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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!!!

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 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

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.

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.

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

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

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).

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

GrannyIvy Mon 30-Jun-25 07:10:15

Mostly use my card now

Calendargirl Sun 29-Jun-25 18:24:27

The reason you have to pay your notes in to the P.O, and probably the same at a bank, before drawing it out in change is so there is a paper trail if the cashier is then wrong when they balance their till at the end of the day.

(Retired bank clerk, I assume they do still balance tills at the close of business?)

Mt61 Sun 29-Jun-25 18:04:36

David49

I keep £1&2 and 50ps for parking meters every thing else goes into charity box on the counter. But 90% of spending is card I don’t even bother with foreign currency, even ice cream stalls have contactless these days. I do keep a float of cash in my wallet but it moves very slowly.

Waiters & cleaner want tips in Euros though, or don’t you bother tipping?

Mt61 Sun 29-Jun-25 18:02:29

Folk were being fined at Our local hosp car park, card reader was broken. I always keep backup change in the car, so was able to pay.
Super market tills were down, those with cash could go through. Massive queue Outside the ‘Whizzy bank’ 😳 I waltzed past with my trolly. Never heard so much huffing & puffing.

sharon103 Sun 29-Jun-25 17:59:21

I use card mainly but I have a little cash at home.

David49 Sun 29-Jun-25 17:55:41

I keep £1&2 and 50ps for parking meters every thing else goes into charity box on the counter. But 90% of spending is card I don’t even bother with foreign currency, even ice cream stalls have contactless these days. I do keep a float of cash in my wallet but it moves very slowly.

Mt61 Sun 29-Jun-25 17:54:30

tanith

I don’t like carrying cash, I rarely carry a handbag I pay for everything via my phone. I live in London and figure if I’ve not got a bag I’m not attracting muggers. I know that sounds dramatic but believe me it happens frequently and I’m happy to be moving out. My phone is in my pocket along with keys. The only time I get cash out is if it’s a young family member has a birthday. I won’t be popular it seems but my method of dealing with the dilemma suits me.

What no cash for backup? You are more likely to be mugged down London 🙄

J52 Sun 29-Jun-25 17:51:28

Like others, we get cash out from the PO and keep it with small change to use occasionally when cards won’t do.
Years ago DH couldn’t bear carrying change and always put it in a dish in the hall. The DCs used to help themselves to the extra cash. Once they’d left home it accumulated and one day we banked over £300 in coins!

Boz Sun 29-Jun-25 17:38:28

The thing is with cash, you can lose track unless you keep receipts. I like to use my phone to pay as I have an instant to hand detail.
I do keep about 8 fivers in the back of my phone; a purse hidden in car with some more notes; more notes in a handbag wallet and about a tenner in coins in a tin in my car for parking etc.. If I drop down dead it will be a treasure hunt. Good luck

Norah Sun 29-Jun-25 17:32:09

Cash as much as possible.

Homestead62 Sun 29-Jun-25 17:29:27

I use both, but try to use cash where possible.

Astitchintime Sun 29-Jun-25 16:29:23

I try to use cash whenever possible……we pay the bin cleaner in cash, car parking in cash, car cleaning in cash, small shop purchases in cash, cafe stop in cash, post office in cash and if I want a large note changing I go to the post office and buy a single stamp.

GrannyGravy13 Sun 29-Jun-25 16:25:11

Cash most of the time, if we do not use it we will lose it.