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Cash or card

(63 Posts)
Rosie21 Sun 29-Jun-25 14:47:52

I have no doubt this has been discussed elsewhere on the forums but here goes. I am getting a little concerned by the lack of cash on the high streets/shops/cafe etc. I recently wanted to do a carboot to get rid of 'stuff'. For a carboot you need change/cash. We have now lost all our banks in our town so where do you get cash. The ATM seems to dispense in £10 and £20 notes. But I need 20p, 50p, £1.
I had a bright idea go to the post office to change the £20 regurgitated by the ATM. Apparently, they wont change your notes for smaller denominations. You have to pay your cash into your Bank Account (via the PO) and take the money out again at the PO where you can then ask for change. Does that make sense? And what about the Grandchildren who seem to have little or no knowledge as to how to handle physical cash?
I must be getting old!!!

karmalady Mon 30-Jun-25 07:16:41

All the shops here will take cash or card. I use cash whenever I can and keep the change handy at home. I use my card when I want to buy something quickly, or for petrol

Athrawes Mon 30-Jun-25 07:41:43

I prefer using a card but do keep some cash just in case

Sarnia Mon 30-Jun-25 07:45:59

Mt61

I believe it will be faster than you think! It’s frightening. I think there will come a day that the government will track our travelling, & say you’ve used your allowance for carbon emissions! Who knows what they have in store for us- sounds dystopian I know!

Might keep Starmer in this country sorting out the myriad of problems here.

Avocadofan Mon 30-Jun-25 07:47:56

I make sure we both have a small amount of change/cash for emergencies. We're not in London so our local car parks take cash, aswell as apps like RingGo. I use cards for the majority of payments though. We are taking a few euros for things like tips and ice creams fir our trip to Europe.

Allsorts Mon 30-Jun-25 08:00:40

Tried just using card, didn't like it. Use cash everyday expenses and card for larger transaction, purchases on line etc. If we don't use cash we will lose it.

Nannee49 Mon 30-Jun-25 08:02:37

Is there a supermarket with a cash self serve checkout near you Rosie?
You could make a few separate small purchases using a tenner each time, hopefully giving you enough change for a starter float (including fivers which are sometimes harder to find than hen's teeth).

Angelafeet Mon 30-Jun-25 13:42:55

Children won’t need to know much about coins as they will disappear in their lifetime. I rarely use it. I find a swipe with my phone so much easier…btw I’m 74

sazz1 Mon 30-Jun-25 14:15:08

I'm sure I've read somewhere that one country went completely cashless, regretted it and now has cash again. I think it was Sweden but I'm not sure

4allweknow Mon 30-Jun-25 15:30:24

If you have any organisation near you that say have coffee mornings, they may well have change in their cash box. I'm cashier for a voluntary org, members pay £2 each time they visit and there is masses of change every time I go to cash up.

Babylon Mon 30-Jun-25 15:47:05

Please people, be mindful of the information out there - including an article in the daily telegraph from June 2021 - which outlines the possibility that any future digital currency (which is clearly where this is heading, albeit incrementally) could be programmable. This means that governments could decide to dictate how we spend our money e.g. you could be rationed in the amount of flights that you take in the night in the name of the so-called climate crisis. This is not conspiracy. Please keep using cash even if it’s just once a week. Use your post offices withdraw cash in whatever denomination you desire – it’s surprising how many people don’t realise you can even do this.
If you have spare change, bag it up and offer it to local businesses. They will be very grateful for it as ordinarily they have to be charged by the banks or post offices for changing it.
Those of you who are too lazy to think about this or even use cash from time to time, please think of your children’s and grandchildren’s futures.

MickyT Mon 30-Jun-25 15:57:35

Got to move with the times, cash will soon be no longer, I find the card much better to be honest better than having to carry all that loose money around, contactless payments quicker and easier all round, the times you need actual cash, are few and far between these days, most traders have card machines now

Mollygo Mon 30-Jun-25 16:00:35

I have both, but I mostly use card. If I need more cash, I use a debit card at the shop, which allows me to draw cash there.
The parking meters near us ask for now accept card only, because of how frequently they were broken into and needed replacing. When the one at our favourite walk didn’t work, we had free parking.

MickyT Mon 30-Jun-25 16:10:14

I've kept a 20, a 10 and a 5 in my little card wallet, just in case, and they've been in there for months lol

Grandmadinosaur Mon 30-Jun-25 16:12:37

Cash for me. I’m a use it or lose it person.

pably15 Mon 30-Jun-25 16:24:56

I do my weekly shopping online since I gave up driving so it's paid by card, I always have some cash in the house to pay the window cleaner and newspaper at the local shop

win Mon 30-Jun-25 17:10:26

So are most of these people you pay in cash declaring their earnings?

petalpete Mon 30-Jun-25 18:47:16

I do use card for big items over £100 for the insurance but for everything under this it's cash as I believe this is how I can control what I spend, it gives me a better take on how much I'm spending and makes me ask 'do I really need it'.
All of my family use cash mainly and my GC all have a good take on what everything costs and its true value. I do believe it will disappear as the cost of producing cash and stores holding it is exorbitant. But what I will say is if you have ever tried to get a mortgage or have a financial meeting with your bank and be asked what did you buy here and why have you spent this much as some dear friends have after divorce its galling and feels like a real intrusion into your life..

GrannyGravy13 Mon 30-Jun-25 19:27:47

win

So are most of these people you pay in cash declaring their earnings?

In my case you would have to ask the CEOs of Waitrose, Marks and Spencer’s, John Lewis, Aldi, local butchers, independent grocers, Farm Shop to name just a few…

Mt61 Mon 30-Jun-25 19:47:02

Ha yes it might Sarnia

Mt61 Mon 30-Jun-25 19:50:57

MickyT

Got to move with the times, cash will soon be no longer, I find the card much better to be honest better than having to carry all that loose money around, contactless payments quicker and easier all round, the times you need actual cash, are few and far between these days, most traders have card machines now

I don’t know MickyT, been to Sainsbury’s, Asda on a few different occasions, terminals have been down, notices up, cash only.

Mt61 Mon 30-Jun-25 19:52:57

Do the homeless have card readers these days? I have never seen any round my way, if they do

petra Mon 30-Jun-25 19:59:23

win

So are most of these people you pay in cash declaring their earnings?

You are aware that cash is still legal currency?
My dry cleaners is the only business I use that asks you to pay cash, no cards.
I’ll ask them tomorrow when I pick up my duvets whether they declare this cash.
I know the woman so her reply will be 🤬. Quite rightly so.

Deedaa Mon 30-Jun-25 20:04:03

Every week I have a Tai Chi session which costs £7 cash and an art session which is £3, so withdrawing a £10 note takes care of that. My hairdresser charges £15 so I have to remember to get the cash for him before he comes. Most of the time I rarely need cash.

FranP Mon 30-Jun-25 21:31:11

I get really frustrated in my local Tesco behind people who have only phones for their clubcard and payment because it take ages with poor signal strength.

I carry both, and with small shops I offer a choice. If I am short of change, I buy something small in the supermarket. I buy from small traders and our local market and I still tip for good service.
My church cashier is happy to swap small for notes

Spidergran3 Mon 30-Jun-25 22:45:33

No cash, no card. I use my phone for everything since lockdown.I honestly can’t remember when I last used cash or card. My family is the same, the grandchildren have bank accounts. I don’t really understand the fuss about ‘losing’ cash.