Are You Still Using Cash?

our local coop stopped taking cash for a while, don't blame them covered in disease.
 
Sky said:
To do away with cash would be a crime against the people. :banghead:

The only reason politicians and banks are pushing the 'easily brainwashed' into using it less, is because there is less profit in cash.

The same reasons apply to cryptocurrency.
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I don't think you understand cryptocurrency.......
 
each to their own but cash will just die off soon, even phones have built in mobile pay.
if you had asked me question 5 years ago I would have said different but its just a pain in the ass most days.
 
What about drugs? From the top to the bottom, they all use cash to get their fix.
 
The only actual cash that I have spent is for the window cleaner.
Other wise everything has been on line.
Fortunately I normally carry a couple of hundred float. Even though I rarely use it.
 
Sky said:
To assume is to make an ASS of U and ME.
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I didn't assume. You said, in effect:
"The only reason politicians and banks are pushing the 'easily brainwashed' into using cryptocurrency, is because there is less profit in cash. "

Cryptocurrency does not turn a profit for politicians and banks, at least not in its current anonymous distributed form. I wouldn't consider the latest news regarding Beijing's attempt anywhere near cryptocurrency because it lacks all the basic fundamentals that make up a good one (privacy, transparency, distributed ledger, etc)



Of course, if cash is faded out, drug dealers will likely turn to crypto. Another reason govt all around the globe doesn't like cryptocurrency.
Which is completely opposite of what Sky said.
 
What about those that don't have smart phone or internet access and don't want to ?

Then you have some of the open air shows/markets where they have card machines
that rely on the internet where the connections are flaky at best, not a system I care to use.

Cash does have a place in our society, like most things you don't have to use it it's not
compulsory, but I suppose like most things just because a few don't use it then it will have to go
because they can't accept there being a choice
 
If you abolish cash, you remove the backup that prevents criminals/terrorists/hostile state actors from causing real damage by disrupting the charging infrastructure, rather than it just being annoying and inconvenient.
 
wyx087 said:
Of course, if cash is faded out, drug dealers will likely turn to crypto.
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Maybe we will start to see a better class of drug addict. Most round here struggle with tying shoe laces, learning how to use crypto will blow what's left of there fragile little minds. :lol:
 
wyx087 said:
Of course, if cash is faded out, drug dealers will likely turn to crypto. Another reason govt all around the globe doesn't like cryptocurrency.
Which is completely opposite of what Sky said.
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Of course it is - only an idiot would think otherwise. :facepalm:

You simply read what I said out of context - I admit I could have written it a little clearer.
 
Mr Bump said:
if you had asked me question 5 years ago I would have said different but its just a pain in the ass most days.
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That’s why I keep my cash in my pocket.;)
 
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I think Rishi Sunak has been excellent throughout this pandemic, Boris might have to watch out! :D
 
Philosophically, cash is my go-to form of payment. If the tab is less then $60, my first instinct is to peel off some 20s from the wad.

This goes back to when I was poor. (AKA when I was a professional photographer.) A credit card was what I used when I ran out of cash. Needless to say, that's not a very good financial management scheme and it got me in trouble pretty quickly.

By the time I started making some money and got out of debt, I had developed a healthy mistrust of using credit as a form of payment. That still exists to this day. I'm uncomfortable leaving the house with less than $100 in my pocket.

But lately my willpower is slipping, and the virus may just be the grease that completes the slide. Paper money is pretty filthy and merchants seem a little uncomfortable taking it. And frankly, I'm a little uncomfortable taking back change.

So I'm fighting a losing battle. Big banks win again.
 
I've got a little 100mm spray with about 70% alcohol and 30% water which I use for change etc. Quite handy the money being plastic now as well! :D
 
drsilver said:
A credit card was what I used when I ran out of cash. Needless to say, that's not a very good financial management scheme and it got me in trouble pretty quickly.
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This may be the reason why some people see credit card as bad. They (you) used it as backup over normal monthly budget, meaning spending beyond their affordable capability.

