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Original poster

How many of you carry cash nowerdays?

132 replies

RedDiamond · 08/12/2022 18:16

I was walking past a charity collector and was sort of ambushed. By that I mean she blocked my way and rattled her bucket before me. I had to explain that I do not carry cash normally so had nothing to put in her bucket. The last time I emptied my purse out I gave it to a homeless young person near to where I live.

The charity collector was very indignant and told me she never went without cash in her purse. I got used to no cash during Covid. I also do online shopping for food and anything else I need. She cannot have been more than 10/15 years older than me but she made me feel embarrassed. Is it an old school thing?

The only time I have cash now is if I know I HAVE to pay in cash and will go to an ATM.

How many of you also do not carry cash or not a lot of cash anymore?

OP posts:
GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 09/12/2022 22:48

I usually have at least a couple of £10 notes but hardly ever use them. Rarely have coins any more.

SkinnyFatte · 09/12/2022 22:51

Rarely use cash now. DD has a debit card account so I put her allowance straight in her account by standing order! Pay for everything on the debit card.

FindingMeno · 09/12/2022 22:54

I carry cash.
I'm very keen to keep cash alive as card payment for everything is not inclusive of all in society.
Plus it keeps big brothers nose out.

Saltywalruss · 09/12/2022 22:55

No cash is not an "old school thing". Yes I carry cash .

user1497207191 · 09/12/2022 22:55

slowquickstep · 09/12/2022 22:46

Australia has just advised it's resident's to have cash at home in case there are powercuts, what will all you cashless mumsnetters do if you can't pay for food in the event of a powercut ?

Not many shops will open during power cuts. Our town had a few days with no power - most shops stayed closed. Power firm had to arrange fast food vans to hand out free fast food!

DillDanding · 09/12/2022 23:00

I can’t remember the last time I had cash, or even took my wallet or cards out of the house.

I use only my watch or phone to pay nowadays.

I was in Superdrug yesterday behind a woman that paid cash for her shopping. It took so much longer.

GratefulCheddar · 09/12/2022 23:07

I haven’t carried cash for many years I always use a card to get points. Over 25 years of paying on card wherever possible has meant free hire cars, hotels and travel.

Poppy collection had a card reader

lljkk · 10/12/2022 08:45

I often find people paying by card take longer to complete transactions. Something goes wrong with the tech. Definitely been good to have cash instead. I use whichever type of payment is faster.

This thread is reminding me of a nightmare with the RingGo App a few weeks ago. I went to a very busy rural carpark in Suffolk. Event was on that attracts about 400 participants. Everyone was struggling to get mobile signal on their networks, and the connection was slow if it worked at all. I struggled to get a signal, find the App, install the app, start the App, register to pay, input the carpark code. All this happened slowly or just crashed on the phone. Meanwhile, dual payment machines were rejecting or not acknowledging my coins.

I got as far as App installed & registered, but couldn't input the code (App kept seizing instead). So Cash was the successful payment in the end (after about 25 minutes of constant efforts to pay either way).

Original poster
RedDiamond · 10/12/2022 10:06

BorisJohnsonsHair · 09/12/2022 21:21

I usually carry a few pound coins and a £20 note.

PS it's spelled nowadays, just in case you need to use it again

Do you know what, for some reason I struggled with "nowadays" and "nowerdays" and just knew someone would comment. 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
RedDiamond · 10/12/2022 10:07

slowquickstep · 09/12/2022 22:46

Australia has just advised it's resident's to have cash at home in case there are powercuts, what will all you cashless mumsnetters do if you can't pay for food in the event of a powercut ?

Where I live they shut the shops when power cuts happen as all their equipment, tills, scanners are all electric anyway. So cash won't help us there. 😂

OP posts:
Zippedydoo123 · 10/12/2022 10:21

Where I live cash is still used most places. Midlands.

palygold · 10/12/2022 10:29

On the long cash thread some people with businesses (including mine) opened during power cuts. This was more likely to be the independent shops, though not many chains in our large village.

Cash was useful, though hot drinks and warmth - from open fires and generators (useful in an area where power cuts are not infrequent) were offered by some and without charge.

Cash (from a business point of view) can be a hassle, but the amount handled is much reduced nowadays. I'd always offer cash as an option as not to excludes a portion of people who typically tend to be vulnerable, or older, etc. We talked about this at length on the other thread anyway!

