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Do you carry cash?

Do you carry cash?

  • Yes, I prefer cash in all situations unless credit is required(Car rental etc)

    Votes: 10 28.6%

  • Yes usually more than $50, but I prefer my debit card.

    Votes: 5 14.3%

  • Yes, but no more than $50, and I prefer my debit card.

    Votes: 8 22.9%

  • I rarely carry cash, debit cards rule!

    Votes: 12 34.3%
  • Total voters
    35
IOWA

IOWA

Mr. Logic Pants
How many people still carry cash? What's your reasoning?

For me, cash is king. Paying via debit does nothing but raise prices of everything. I've never been a fan of being charged to use my own money. (Even if you don't see the charges, I assure you they are getting passed on to you in the long run. )
 
I rarely have much cash, but that's largely because I'm a ditz who forgets to get any :) (also, DH sometimes needs to raid my wallet for lunch money, and since I'm very rarely in a situation where I can't use my debit card, that works for us).

When I do carry cash, I'm not comfortable having much over $20 on me, since I live in the downtown area of a good-size city with known gang and other crime problems, and I'm a shortish middle-aged woman with poor vision and arthritic hips (which has me feeling a bit vulnerable). I also take public transit fairly frequently.
 
IOWA said:
How many people still carry cash? What's your reasoning?

For me, cash is king. Paying via debit does nothing but raise prices of everything. I've never been a fan of being charged to use my own money. (Even if you don't see the charges, I assure you they are getting passed on to you in the long run. )
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100% agree with this. I'm a cash person (aka dinosaur lol) myself.
 
My reasoning is simple: I carry cash because I can't get credit, or even a checking account with my past financial record.
To pay my bills, I use a pre-paid debit card. But I load it on paydays, pay bills quick with that, before a few debtors happen to see money in there, and drain it back to almost zero.
Luckily (yeah right) that leaves me broke, so I don't have to worry about carrying cash.
Works for me ('cause it has to).

And to Seanette: I'm in a wheelchair, so I hear ya on that.
 
I always carry cash ($100 minimum + some loose change) with me but it's mostly only for use in an emergency. I'd use cash for small transactions (less than $20) or if I can get a discount if I pay by cash. Otherwise, I typically use credit cards (which I pay off in full every month).
 
rui-no-onna said:
I always carry cash ($100 minimum + some loose change) with me but it's mostly only for use in an emergency. I'd use cash for small transactions (less than $20) or if I can get a discount if I pay by cash. Otherwise, I typically use credit cards (which I pay off in full every month).
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100 min? What max?
And what do you mean, only for emergency? There's no er if you have $.

Just kidding.
 
I have a couple bucks in my backpack I take to work with me just in case I want to use a vending machine. The only other time I have cash on me is when I'm gambling (not very often anymore) but then it ranges from a couple hundred to a couple thousand.

Other than that I use debit all the time, even $2 charges I use debit. I hate carrying cash and dealing with change. Debit is just so much faster and easier.
 
I must spend cash if I have cash...if it is money in the bank then I am less likely to spend it...so it is debit for me...won't do credit at all...I do pay the babysitter and rent in cash but that is it.
 
Yes, cash is king for me. Reason, I live in China, it's very much a cash society. Sometimes use debit-card at the supermarket but that's it, many stores and restaurants are cash only.
 
I really cannot remember the last time I carried cash.
Cash never.
Always debit/credit card. I have rewards accounts with no monthly fee, I always meet the criteria to not be charged.
They pay me cash/merchandise for my rewards points.
I also avoid coins in my pocket like the plague.
 
I use my debit card almost all the time. The main reason started when I counted my coins and discovered I had $80 in coins.

I carry about 40 to 50 cash for those rare occasions when debit is down, and because I always leave cash tips at restaurants.
 
mikedt said:
Yes, cash is king for me. Reason, I live in China, it's very much a cash society. Sometimes use debit-card at the supermarket but that's it, many stores and restaurants are cash only.
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I did use nothing but cash when i was over seas, but that was 7 years ago. I don't know how things are now





Yeahha said:
I must spend cash if I have cash...if it is money in the bank then I am less likely to spend it...so it is debit for me...won't do credit at all...I do pay the babysitter and rent in cash but that is it.
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I write 1 check a month and that is rent, I wish I could eliminate checks and cash and cards... unfortunately Google wallet hasn't taken off yet.
 
