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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

963 replies

InHibernationTilISummer · 03/03/2018 23:27

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.

OP posts:
LightastheBreeze · 04/03/2018 09:19

I was in somewhere once where the tills broke down and I paid by cash, I do remember when Asda tills broke down and the queues so I did abandon my shopping that time.
I do like having lots of different ways to pay though and carry about £20 in cash generally for parking and trolleys or an emergency. you can park by phone sometimes but isn't it a faff if you haven't set up an account already, where I live it is free parking anyway so I don't use pay carparks very often, I am 60 though and would feel lost without my purse Grin

Chienrouge · 04/03/2018 09:19

And obviously all us card users are capable of getting cash out if the situation dictates. We don’t sit looking baffled at our purses in the middle of Plaza Mayor wondering why we can’t buy a glass of wine. I just prefer to use card as a general rule/habit. And it works fine for me.

duckling84 · 04/03/2018 09:21

I rarely carry cash because I pay for 99% of stuff on my card and cash is heavy! I can easily pop my bank card, phone and keys in my coat pocket when going out but taking a purse with change in it then requires a bag and it's just a hassle really.

LightastheBreeze · 04/03/2018 09:21

When using a card abroad it is best to get one of the ones that doesn't charge for transactions, I got a Halifax clarity card and they also gave me £20 cashback

BarbaraofSevillle · 04/03/2018 09:22

Well, why say 'I never use cash' when what you mean is 'i don't generally use cash day to day but do on holiday or when the situation dictates' [Confused]. Totally changes the meaning of the discussion.

LoniceraJaponica · 04/03/2018 09:22

When someone cloned my debit card and I had to cancel it. I was glad that I had some cash to use to tide me over until my new card arrived.

Chienrouge · 04/03/2018 09:24

Well, why say 'I never use cash' when what you mean is 'i don't generally use cash day to day but do on holiday or when the situation dictates' [Confused]. Totally changes the meaning of the discussion

Ok. Well for 99% of my life I don’t use cash. If there is no alternative, I do. For example my children’s ballet class only takes cash. I wouldn’t stop them doing ballet because I object to the use of cash.
Better?

hungryhippo90 · 04/03/2018 09:25

Never take money out of the cash point either. We carry a couple of cards on us.
We only remember when the after school activities end up in arrears, then we take a chunk of money out and pay quite far in advance.

DH always has cash though, somehow

AppleAndBlackberry · 04/03/2018 09:28

I rarely used to carry cash until my children went to school, now it's £1 here, £3 there so I've started making sure I always have some. For myself there's nothing I do regularly that needs cash, even parking is Ringo or similar now and I don't exercise!

Allthewaves · 04/03/2018 09:28

I dont carry cash - always use card

fusushumi · 04/03/2018 09:29

I always carry cash and pay for most things with cash because it's more anonymous and I don't like to leave a paper trail of everywhere I've been. I fully recognise however that we are becoming a cashless society and that I will probably have to change as the trend will be towards fewer places accepting cash

Chienrouge · 04/03/2018 09:29

I book my gym classes and pay for them online in advance.

TheClitterati · 04/03/2018 09:29

I haven't had any cash on me for days now. Tried to get some and machine was broken. It's ok. Not needed it.

Contactless means cash is used less and less now.

treaclesoda · 04/03/2018 09:30

I live out in the sticks and don't use much cash. I pay for car parking with an app on my phone. I pay for the bus with a pre-paid smart card ticket. My local shop is a Spar so has a very up to date electronic payment system. I order takeaway online.

I'm not deliberately refusing to use cash, I just don't need to.

And whilst small businesses do have issues with the cost of the bank charges the flip side is that not having to handle much cash can be beneficial too, in terms of staff safety. Swings and roundabouts.

