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AIBU?

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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:
cashmoney7 · 04/03/2018 10:50

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

I don't know which is worse. That someone asked this, or that they put a Confused after it.

Genuine answer....

Yes you take cash out of an ATM. Or if you are like me I get paid in cash. Some people even go INSIDE their bank and use the counter service.

Wow. I'm baffled that anyone could find this difficult to grasp.

notacooldad · 04/03/2018 10:54

BarbaraofSevillle
No, constantly calling and emailing

Blimey! You just put your e mail notifications on silent so you don't know you've got them until you look.
Same with phone calls if you want.
Nothing exhausting about it, except it makes life easier having a decent phone ( but that's an argument thst has already been done!!!)

scaryteacher · 04/03/2018 10:57

I find it exhausting trying to find my phone to charge it, as I've normally lost the charger, and making sure there is credit on it. The phone is normally sculling about in the depths of a handbag somewhere. I don't need to use it much.

LightastheBreeze · 04/03/2018 10:57

You can't pay for a £100 supermarket shop with a phone

scaryteacher · 04/03/2018 11:00

Blackteadrinker I just need my watch to tell the time, not pay for anything. Db got an Apple watch, but couldn't see why I wasn't enthralled by it. My Tissot tells the time, which is what I want my watch to do.

Blackteadrinker77 · 04/03/2018 11:00

You can't pay for a £100 supermarket shop with a phone

Yes you can.

You can't pay for £100.01p but you can go up to £100.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 04/03/2018 11:03

Lonicera I do live in London, but that wasn't the reason I didn't carry cash. My bank didn't used to let me use any cashpoints that weren't in its group, and the only cashpoint I could use was a 20 minute walk over the Thames. Now, they've seen sense, and let me use any Link machine.

Blackteadrinker77 · 04/03/2018 11:03

@scaryteacher Some people don't like technology and I get that. Others like me love it and it saves me so much free time.

Cash won't die but it is dropping off and cards/phone/watch payments are now the highest % of payments made over taking cash for the first time.

To each their own. It would be a bloody boring life if we all liked the same things.

LightastheBreeze · 04/03/2018 11:05

I might see something I want over £100, a phone would be no good then, that would be really restricting

Sallystyle · 04/03/2018 11:06

It's very rare I have any money on me.

I don't go to the ATM to take money out. My husband has some laying around for his appointments for car park fees as they don't take cards. I will take some of that if I need it to pay for car parking myself.

I use my phone for small purchases and my card for everything else.

The only time I take money out is if I am getting a black cab.

BitchQueen90 · 04/03/2018 11:09

I don't like carrying cash around in case I lose my purse or get it stolen. At least with cards you can cancel them and are usually covered if someone buys something using contactless.

I live in an urban area though, everywhere has card machines.

ThanksForAllTheFish · 04/03/2018 11:10

I carry cash most of the time and dislike spending small amounts on my card (like £2.60 for a coffee). I have tried using my card a lot in the past but I hate all the dribs and drabs showing on my bank statement. Also I find I never know how much money I have spent or have left when I’m using my card all day. It’s very easy to overspend that way.

If I go to the cash line and take out £20 then I can look in my purse and see how much I have left and what I have spent. When using my card for payments my online banking doesn’t always update contactless payments right away. I have to go through everything in my head trying to remember what I bought and how much it cost and then add it all up. I will use my card for the weekly food shop or if I’m spending round amounts like £10 or £20.

m0therofdragons · 04/03/2018 11:12

I carry very little cash - pay card or Apple Pay. When shopping in Bristol we kept being asked is we were paying cash or card, which is normal imo for small purchases but we were buying £350 jewellery and they were surprised we wanted to pay card and had to find the machine. Similar reaction in Hobbs when I bought 2 dresses. Considering I use card to buy bread I was a bit Hmm

LightastheBreeze · 04/03/2018 11:13

Yes, I prefer credit cards to pay for everything as I then get £100s in vouchers back from John Lewis and vouchers for M&S. Cash for emergencies only but always carry it

BitOutOfPractice · 04/03/2018 11:13

@Blackteadrinker77 I'm surprised you didn't read my comment since you took the trouble to C&P it. I said very few places accept payment by phone not contactless

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 04/03/2018 11:15

I also have to pay exactly £9 a week for DD's dinner money, cash in an envelope, they're stuck firmly in the 20th century.

Blackteadrinker77 · 04/03/2018 11:17

I might see something I want over £100, a phone would be no good then, that would be really restricting

Then you just log in their website and click pay. It really isn't hard. I'd want free delivery as well if I'm spending £100. Don't even have to carry it.
I can pay for holidays in four figures by my phone or buy a car even.
It's been almost 2 years since I carried cash.

Work whip a rounds etc you just use ping to send it to the person collecting. I ping my window cleaner also.

It's not for everyone but it is not restricting to me. It really saves me so much time.

Blackteadrinker77 · 04/03/2018 11:19

@Blackteadrinker77 I'm surprised you didn't read my comment since you took the trouble to C&P it. I said very few places accept payment by phone not contactless

Any where that is contactless is pay by phone, it is the same technology.

LightastheBreeze · 04/03/2018 11:24

Why would I fanny about click paying when I can just buy the item and put it straight in my car, I shop online all the while so why are you telling me how to click and collect, I said just a phone would be restricting not paying on the web

Trills · 04/03/2018 11:30

Does Lidl take phone payments?

@lljkk The one near me takes contactless cards, which means that it also takes the kind of phone payment that I'd be talking about (which uses the same technology as contactless cards)

Onlyoldontheoutside · 04/03/2018 11:31

My cash disappears with DD for school for the things she forgets to tell me about,she just taken £5for swimming.I have cash in a jar for her to but milk,bread that we run out of when I'm at work but I mainly use contactless.

Trills · 04/03/2018 11:32

OK a lot of people seem to be confused about paying by phone

If we are talking about a shop, we are just talking about using your phone like a contactless card. Unlock your phone, tap it on the reader, done.

We are not talking about anything complicated, or anything that takes longer than taking money or a card out of your purse.

Trills · 04/03/2018 11:33

My online banking shows contactless payments under "Pending payments" - I can see them right away.

bananafish81 · 04/03/2018 11:35

I don't carry cash - I don't need to, I pay by card or phone for pretty much everything. Or online - eg Deliveroo / Just Eat for takeaway, Treatwell for the salon where I get my nails done that's cash only. Much much more convenient to carry a slim card wallet around than a wallet and a load of coins

No issues with tracking my spending - my Monzo card logs everything so I can see exactly where my money is going. Much easier to track spending when it's broken down for you by category than with cash!

Lightbulb57 · 04/03/2018 11:39

I rarely carry cash. I pay on card, usually contactless. The milk man gets paid by cheque and we pay things like school dinner money, swimming fees, etc online. The only thing I pay for regularly with cash is the window cleaner, and I never have it in so always have to pop to the cashpoint for him.

When I go out for meals with friends it’s far easier to pay by card when splitting the bill because there’s no issue with needing change.