Original poster
RedDiamond · 10/12/2022 10:31

@palygold Can you put a link up please as I have not seen the other thread.

OP posts:
thismeansnothing · 10/12/2022 10:33

I have an emergency £20 in my purse but been carrying it round for ages as I always use Google pay or my card etc.

handbagsandholidays · 10/12/2022 10:40

I do... I detest the idea of everything being traceable and cashless. I'm also try to shop local and know that card payments take a percentage of transactions which can be costly. I generally also find it easier to manage my spending by using cash. x

thinkponk48 · 10/12/2022 10:45

I went to the bank a few weeks ago and took out£30 and asked for it in £1 coins. It's in a bag in my house. I call it my tooth fairy money. That's the only cash I have. It's used to school collections/ tooth fairy and so on. I just don't have a use for cash day to day

Pinetreechristmas · 10/12/2022 10:46

Never use cash anymore, I live rurally and my closest atm is a rbs van that trundles by once a week for a 15 minute slot, which is a total faff and means waiting for that nonsense or going even further just to pick up some cash.

Card, PayPal and bank transfer for everything.

Even if an atm popped up next to me though I wouldn't use it now though, I find it so much easier to keep track of my funds and watch my spending with card spends.

slowquickstep · 10/12/2022 11:15

DillDanding · 09/12/2022 23:00

I can’t remember the last time I had cash, or even took my wallet or cards out of the house.

I use only my watch or phone to pay nowadays.

I was in Superdrug yesterday behind a woman that paid cash for her shopping. It took so much longer.

How much longer did it take? Seconds or hours ?

healthadvice123 · 10/12/2022 12:22

Had stopped but starting again as its easier to see what spending and to buy coffee from street vendor etc
So going back to cash as its more manageable

CatJumperTwat · 10/12/2022 12:41

slowquickstep · 09/12/2022 22:46

Australia has just advised it's resident's to have cash at home in case there are powercuts, what will all you cashless mumsnetters do if you can't pay for food in the event of a powercut ?

Well I don't live in Australia, and in the decade I haven't used cash this has never been a problem. I've never been in a powercut that lasted longer than two hours. And I could still use mobile data to order a takeaway or food shop online if I was desperate.

Choccolatte · 10/12/2022 12:53

I absolutely use cash as much as I can. A cashless economy is something to be very wary of. Every transaction can be monitored, your money can be stopped in a second, all fine with our relatively democratic government but terrifying for anyone living under a dictatorship or similar. My parents grew up in such a country and have a healthy dose of fear around such potential control. It isn't beyond the realms of reality that Russia or some other state or terror group hack into the banks. With no cash this would be devasting in days.

palygold · 10/12/2022 13:16

Well I don't live in Australia, and in the decade I haven't used cash this has never been a problem. I've never been in a powercut that lasted longer than two hours. And I could still use mobile data to order a takeaway or food shop online if I was desperate.

Power cuts here last longer than 2 hours, rural location.

Takeaways especially and a delivered grocery shop during power cuts might be slightly problematic. Unless you were ordering out of the area somehow.

palygold · 10/12/2022 13:17

RedDiamond · 10/12/2022 10:31

@palygold Can you put a link up please as I have not seen the other thread.

It was a few weeks ago! I'll have a look when I'm home.

Aria20 · 10/12/2022 13:32

I usually have a £1 coin in my pocket if I have pockets as I've been caught out not having a coin for a trolley before and had to carry two heavy baskets around the shop! Also have a £5 in my phone case for the odd chance I need to buy a drink out and somewhere doesn't take card/Apple Pay - same £5 has been in there months!

Often don't even take my purse or card anymore now that the Apple Pay limit is £100 I tend to just use that as always have my phone with me.

lljkk · 10/12/2022 13:47

Supermarkets I go to (several), there are 4 ways to exit & pay: "card only" , supermarket-App only, mixed card-cash & person-serves-you-tills.

The supermarket-App tills: always lots stations free, no Q for that ever, often empty.
The card-only tills: almost never all filled, rarely not 1 or more free.
Cash+card ones & person-serves-you-tills : long queues for these, never entirely unoccupied.

I see that in reality, a small majority of people prefer cash & lower tech ways to shop.