Do you still use actual cash to pay for things? Ive just realised I've not used notes & coins for months

[ApexDragonfly]

Its suddenly struck me that I've completely stopped using actual money in every day life. If I go out anywhere I use my phone/watch to pay so no longer bother carrying my purse most days. If my teen dc ask for money I just do a bank transfer rather than handing them cash. Ive just booked a friend group Christmas dinner and everyone transferred their deposit to my bank account. I think the last time I used actual money was when I was on holiday, but even then things like taxis were via an app, flights and hotel booking were paid online, and bigger restaurant bills I paid via card.

I think what's made me realise this is that the news is full of govt warnings to have some actual cash in case of a cyber attack. And I checked my purse and found I had £100 cash in it (I went camping in June, so took went to a cashpoint to get actual money in case i needed it. Turns out I didnt spend any of the actual cash money and have used my card to pay for everything since then).

Surely I'm not the only one who has gone cash free? Ive enabled voting

YABU - I still use cash for most things.
YANBU - I never/hardly ever use cash

The money laundering barbers have tell tale signs. These include:
. Closed on Saturday mornings when it’s the traditionally the busiest part of the week .
. Cookie cutter signage. Usually black with white font with yellow highlights
. They close down for months and reopen with a different name.

If you want to know which barbers are legit, go on Streetview. Look before the Covid. If you see a barbers there - look if it’s still there (may have updated signage) it’s more likely to be legit as the up surge of these money laundering barbers started 2021/2

I always use cash when possible. IMO we should be able to get our wages paid in cash if we prefer.

Where do you think the employers are going to get the cash now that so many bank branches have closed. We don't have a single bank in our (largeish) town. We need to look forward, not backwards.

The banks will have to reopen their branches.

The case for keeping a bit is mostly power cuts and outages: card machines and cash points stop when the power or the network goes down, as people found in the storm yesterday. Small notes and coins are best, as shops often can't give change. It doesn't have to be much, enough for a couple of days.

Like I say, we need to look forwards, not backwards, banks aren't going to reopen branches - there was a reason they closed in the first place.

Fine for if the internet goes down, but not if the power goes down as the shops can't open with no heating/lighting/security systems, the tills don't work so they can't scan the barcodes, etc. During Storm Desmond, our area had no power for a few days and literally nothing was open. A few small independents stayed open on the day the power went down (Saturday afternoon) to sell off their perishables (i.e. our local bakers shop sold off their pies and bread by cash whilst there was still light using a calculator). But garages, supermarkets, etc all closed their doors. Even the train station closed and trains ran through instead of stopping because they deemed it unsafe to have passengers on the platform due to no lighting, no security cameras, etc. Sometimes, cash doesn't work either.

In Turkey last week I saw so many banks and ATMs. Probably because the highest note is 200TL (£3) that doesn’t cover a cost of a coffee- bar the Turkish coffee

Both DH and I use a mixture of both. Many of the small shops in our village don't take cards under £5 and a couple of our takeaways are cash only. I prefer to use cash as I find it's easy to lose track of my spending when I just use a card, plus both DH and I hate being forced to use electronic payments and prefer to use cash just to make a stand!

I use cash wherever possible. Use it or lose it. I also keep a stash of mattress money … for emergencies. The banks can fail at any time …

We use a cafe in Bridport that is cash only. Brilliant place run by a group of women who believe many people don't have access to bank accounts and are at a social disadvantage.
Also went to a Cote's restaurant, when we tried to use cash we were informed that they were "cashless' Fortunately we had our cards, Im not sure what would have happened if cash was our only method of paying.

Just the chip shop. Don't carry cash as a rule.

I still use cash occasionally. My hairdresser still uses cash. And I occasionally need to take out cash for collections at work (sometimes there's a Revolut option but sometimes there isn't).

I never use cash, been caught a few times like when my teen let's me know half hr b4 she leaves for school she needs money for this/that!!

I did take out £100 today as the government are warning us to have cash ..

I use cash quite a bit, I pay my coffee club money in cash, pay my weekly help in cash, and takeaways, because they are done on one order, several of us eat together and just pay cash to whoever goes to collect it.

I don’t use cash at all.

Today I drew out money to pay for my Chinese because you get 10% off if you pay cash and I spends £80

I almost always use non-cash means of payment. BUT, I do wish to retain freedom to pay with actual cash if I wish to do so. Bear in mind: the opening sequence of The Handmaiden's Tale starts with the protagonist's bankcard being frozen. Our current Govt is urging us to stash minimum 3days food/water, in case the internet goes down. Seems to me to be quite sensible to have as much cash as you an afford stashed away. Just in case.

Tax evasion! There's no way that the card processing fees are as high as 10% however bad they are at shopping around etc.

I use cash at our local market. Also for homeless people on the street.
Occasionally for contractors if they ask for cash.
Otherwise, card all the way

Used it today as local pub had no power due to the storm i never have cash on me but id ordered on line for a freind so she paid me in cash.
A lot off coffee shops pubs etc in my area are cash only so it rare that I have cash on me

We use cash. We prefer it after using cards for a few years. Cards were okay, but real cash feels better

Depends on the work and circumstances. I pay my cleaner in cash. I presume she is not declaring it but I don't know for a fact. I know she's a very part time/SAHM so I don't feel like it is a huge moral issue. My builder did me a favour and let me pay cash for a recent job. His major clients are B2B so he pays his VAT on everything else. Again, not a moral dilemma for me; whilst I have a cleaner for health reasons my income is actually below average and I pay my income tax.

Not since Covid. I pay for everything with my phone, or my watch. I am considering keeping £50 cash at home in case supermarket electronic tills go down due to hacking.

Relatable. I am 72 and I don’t think I’ve used cash for 3-4 years now.

I just avoid cash only businesses.

According to the government it might be useful in an extended cyber attack. But I can survive a few days in that case.