Cash or Card?

Talking of cards, at a French petrol station recently, dh found that he couldn’t pay with his phone (as he usually does) so asked me for one of my cards. And the PIN number!

My mind was momentarily completely blank! I so rarely need to use a pin nowadays (paying contactless) that I really thought I’d forgotten it. Luckily I did remember it quite quickly.

Since I use a regular shopping delivery Ocado, for heavy and weekly basics keeping to the minimum spend. I rarely shop , save on petrol , coffees out. Delivery is covered by the annual Smart pass fee
I have time at home to consider the offers and check and compare the prices online as I order. I feel I’ve saved money as I’m not tempted to an excess spend.
Every 3/4 weeks I shop early in the morning and buy the yellow label offers to stock the freezer.
I use cash apart from this , but I have got out of the going shopping habit

I don’t like the idea of using your phone to pay for things, if you lose your phone or have it stolen you’re screwed.

Personally I pay bills online with credit card which is paid off so I don’t incur interest.

Hairdresser and nail salon only accept cash and also collection at Mass (imagine paying for that with cards😂), also if I go out for a coffee I pay cash. Who uses a card for a €2 cup of coffee?

I agree with OP, I spend more on my card than if I were to use just cash.

Cards all the way. I then have an itemised list on my account showing each transaction. If I had paid in cash there would be no record except scraps of paper receipts. Also, of course, cash is so annoying for shops to take as it involves counting, storing, lugging to bank branches (if you can find one!) .
There are still some shops in my town that only accept cash. Tried and tested way of avoiding tax.

Both.

I've always been a cash person and only use cards if I have to pay foran expensive item. I feel having to count cash across a counter actually makes you realise how much you are paying and makes you think k twice about unnecessary purchaes. I take a friend shopping and we tend to go in several shops. Handing cash over I could literally tell you to the penny what I have spent that day. On the other hand she uses a contactless card and if I ask her she has no idea whatsoever what she has spent.

Don’t worry Seadragon, my credit card is issued by the bank I have been with for over 50 years, who know my financial status and are entirely happy that I pay the balance off each month. Sometimes it pays to keep a good quantity of eggs in one basket.

We rarely use cash but keep a bit on us for "emergencies". However, as treasurer of our u3a I am aware that at least 40% of people use cash regularly. One lady (an ex-solicitor) didn't know until a couple of years ago how to get cash from the dispenser in the wall outside her bank, and she also thought you had to go to your "own branch to do so! In fact, I know she still travels about 15 miles to "her branch" to withdraw cash.

I also recall only a few years ago (I have a vague idea that I've said this on another thread) being invited to join a group of ladies who were going to see Mrs Brown's boys in our nearest city (20 miles away). I sort of assumed that one of them would be getting the tickets and we would pay her - but then learnt that one lady was going to travel into the city to get the tickets and wanted cash to pay for them. I asked if perhaps it couldn't be booked online and they all agreed that they wouldn't know how to do that and even if they did would be afraid that they would lose their money. I booked the tickets for them!

I mainly use cards, although there are one or two things I need cash for. I think I tend to spend more if I've got cash. I something and think "Ooh I've still got that fiver in my purse!"

Beware @Barleyfields!....We used our credit cards the way you do but ours were recently cancelled by the provider...apparently because paying off every month means we are classed as 'Deadbeats'! We've had the cards for over 10 years...... It seems the company has been taken over by a firm based in France and their Bots are getting rid of people like us.

I always use a card , debit for most things and credit card for flights, holidays and accommodation as you get protection if the company goes bust .
I rarely use cash and have a Revolut card for holidays . Just load it up with the relevant currency . I have a Halifax clarity card for for car rental etc .

Mainly use card, use M&S Mastercard as I save the loyalty vouchers for Christmas and transfer ££ from bank a/c to cover purchases.
I do pay in cash for the exercise classes I go to, and for the window cleaner, that’s it I think.
Oh and there’s a £1 coin in the car for shopping trolleys.

I mostly use my card, but do have a requirement to pay both my hairdresser and my chiropodist in cash. It’s not my choice but it’s what they require and I don’t want to rock the boat with my hairdresser especially. I went to the ATM this morning at our local supermarket where there are three dispensers. One was blanked off; one had the screen smashed so that it was unusable; only the one was working. A sad sign of our times. If I need small amounts of emergency cash, I raid a piggy bank that GS keeps here! I always put it back, honest!🫣

Use a mix of card and cash. Attend 3 clubs regularly and I pay the weekly fees £2 - £4 in cash as well as donations for a cuppa. Just had a very small repair on guttering done this a.m. and paid the £30 charge in cash. Too much bother paying by bank transfer for such small amount. General shopping paid by card. Very rarely use phone.

I use my Monzo card.. I transfer a certain amount of money from my current account every month...when it's spent it's spent. I use it when abroad as well as I put my spending money on it used it in Australia,Spain,Italy,US. Lovely Monzo card.

Barleyfields

Don’t use your debit card online - someone can get hold of the details and empty your bank account. Only use a credit card online, or indeed anywhere.

I’ve a couple of bank accounts.

Both are online.

I use my debit card regularly online and have literally never had an issue.

Though have had issues in the past with details being clonned when using a cash point!

I agree for large online purchases credit cards offer better protection if you have an issue with the goods, but banks do have chargeback departments if you use a debit card.

ferry23

I'm the complete opposite. If I have cash I'll wantonly spend it.

I'm much more thrifty with my card.

Me too! My parents and husband use the expression “burning a hole in my pocket”

How do people get hold of your details by using debit cards on-line? I don't understand how your bank account can be 'emptied' this way.

Surely credit cards get lost and stolen too?

How are your purchases protected? I never had a credit card until I bought a ticket for an overseas flight. I suppose that was protection for a pretty large purchase at the time- but for small purchases too?

In the good old days you could get interest free credit cards but not any more, so if you can't make the payments they cost a fortune in interest.

I haven't had one for years but maybe I should? Would it protect me if I bought a car and the car turned out to be faulty?

I prefer bank transfers these days.

I pay for everything by credit card, used as a charge card on my phone.
I like the extra protection, and the JL vouchers linked to the balance.
Paid off in full every month by Direct Debit.

The only cash I have spent so far this year is on raffle tickets.

Don’t use your debit card online - someone can get hold of the details and empty your bank account. Only use a credit card online, or indeed anywhere.

I prefer to use cash (cash is King, as the saying goes) I go to the Post Office on a Tuesday when my pension is paid in, I pay my Gas and Electric on a card, ( alternate the week between the two) while I'm there, then go to Tesco to buy bits and bobs. I very rarely use my Debit card for other things, unless it's something I'm buying online.
Of course it's not a one size fits all, but it suits me and that's fine .

I’m a cash sorta gal, I always try to pay cash wherever I shop and I don’t use card only places, I suspect if we stop using cash it may die out, look at the kerfluffle a while ago one weekend when one bank couldn’t use their computer systems, where would we be in a cyber attack

Keep a strict written account of how much money you pay out using your card EVERY time you use it. Always ask for a chit in supermarkets etc.

I too find that I tend to over-spend if I use my card instead of withdrawing housekeeping money once a month, but keeping accounts does help, I find.

Barleyfields

Because using a credit card gives you various protections. I always use a credit card, except very small purchases for which I pay cash, and make sure it’s paid off each month.

same here, with the added bonus of a nice chunk of John Lewis vouchers every now and again! Credit card also gives protection for purchases

I would much prefer to use cash but there is only one ATM near where I live which is very often out of order - so I've become accustomed to using my cards. I think I probably would spend less if I used cash, if only because I wouldn't always have cash in hand!