To think you still need to carry cash?

[Happinessforever]

Another example of me feeling old and out of touch

More and more people don't seem to carry cash, especially young people in their twenties or under. Need to pay something at work? It's a PayPal transfer, same for splitting a meal. Travel all by app. Same with shopping.

But I can't not have money on me 'just incase'. Always have at least a fiver but usually about £40.

So, AIBU to think you always need cash? Or am I clinging onto an old outdated habit

Plus don't any of you remember the beginning of what would become Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale (novel, not series)? All women’s debit and credit cards were frozen overnight by the regime.

Always got a chunk of cash in the house. I saw blackout. It gave me the heebies.

I need cash for the bus - most now have contactless, but the multi ticket I buy is too expensive for that (tried it, didn’t work). Also need cash for one of DD’s sports - each lesson paid in cash to whichever instructor there. Turns out I need to get quite a bit regularly. A few shops around also only take cash.

Not carried cash for years, in fact don't really take my purse out with me these days I use Apple Pay for most things. I lose track with cash, just seem to burn through it and have no idea what I've spent it on.

Nope and I don’t currency exchange for abroad either. Never had an issue apart from the chippy or school £ days then I’m all DAMMIT.

I have about 20 on me usually, the little boy I childmind likes to,go into the shop and obviously he can't use my card, we keep the loose change in the car until it runs out. My cleaner likes cash so I take 20 a week out for her. Other than that I use Apple Pay or contactless for everything else. I'm almost 60.

Some take aways near me only take cash. Some parking machines still only take cash, 20p surcharge to use the app usually.

Window cleaner wants cash. Tips, I prefer to pay tips in cash, so cabs, hairdresses, restaurant. I still never have any cash though, it's a running joke with me and dp!

I live in a village in north-east Scotland and never have cash on me! Everywhere takes card around here, even most of the sellers at the farmers market!

All women’s debit and credit cards were frozen overnight by the regime

Yeah, but having 40 quid in cash in your wallet wouldn't exactly do much in that situation would it? Unless you're literally stashing it under the mattress. Probably better off better investing in a couple of gold caps

I love cash - I know exactly what I have spent and what I can spend. And I kind of like being untraceable - not to be paranoid, which I'm truly not, but there's something I don't like about having a trail of transactions that someone can find out. With cash, you keep control.

I usually have at least £20 on me. Examples of when I need coins/notes: Giving money to the homeless/paying for The Big Issue, school cake sales, ice creams from a van in the park, tipping in cafes - they often have a small jar by the till.

I also feel ridiculous going into a newsagent and paying for a packet of crisps with a card - this happened to me today, I was a few pence short. I'd put the last of my notes in a couple of birthday cards and hadn't been to the cash machine.

I never have cash on me and barely use my card either.
I pay for everything on my phone using Apple Pay. I even have my Costa card and Tesco Clubcard on my phone.

If you don’t carry cash the people with charity buckets give you filthy looks.

This is going to sound terribly twatty, but it depends on which country I am in

I currently split my time between the UK and South Africa. I don't carry much cash in either country because I have a terrible habit of losing purses/ wallets etc.

In the UK i have a trolley coin in my car for the supermarket. Occasional small amounts of cash specifically withdrawn for cash only transactions such as getting a mani/ pedi at my local salon that doesn't take cash. Mainly use my card to pay for stuff. Rarely have notes in my wallet or at home.

In SA you get charged every single time you use your bank card, either withdrawing cash or doing a card transaction. So I do one big cash withdrawal per week and stash cash at home then take what I think I might need for the day. Plus I always have lots of small change in the car to give tips to "car park attendants" - basically really poor people who claim to be looking after your car whilst it's parked. It's a sort of legitimised begging inasmuch that there is no way that most of them could or would do anything if someone tried to nick my car, but they are nice people and it's a lot more acceptable than pure street begging. It's a pride thing for them. They wear high vis and the shopping centres tolerate their presence. You also get people selling stuff at road junctions. Mostly it's tat, but sometimes you get fruit sellers or newspaper sellers so it is always good to have change in the car.

The short answer is that in SA people are still much more used to using cash, whereas in the UK, where we get mostly free banking, it's rare to use cash.

I deal only in cash apart from bills (Direct debits and payments) Its the only way I can manage money. If I leave it in the bank, I lose track.

Above should refer to salons that don't take cards in the UK, not cash Soz

Here in NYC I use my card for the supermarkets and drugstores, but my favorite lunch place imposes a surcharge, and the several small greengrocers I visit most days have a $10 minimum. So yes, I always carry cash.

I carry cash for two reasons. One is a budgeting aid. Essential spending like groceries and fuel I pay by card, optional luxuries I pay cash for, and withdraw a certain amount of cash each payday.

The other reason is that with no cash I'd be fucked when (not if) the computer systems fail. Banks, stores, and more have all had large-scale outages and will continue to do so in future, and in my case both my debit and credit cards are with the same bank

I own my own small business and I only accept cash. The rental of a card machine is too costly

I only take cash out for taxis

I need cash for the staff canteen at work, it works by preloading cash on to a special card and using it in the vending machines. I put £5 a week on it for drinks and bring my lunch.
I also pay cash for the DCs karate lesson.
I withdraw £20 a week, and I very very rarely need to get more out. Even our local market traders take cards these days and the kids school is cashless, everything is done on parentpay.

Use a contactless/ card 100% of the time. Use a card in the taxi or get an uber. Use a card for the tube and all shopping small or large.

Only get cash out to pay the cleaner once a week. I have some money in my wallet but its been there for ages. Last time I used it was about 3 weeks ago to buy a diet pepsi on the intercity whose cash machine had broken. What does anyone use cash for?

@LondonHuffyPuffy wouldn't monzo work? No charge.

Oh and I take cash out to tip my hairdresser.

I still carry a small amount of cash. I have a Monzo card but rarely use it unless I go up to London. Not many places where I live take it. Many on MN don’t seem to appreciate that we don’t all live in cities.