December for an event. Since then I've no need but fully appreciate sometimes life means you use more cash, sometimes less depending on how you live your life and the demands on it.

Ds13s boxing club x 6, trampolining x2, money in friends birthday card.
Ds5 +ds6 football x2, non uniform day x1.
Dd11 busfare x4
Pay and display car park x1.

£78.50 cash total

Backforgood you are spot on.

I pay my dog walker each week in cash. I also have to use cash in our local green grocer, all other shopping I do at Aldi and use the card.
I tipped in a cafe twice this week in cash and i had to take cash out to go to soft play because my 4 year old wanted one of those £1 toys from the little slot machine thingy there.
I also have to have cash to drive through a toll road twice a week for work.
So basically I take out about £70 a week cash and that usually is enough for these few things. Everything else is a card payment.

I don't use a lot of cash but need some ready for school related stuff,vending machines,car parks(a lot of multi story car parks seem to have no mobile signal so paying that way can ruin your day).Also dds pocket money as she cannot have a contactless card until she is 16.
Also because occasionally machines or internet fail so I always have enough for petrol in the glove compartment.

I try to use cash as little as possible, but some times it's inevitable are:
Window cleaner - £5 once a fortnight.
Church gift aid envelopes for collections.
If we give money for a birthday gift we prefer to put cash in a card rather than transfer into bank.
Kids' ju jitsu classes.
Dryer at launderette - we don't have a dryer at home, and drying bedding on the line isn't going to happen in winter so we go weekly to use the dryer. Why a large chain of launderettes can't take cards in the 21st century is beyond me, but there you go...
In fact, in this day and age I see no reason why absolutely anything can't be paid by card or bank transfer.

Charity collections
Pay parking
Coins for trolley / gym locker

The mobile card readers also depend on the reliability of your wifi - we are very rural but have a small visitor centre with a wee shop area that sells postcards and some jewellery.We looked into getting a card reader, but our wifi is a bit wobbly and can't be depended on, so decided against it at this point. There is an ATM in the shop down the road, so people can get cash out to spend with us without too much bother.

DD classes (ballet, Rainbows etc) take cheque or cash - I don't have a cheque book and need to take a detour for enough cash for a term.
School also - cash for tuck shop, discos etc etc etc
Live rurally, but pubs etc all take cards now too.

Oh yeah, cash also for the cleaner.
Don't get me wrong, if I'm going out I always take enough cash for the taxi, both ways, and a couple of rounds in case they don't take cards & to last me until I can get to an ATM
If going for a meal, I always make sure I can tip.

In London, the only thing people need cash for is for the drug dealer.

The mobile card readers also depend on the reliability of your wifi

You can use mobile data as well although I assume you mean both are dodgy where you are.

I usually have about £50 in my purse just in case but it can last me weeks and weeks.

The answer to this question will surely depend on where you are in the country... there are still lots of fairly big rural towns where cash is needed for parking metres. Also lots of shops where I am have a minimum card spend of £5 or £10, so if you just want a pint of milk you’d need cash for that.

Oh I pay cash if I buy a coffee at the station as it’s a nice independent and I’ve always assumed cash is better for them but I’m actually not sure.

Oh some chippers have made card machine

I can't believe how aggressive and angry / worked up some people have been getting on this thread.

It's the same lack of tolerance/empathy/understanding that seems endemic on MN at the moment. Everyone seems convinced that their own view is the only valid option and is quick to condemn others.

Re cash versus cards - it's pretty basic common sense to have both to cover all eventualities. I just can't understand why you wouldn't. Only yesterday, I was in the local shop and there was this crazy woman in front ranting and raving at the shop assistant because the card machine was down and she couldn't buy her bottle of milk as she had no cash on her. Why get yourself in that kind of state for the sake of not having a few coins in your handbag - it makes no sense.

Oh yes, the tooth fairy. She's occasionally had to leave a bag of smash because she didn't have a pound coin.

Sushi school dinner money, non-uniform days, the tooth fairy, residential trips which require your DC to take spending money...

www. amazon.co.uk/Infinite-Trolley-Coin-Master-Key/dp/B00EXUSQEK/?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Why pay more for something that pretends it's a pound coin, when you could just use a pound coin instead?

What's more, a pound coin is dual purpose, you could actually use it to buy something if you found yourself in need without your cards or if the payment reader was out of use!

I can understand a little bit about getting worked up about it.

As I said above, I love cash and use it all the time, but I am being forced to change as 6 our of the 7 banks in my town have closed down (well, 5 so far and mine is closing in May). Using cash has really helped me with budgeting and I want to keep going this way.

Also, I am in a fairly small market town and I know a lot of people here who are paid in cash. There is inequity here. The banks are deciding for me how I will carry out my financial transactions. I don't want to have to travel 20 miles to my bank but I will have no choice after May when it shuts. So yes, I am a bit vexed about it.

I don't want to have to travel 20 miles to my bank but I will have no choice after May when it shuts

This is where I just don't understand the debate. I have a branch of my bank a few hundred yards from my office, one which is highly unlikely to close, and I have a branch of another bank which I pass every time I go and get a cup of coffee. I think I go in about once a year, if I decide to get foreign currency in advance rather than just using an ATM when I get there. I could just as well get that money from the post office, but it's fractionally easier to use my bank.

When people say how terrible it is that bank branches are closing, what do they actually do there? The reason they're closing is that most people, like me, just have no reason to visit a branch. Cash is available everywhere, if you want it. Cheques can be paid in online, and anyway I receive perhaps two or three per decade. Otherwise...what? For personal customers, what are they doing in banks?