Do you still use cash?

[Duck]

I usually have small amounts of cash on me for the off chance I need something that I can't buy with a card (like say, taking a bus or buying some candy from a street vendor or something like that) and I suppose it doubles as "mugging money" (they have their W and won't get angry / doubt you and lash out) but 90% of my spending is done either online, or via credit / debit cards.

I live in a dangerous city, for me at least, it's not worth carrying a lot of money on me.

 

[mikey]

I prefer to use cash. Idk, I get annoyed when transactions take a long time to go through and I see them pending for days in my account.

 

[Starlight]

I don't even carry it anymore, which I really should do just for emergencies and parking etc...

I tend to buy everything with a credit card and pay it off as soon as possible. That way I don't need to deal with cash refunds if I return something, and I also have a record of the purchase besides the receipt.

Here, credit cards offer more protection than other payment methods for large purchases too.

 

[~Dill~]

I tend to not carry cash anymore. I just use my cards or paypal.

 

[Sheep]

I do, but only ever for purchases where I can't use a card (because the facility doesn't take it for whatever reason). That's very rare! I still have money sitting in my wallet that I've had for almost two years lol.

 

[Nah]

I still carry a little cash on me just in case, but I've almost never needed to use cash ever since I got a credit card. Much better than using cash really.

 

[Megan]

I give myself a budget of 50€ per two weeks in cash which I use to get through the day. I don't have a credit card and stopped paying by online services for the most part. There's no particular reason for that other than trying to have an upper limit on my spending habits.

 

[Meister_anon~Master_o f_None]

yeah, to me cash is just completely superior to card transactions.

Privacy protected. just paying no ones tracking every thing you buy/look at.

what you pay is what you pay. someone can't hack it and take all your money.
or trick you into a subscription just by handing someone cash alone (if you signed a contract without reading it that's a different thing)

and maybe most importantly, you can share cash easily, one thing I was always uniquely aware of is,
if there was a switch to completely mandated card only transactions, and no one carried cash anymore.

There would be nothing for homeless people.

Like literally nothing.
they couldn't get food, couldn't get drinks, even if people wanted to, there'd be no way to
give them a bit of money so they can get what they need.

which would put a lot more pressure on shelters and the like which are typically over crowded already.

I'm probably getting a bit preachy here but that's also why I've always hated big banks "war on money/cash"
they hide it with platitudes about its for the environment/ better for people,
but they just want more transaction fees.


Rant aside I always try to keep some amount of money on me,
Obviously I can't use it for everything because some things you can just only get online.

But I prefer the freedom and tangibility of it.

Best case I'd prefer to just use cash and prepaid card's only, to give me that extra security.
But if I'm in a hurry/getting gas, I probably use card more often than not.

But I think most prepaid cards have to be linked to a bank account nowadays so
those might no be so secure anymore either.

 

[moon]

whats cash
i havent used it for years. it's funny really, a few years back they modernized almost all bills and coins in my country, at probably a great cost... at the same time as many stores and cafes began to opt for going cash free. so i havent even seen all bills or coins because barely anybody use them. we send money between each other in a second with a phone app that connects banks. it works in many stores too. and ofc everyone has a bank card or two. the usual way to protect against theft is to simply not keep much money on your spendings account, instead have a buffer/savings acc as well without a card connected.

i don't see myself starting to use cash again, and anybody traveling to Sweden don't need cash either - cards work everywhere you go, really everywhere.

 

[NipahRika]

Yes, but it's rare I ever have cash on me. I just never see the need to carry cash when most places will do fine with credit/debit. Some places will not do cash due to COVID too.

 

[Fleurdelis]

only when i get cash on my birthday... cause im too lazy to deposit that on my bank account lol

 

[tigertron]

I tend to use Google Pay or my credit card whenever I go out now as there just aren't many situations where you need to have physical money (in the UK at least).

 

[RadEmpoleon]

I got a debit card a few months ago but I still try to use cash. I hardly buy anything in general, so I haven't used it that much.

 

[BronzeHeart92]

As obvious as it is, I have a card and I'm not afraid to use it!

 

[VisionofMilotic]

I mostly pay by credit card. When I am paid or receive money it's typically going to be methods like direct deposit, a written check, transferred digitally, rather than cash, so I getting physical cash requires an additional step like going to my ATM to withdraw it, or asking for cash back on my purchase in store, and since most businesses accept credit/debit cards it's just more convenient to pay with the card, and more precise, since you don't have to count out the change. Also my bank gives you incentives and waives certain fees if you use your bank card x times a month, so it's also cheaper to do this. Besides I lose my card, then I can cancel the card and receive a new one, and there are protection policies to reimbursed funds that get stolen fron the account, but if drop or lose the cash itself, then it's gone.

If I know that cash is the only payment method accepted, then I will withdraw a little to make sure i have the change in specific situations. Going downtown in my city means that you may have to park in front of meter and insert a few coins, so that's a time where I would want to have some actual money. When I was living in an apartment complex I had to have change for the washer and dryer in the laundry mat, and sometimes would use it to get snacks or a drink from the vending machine. I tried to keep at least a few dollars in my purse also when I walked to the grocery store because I expected to encounter a homeless person who would need the change.

I am fortunate enough to have a car, but when I used the bus i had to have the exact fare in cash. A lot of outdoor venues like flea markets, yard sales, some food vendors and the farmer's market, music festivals rely on cash too. So I bring cash in very limited contexts, and once I spend it I don't usually continue carrying it if I don't need to.

If I am going to give somebody a present of money like a birthday gift then I might do it in cash and put it in a money envelope or card-either that or a gift card. Overall though
It's kinda rare for me to have.

 

[lilaë21]

Most of the times I buy something it's usually less than 15/20€ and I pay with cash, I basically pay by card only when it's a larger sum, so when I'm shopping for groceries or one-time larger purchases, or, regardless of how much I have to pay, at automatic machines like those for train tickets.

 

[Bellsprout]

I always carry cash just in case. Plus there are certain practices that are better for both parties if done by cash.

 

[jecson123]

I pay everything by card only, but I also keep cash in my pocket.

 

[Roni]

Huh, never really thought to ask this question myself, but yeah. I've been living semi-cashless for quite some time now. E-wallets and debit cards are all the rage in my country, and so I've stuffed myself silly with applying for them and spreading my money all around lol. It's amazing for compartmentalization and lightening my bag whenever I go out.

The only drawback is that my aunt is so against modern payment methods, and still uses cash-on-delivery options for her online orders. Drives us nuts when she forgets to leave money as her order arrives, and we don't have any spare change.

 

[OumpaLumpa]

It's really a thing of wealth. The more powerful countries where the currency has buying strength, people have "more" money and tend to hold them on credit cards since it's easier or safer. When you live in a place where the buying power is lower and the currency is weak, you tend to hold cash because you live from day to day or week to week, month to month for the lucky ones, and there arises the need to literally SEE your money, to know exactly how much you have left. Since it is usually a small amount, you will hold it next to you since it's a small sum and you'll need it fast and specifically.