I use debit 90% of the time. DC is a plastic kind of city. The few times I use cash are for cabs or splitting a check when out with friends. Like others said if you have cash, you're more likely to burn it on frivolous things. Also, a lot of cards provide points for each swipe. My wife has a Way To Save plan with her bank so she's in the same mindset.
 
chrlswltrs said:
I did use nothing but cash when i was over seas, but that was 7 years ago. I don't know how things are now
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I'm sure it depends on how developed the country is and what the culture and customs are like. Mainland China is very much a cash society. I've bought flights from travel agents and stayed in hotels that only accept cash. Most people have a UnionPay ATM debit-card, but many places don't accept that.

Getting a Visa or Mastercard credit-card can be rather expensive and difficult here. Very few places accept these anyway, mainly limited to the largest cities, like Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, much fewer than UnionPay.

I'm sure the only place that takes Visa, Mastercard or Amex here in Xilinhot, is the large, posh and expensive "international" 5-star hotel they've just built. "International" only because a few of the reception staff can speak some basic English, and the numerous time-zone clocks, "Beijing, London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo", etc. behind the reception.
 
My turn. I only use debit cards when I run out of cash. I usually start the day with about $200 in cash and it's downhill from there. Cash is king, and I don't have to worry about it being accepted anywhere.

I truly fear the day when physical cash stops circulating, for a variety of reasons. /tinfoil.

Here's food for thought though. If everyone started paying cash for things, prices of pretty everything would go down about 2-3% because it would eliminate THAT much overhead.
 
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I have a little stash of cash in my car and a little stash at my work desk. I pay all of my bills online and use my bank card for almost everything else.
I'm in the 'if it is in my pocket it should be spent now' club so rarely have even $1 on me.
IOWA said:
If everyone started paying cash for things, prices of pretty everything would go down about 2-3% because it would eliminate THAT much overhead.
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For me personally, yes and no to this. Again, cash I would spend and if I didn't use my card I'd write a check...which would be an expense (I don't get free checks). I would pay less initially for the actual goods, but would buy more goods (and impulse things) and have to buy checks. Some banks, not mine, actually have fees if you write a lot of checks (or used to, I do recall seeing such things when I last bank shopped).
 
I never carry more than $20-30 in cash tops. I keep cash for emergencies as there are some emergencies where you need cash and plastic doesn't work. I like plastic because it leaves a nice electronic paper trail that I can track much easier. And it's more convenient. The only time you'll see me with large amounts of cash is if I'm hunting a particular bargain and want to wave it under someone's nose as a bargaining tool.
 
I usually grab about $200 a week that I use when I am in mom and pop stores so I can help with their overhead. Walmart, Mobil, etc. can deal with the 2-3% fee.
 
NYCHitman1 said:
Debit and credit all day everyday, unless I am going somewhere that is cash only.
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same here.

I prefer debit (avoid my cc as much as possible). I dont "see" any charges for using my debit, other than being forced to keep $100 minimum balance in my checking account, so if I'm being charged somewhere down the line ... so be it. I'll pay that small fee for convenience. My wife usually has cash, so it works out.
 
I use a Paypal card that gives me cashback on purchases and can automatically tap my bank account for more money as the occasion arises...I can also go up to $200(?) or so over my available cash on my Paypal card as long as I have the funds available in my bank account. I've also got my Paypal account linked through Quicken, so reconciliation is easy enough.

What I especially like about this is paying my cable and phone bills through the Paypal card. Nice to get cashback for paying utilities.
 
I usually carry about $50 in cash on me, but I hardly ever use it. I've $48 in my wallet right now and it has probably been there for a month. I don't carry a purse too often either so I try to get by with as little in my pockets as possible, besides I'm an electronic girl all the way. :D I'll probably stop carrying my check card once NFC and Isis/Google Wallet take off.

I also prefer plastic because it helps me keep track of my spending and if anything ever happened like getting robbed, I can get stop my cards from being used in a minute or two, but the cash is gone for good.

As far as checks go, I don't think I have written one in over 5 years. I use electronic bill pay for all of that.
 
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