The responsible way to do it is to simply have a number in your head and check the credit card app regularly. Eg. I have capability to spend £1000 a month, so half way through the month, I should have spent about £500 spending. Everything goes on a single credit card makes budgetting much easier. Ability to see where money was spent in one simple list is fantastic.
 
When I was working there was a problem with some of the telecom cabling nearb the garage, customers returning for their cars were asked to settle in cash, or cheque until the problem was sorted, chaos erupted, people demanding their cars and promises of I’ll come back tomorrow or whenever to settle up, 800-1000 yards to a bank but people didn't want to go for cash, staff abused and one or two threats, wasn’t our fault.
 
wyx087 said:
Ability to see where money was spent in one simple list is fantastic.
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Before I retired, my financial guy asked me to make a budget. Track my discretionary spending diligently for a few months. Other than gas and food, turns out I only shop 2 places -- Amazon and Paypal. Budgeting apps didn't get any more granular than that.

At least with cash, physical changes take place. When I spend, the cash wad gets thin. An ATM visit thickens it back up. Frequency of that cycle is a very good indication of the burn rate.
 
With cash you get to meet people, with click and pay you might just see the van man!
 
gman said:
I think Rishi Sunak has been excellent throughout this pandemic, Boris might have to watch out! :D
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Said that to my wife. Next PM for me easy
 
There are hundreds of thousands of jobs in the UK dependant on cash. People like myself who's job is purely to deal with cash and its infrastructure.

The two main reasons why business want you to stop using it are :

1) They cannot track your spending - if they don't know what you are buying they cannot target advertising at you. This goes far deeper than you may realise, the amount by which your life is guided and controlled by computer algorithms that map your behaviour is shocking. Every web site you visit, every transaction you make electronically is logged, the data fed into the system and used to guide and predict your future spending.

2) quite simply it is expensive and eats into their profits which is a bad thing for them.

Polymer notes are far cleaner than their old paper counterparts, take up less space, weigh less, last longer and are harder to counterfeit.
 
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10 years ago, I’d always get cash out when we did our weekly supermarket shop. That cash was my weekly spend for general purchases like buying lunch from the cafeteria at work. In most places, card payments were only accepted if over £5 or £10 depending on the store or shop, or attracted an extra charge.

Over the years, chip and pin, and contactless payments have made paying easier. I’ve used my smartphone on one occasion. Not used my watch yet. I currently cannot recall when I last took cash out in the last 12 months.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
I realised today that I haven’t actually used cash for months. I use Apple Pay for general purchases, a credit card for online, bus and parking are paid using apps.

Is this a general trend or are people still holding folding?
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For a few years I’ve only been using cash for football (both parking and drinks are cash only) and occasionally at the pub. Sometimes at the Indian restaurant it’s easier to use cash if there’s a big group.

As I’ve not been to the pub or football or Indian for months, I’ve had £25 in my wallet since early March.
 
gman said:
What about drugs? From the top to the bottom, they all use cash to get their fix.
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Not just 'illegal' substance users, my local pharmacy won't take cards, it's cash or cheque......
 
broc said:
Not just 'illegal' substance users, my local pharmacy won't take cards, it's cash or cheque......
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Our local pharmacy is quite old fashioned (my daughter calls it 'The Apothecary') but take cards or cash. We don't have a cheque book now.
 
I still use it, but prefer just using my card on the go. There's still a couple old school stores in town here that don't have card machines, also most of the taxis only take cash and I use them frequently. Always try to keep a tenner in the wallet at least, for that purpose. I got some money over Christmas [my birthday NYE inc] and I couldn't wait to get it into the bank tbh.
 
I got a few quid in my wallet but

have not withdrawn anything at an atm since March 2020
 
Doing my tax return for 19/20 and actually had a look at my books to see what percentage was cash vs card on my market stall. 23% card payments vs 77% cash.
In the few weeks I did manage to during the pandemic it was to 47% Card payments...but that was with a sign saying "Card payments preferred".....so for markets at least cash is still king.
 
Pennies and tuppenies with holes drilled in them are cheaper than washers. So are 5p pieces but they're a bu99er to drill!
 
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