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 Or am I clinging onto an old outdated habit

I never ever have cash. Unless I've just had a birthday or something. DH often carries cash

I use cash for public toilets and AA meetings. Much prefer to use cards because it's easier to keep track of.

Trouble with all the systems requiring tech is that tech fails. Exactly. I went to Gardeners World Live in June and on the Sunday there was a problem with the wifi and most of the stallholders in the floral marquee couldn't use their card machines. It was lovely for us because it was basically empty but the stallholders were understandably extremely pissed off. I was ok because I always take cash so I don't spend too much.

I always carry about £30 with me for fitness classes, birthday cards etc. plus coins in a pot in the car for parking.

I will be spending cash today at least twice - I need to post a parcel at the PO and it will be less than £5 (my personal limit) and then I'll be going to our drop in 'Knit & Natter' where there's a donation pot for tea/coffee. Our, very popular, local cafe only takes cash and we go there once or twice a week.

I hate having cash on me. I can't wait till we are cashless and I think it will definitely happen in my life time.

I can never track what I've spent it on. I start convincing myself I've lost some 😂 I just forget what I've bought though in reality.

Mostly I have less than £10 in my purse, it's rare that I have more. Pay for everything with card.

I literally never carry cash.
My two favourite bars are now card only too.

I try to keep cash on me for small transactions, and a stash of change in the car for parking. I don't have the space on my phone for umpteen extra apps and I have a password busting genius of a 6yo.

I need cash for a cafe that is cash only and not within a mile of a cashpoint, chip shop (the Chinese is also cash only) and school dinner money. They do larger transactions by cheque as the school is too small to find it viable to use something like parent pay. I'll get cash reimbursed for Scouting/ Guiding expenses. They can't use card because of the double signitures and leaders have to pay for larger transactions by card and be reimbursed as many businesses can't/ won't take cheques. I can do bank transfer for an independent fitness class but it is easier to just hand over a bank note than remembering to log in online.

Glad I'm not dependent on my phone network this morning!
A couple of months ago the card machine wasn't working at the supermarket so I had to use their internal cash machine to pay for my shopping. Being too dependent on one source of payment is a vulnerable position. It's nice to think we won't fall into a distopia like The Handmaids Tale, but the description of women's bank accounts being frozen chilled me 20 years ago when I first read it as it is so viable. We live in a world of cyber attacks by organised crime or "enemy" states, and to not have any back up of manual systems is incredibly vulnerable for society.

I do like contactless in a pub/ bar though as I've never been able to hear what the cost was and just vaguely wafted a big note out and hoped I'd get some change back. Bonus points for ordering on the app at Wetherspoons so I don't have to be ignored at the bar for ages.

I cant go out without cash. Very rarely use my bank card. And Ive just realised I`m old.lol.

I am early 30's and always carry cash, I'm well known for it in my circle and it's often useful if there's a charge for small card transactions, business doesn't have a machine (plenty of places where I live and where we went on holiday in devon), taxis, if the card machines go down, if I lost my card etc.

I rarely carry cash. Everywhere takes cards fact a lot of the pubs by me don't take cash

The only time I have cash on me is when I have gone to the bank to take some out to pay for a black cab that doesn't take card payments, or if I need to pay the school for something.

I use my phone for all other transactions.

I get paid in cash. I find it easier to keep track of spending to have something physical. DH pays for all bills so my money is for food and bits and bobs

I pay our cleaner, lady who does some gardening and window cleaner in cash. The barber also only takes cash.

I keep about a tenner in coins in the car to pay for pay and display parking.

Also give cash to DS to buy snacks at break at school.

I probably have at least £20 in cash in my purse at any one time though.

I used to pay by cash as it was easier for me to budget but I’m being forced to change. My hairdresser’s is in a row of shops where there used to be two different banks. Now they’ve closed, the salon asks customers to pay by card. So many smaller supermarkets now have card only self service and sandwich chains prefer card payments as it’s quicker to serve customers using contactless. The other week I had to pay for car parking by card. It was really long winded as you had to phone up to give licence number, card number etc. That’s the only time recently when I’ve really wished I had been carrying cash.

Also about 10 years ago where I worked (small shop) literally all staff members got paid in cash, including all the full time staff.

Seems very strange now, as the country is going more and more cashless.

I live in the countryside, so always have cash on me. A lot of small shops, like newsagents, choclatier, charity shops etc still have minimum spends for cards ( ~£10). Plus farrier, tea man, window cleaner etc only take cash. Also I sometimes buy eggs from neighbouring farms who have honesty boxes next to the roadside, so that needs cash too :)

I've not carried cash for years. Taxis take card now (or there's Uber), takeaways I order online, parking machines either take card or there's the RingGo app...even the market near me takes card on all the stalls - I just never need cash so I never get it out!

Need cash for the chippy, market stalls and window cleaner.

Prefer cash for small purchases - say under a fiver, maybe a tenner.

Pretty much card apart from that.

I still get £200 out when I go to the cash point, but that is getting less and less frequent. So maybe I should reduce my usual ‘takeout’. I currently have £130 in my purse plus some change.

Where I live taxi drivers and buses only take cash !

@OooErMissus @NerrSnerr

I am not worried about transactions being traced specifically, I just like to have the option.

DH’s company is going to introduce electronic payment soon which will make things easier.

all this explains the blubbering when a bank's networks goes down (happens quite often). Also amazed that people can be so utterly reliant on their fragile giant stealable phones that need daily charging.

yes, use card and tech by all means, it is often easier and quicker. But being so cool that you never carry cash is going to bite you in the bum at times. So don't whine when it does. Or carry some cash just in case.

Also amazed that people can be so utterly reliant on their fragile giant stealable phones that need daily charging.

Or... your debit/credit cards