Chienrouge · 04/03/2018 09:33

And whilst small businesses do have issues with the cost of the bank charges the flip side is that not having to handle much cash can be beneficial too, in terms of staff safety. Swings and roundabouts

The only bank in our village has recently closed, meaning the nearest one is 6 miles away. The few business that didn’t take cards have now started doing so, partly because as a result less people are carrying cash (no ATM) and partly because it’s cheaper and safer for them than having a member of staff drive to the bank.

LightastheBreeze · 04/03/2018 09:34

I must admit although I carry cash I do rarely use it and £20 seems to last forever, or until there is some work collection or bake day or DH robs a tenner off me. I don't shop in that many different shops and generally use a credit card to get the points on purchases.

AccidentallyRunToWindsor · 04/03/2018 09:40

I never have cash on me. Unless I am going somewhere that I know there will be no card payments available (like a festival) I can go weeks without visiting a cash point

WannabeMathematician · 04/03/2018 09:42

I will use my credit card whenever possible so I can collect points. I can even use it on the bus so it's not restrictive to do this.

lljkk · 04/03/2018 09:45

Interesting thread.
The idea of being dependent on cards makes me twitch.
The only time I screwed up my budgeting was when I thought I'd just use my debit card for everything. Nightmare trying to keep track, never had overdrafts before. Badly burned. Never again.

I get £80 out once or twice a week.
Also use the card & electronic payments a huge amount.

Buying tickets on train with card: there's a transmission blackspot at start of my journey (can't pay by card). Cash is reliable, card is not.

There's a cashless way to pay at work cafe: I only buy something there about twice a month. I'd lose a cashless card or be annoyed at how it took 20 yrs to use the balance up. Much better to pay by cash.

Yesterday needed emergency milk & some ketchup: made sense to pay the £1.45 with cash. Does Lidl take phone payments?

and so on...

Right now DH & I have at least 6 vouchers (or giftcards) to pay for things at various places (Next, Halfords, Argos, Sports Direct, Sainsbury's, somewhere else...); it's very annoying b/c we need to buy nothing but also need to somehow remember we have all these vouchers to use up or else we lose the money. Grrrrrrrr. Wish we had cash instead.

creaturefeatures · 04/03/2018 09:47

Cash is pretty old fashioned isn't it?

I can't really see any advantages to using cash...

Other than holidays I never use cash, I tend to use Apple Pay on my phone or watch for most day to day spending and debit card for everything else.

There's nothing I do that can't be paid for by card (all the car parks I use take card for example).

I use Apple Pay so much that I don't even have debit cards with me most of the time - just use my phone which I have with me anyway.

How do people have cash on them? Genuine question....do you have to go to an ATM and draw out what you think you'll need for the week? Confused

MsAwesomeDragon · 04/03/2018 09:47

I use my card everywhere. It's very rare that I want to buy something somewhere that doesn't accept a card. Even my window cleaner is paid online.

I do try to have a small amount in my purse/pocket, but not much.

Sevendown · 04/03/2018 09:49

I try to take out the odd tenner so I have change for emergencies—work gifts— but it always disappears!

The dcs drain us of any cash we do have- bus fares, lunches, school collections.

So I’m often without cash when I need it.

I’d rather everything was by card, then I know exactly where all my money goes.

LemonRedwood · 04/03/2018 09:49

Sorry, Birdsgottafly, your window cleaner only charges £2? Do you only have one small window? If not, can I have their number?

brownelephant · 04/03/2018 09:56

I always carry at least a tenner.

banks/cash mashines do fail or cards get blocked and if that happens you need cash to pay for shopping.

bertsdinner · 04/03/2018 09:56

I rarely use cash day to day, except for paying the wheelie bin cleaner, work collections and the odd car park. I take some cash on days out too, for stuff like buying an ice cream, coffee from a little cafe/van etc.
I take all cash to Greece as I find most tavernas, shops etc prefer it and not all accept card, especially the more rural places. Other European countries I use a mix of card and Euros.
Card/cash is the same to me, it all spends. Using a card is more convenient as I dont have to go to an ATM and draw it out, but that's all.