To wonder why so many people don't carry any cash on them?

[InHibernationTilISummer]

Excluding people who are skint and the Queen, obviously.

I've had so many examples of this in the last few weeks:

• Colleague who came into the work in the bad weather. Lots of delays and problems on the bus route they normally get so wanted to get the train instead but had no money for a ticket because they had come in with their season bus pass and lunch and hadn't expected to be spending any money.
• Friend turning up for exercise class but hasn't realised that the price has gone up 50p since she last came - and she only brought the exact money she thought she would need.
• Another friend dropping older child off at sport class finds that there's a fair going on at the sports centre with stalls and activities that her younger child (who was with her) would have enjoyed. Complains that she wishes she had known about it in advance as she would have taken some money out with her.

Is this becoming more common or is it just the people I know? If you aren't skint but don't routinely carry money on you, why is that?

I've been in situations where I haven't expected to be spending any (or much) money and some problem has occurred or plans have changed for some reason (e.g. having to accompany someone to A & E or the last bus not turning up) and I would have been really stuck if I hadn't taken some spare 'emergency' cash.

I carry maybe £10 of emergency cash and that's it. I hate carrying money, faffing at the till, waiting for change to be counted and having to file it all away. I hate being that person and being behind that person. I don't like jangling when I walk either.

I have a card book and can just flip to the card I want to use (almost always the one at the front), hold against the machine and chuck the book back into my bag in no time. Sometimes I'll use Android pay instead.

And with this new plastic money it jumps out of purses and pockets much easier and therefore I’m much more likely to lose it because it doesn’t fold and tuck easily 😡

I'm one of the rare people that only uses cash.

I hate using a card. I have a real tendency to over spend anyway and never know where I am with paying by card.

I can plan for things much better if I see the cash physically.

I tend to carry £300 approx in the course of an average week which covers food/travel/gas and electric and random crap.

I always ask for £5/£10 notes where possible if in the bank as it looks more than when you get a few £20's.

Most of my friends don't even bother taking a purse shopping, just a card.

I rarely pay for things in cash day to day, but I always carry some emergency change on me. Just seems sensible to have a fall back, I'd never want to be one of those people who complain about the bank systems going down and not being able to use their debit cards, or their phone battery dying and not being able to pay. Luckily I'm not a spendthrift or careless with my money so I know I won't just spend it or lose it if I carry it around.

I carry a bit of loose change. Maybe a fiver's worth. Anything I want I can use my card. I wouldn't think to take notes out with me unless I knew I'd need actual cash. Which is rare nowadays.

I don’t tend to carry it, I like my card because it debits the exact amount but when I break a note I tend to spend the remaining pound coins more easily. Also pretty much everywhere takes cards nowadays so it’s pretty standard!
I only tend to take cash out for my nail appointments or if I’m venturing out to the countryside where they can’t always get signal for card machines

Very recently I have taken to carrying cash again in a purse at the bottom of my bag. Mixed silver and pound coins. Purely because local council are now charging a 20p premium for the privilege of paying for parking by phone and I am stuck with it at least once a week - and I am DAMNED if I am going to give them a penny more than is absolutely necessary!

I don't carry cash generally because I don't want to lose it or have it stolen. If I need cash for something then I will get out the amount I need just before I need it. Otherwise I don't see the need. It's 2018 - I almost never buy anything from places that I can't use a card and if I do then there is usually a cash machine nearby.

I rarely need cash, buses dont take cash payments, parking is with an app on the phone & everything else is card in the shop. I usually have some cash at home in case Dd needs some for a school cake sale or something but even her dinner money is on a toggle that tops up from my bank

And in your scenarios 1&2 I'd fully expect to be able to pay by card anyway - surely the person paying for a train could? Unless you meant that she didn't only not have cash, she had actually not even brought her purse with her?

Yes, person A had left her credit card at home as well (that part may have been accidental!) Re: the exercise class - that was cash only. I do a lot of exercise and sports and it is often the case that you need cash for that (where I live anyway). E.g. if you are doing Zumba or yoga in a church hall, you have to pay cash. If you are part of a sports club, the club will hire a court or pitch from the sports centre, presumably by bank transfer or credit card, but you then have to pay your subs in cash to the club.

I probably could pay for more stuff that I do by card but there are still some things I would need cash for.

I never carry cash nor do we have cash in the house for things like window cleaners. It’s annoying really but I never really seem to have the forethought to go to a cash machine and get money out ‘just in case’.

I work for a tennis club, nobody ever pays me cash, it’s all paid online by card. I’ve probably had 2 cash payments in the last year

I get cash, I spend it. Then I don't have cash again for ages. It's annoying but not annoying enough to try and find a bank link. There are no bank links in my normal routine these days for some reason. I do get cash back at the supermarket but most of my purchases are not somewhere I can get cash back.

Never have cash, use card/Apple Pay mostly. It’s a right faff if I do need money. My mother carries too much cash, minimum of £200 for no reason than she is scared of running out of money.

Agree op.
And people who choose not to drive but depend on others to take them places.

So the first the problem is they forgot their card, and the second that they had cash but not enough? I wouldn't bring my purse or handbag to a local class, I'd bring the correct money and a water bottle. There is nothing odd about that?

Because it requires me to go to an ATM. Sometimes I carry cash where I know I'll need it, but generally no.

I used to carry little cash. £10 or £20, never more than £50. Scared of getting robbed of more.

Then came the news stories of a bank's computer systems going arse-over-tit and meaning nobody with that bank could withdraw cash or pay by debit card. And that's happened to several banks at some point or other.

That was why I changed my approach and now usually carry more like £50-100. As well as £100-200 stored at home. When my bank is the next one to fuck up their systems, I won't be the mug stuck at the checkout with a trolleyload of food and no way to pay.

I’m a combination of both.prediminately card payment but keep an emergency Amount in purse

I always have cash on me, I use about £150 most weeks and that’s after paying everything I possibly can by card. I pay a couple of regular things cash each week (£40 & £45-75) that have to be cash, plus after school snacks (give kids cash as I often need to wait outside) on road parking at a regular place (doesn’t take cards), money for kids for school, people collecting for Charity...some days I don’t seem to stop handing out cash.

Plus, I’ve been in situations where their card machines were down & they could only take cash and just today my Apple Pay didn’t work for no obvious reason, so I was pleased I had cash on me.

As for getting robbed - £150 in cash is the last thing I worry about - after ‘personal safety’ my (mini) iPad, iphone, bank cards, sentimental crap in my bag, house & car keys...all bigger worries than cash.

Banks going down is a good point,known folk who’ve been affected by this

I always carry cash. I find it easier to budget using cash.

Also, I feel poor if there's no cash in my purse, even if I know I have money in the bank.

I work in London and don’t need it day to day - everyone carries cash .

I always have cash. I get paid in cash and rarely bank any of it.

I do still carry cash, about a week's supply, which I find easier to keep track of than keeping a note of card spending, also, if mugged, I'd rather lose cash than a card or cards, which could mean a larger loss and a lot of inconvenience while awaiting a new card or cards.

Also, I have to admit I'm getting tired of having to remember endless passwords and numbers, and find cash is just easier - besides, I've also got used to dropping the odd coin in begging bowls etc, which must be difficult in an almost cashless society.