# Do you still use cash? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980 "2011-05-06T17:06:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/81 "2011-05-07T13:23:20Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > the owner of a local liqueur store said your record of liqueur purchases on CC might be used against you in court. šŸ˜• Wow. You have a specialty liqueur store? We are forced to purchase our liqueur in a general purpose liquor store. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/82 "2011-05-07T14:45:49Z")
I always buy my beer with cash. Donā€™t want anyone trawling the records to see how much I spend in that area. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/83 "2011-05-07T14:55:28Z")
I will use cash for anything too high for a credit card, usually about $40 or so. I typically take out $300 at a time. This is because the bank I use (TD bank) charges 50 cents per transaction over about 10. When you consider what the merchant is being charged too, itā€™s basically highway robbery. (Many merchants in Canada have signs like ā€œno debit under $5ā€). Anyway, I refuse to either pay 50 cents a pop or some stupid $25 monthly account fee. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/84 "2011-05-07T15:06:59Z")
When Iā€™m in the UK and making a small purchase, if itā€™s less than Ā£5 and I have a Ā£10 or Ā£20 note and not the correct change, Iā€™ll pay with a card as Ā£5 notes are rarely around, so you get a fistful of Ā£1 coins. Generally I prefer to use cards in the big chains and cash with the small retailers and service providers. I think a small retailer will appreciate the cash and a large one wonā€™t give a monkeyā€™s. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/85 "2011-05-07T16:11:32Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > When Iā€™m in the UK and making a small purchase, if itā€™s less than Ā£5 and I have a Ā£10 or Ā£20 note and not the correct change, Iā€™ll pay with a card as Ā£5 notes are rarely around, so you get a fistful of Ā£1 coins. > > Generally I prefer to use cards in the big chains and cash with the small retailers and service providers. I think a small retailer will appreciate the cash and a large one wonā€™t give a monkeyā€™s. I must be getting all your fivers, I usually have to ask for pound coins that I can use on busses or vending machines. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/86 "2011-05-07T16:37:01Z")
I donā€™t have and donā€™t want credit cards. I use a debit card for online purchases and pay monthly utility bills online. For everything else, including buying a car, I pay cash. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/87 "2011-05-07T17:17:13Z")
Oh yeah, we also used cash to furnish much of our condo via Craigslist. If I were selling something on Craigslist, Iā€™d probably only accept cash. I hated walking around with several hundred dollars in cash at a time, when we were buying larger and/or nicer pieces of furniture; made me nervous. ---
**Author:** ![ExcitedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea5d25/32.png) [@ExcitedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExcitedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/88 "2011-05-07T19:46:06Z")
> [@contradancer](#): > > I like to watch Judge Judy and litigants on the show are frequently claiming that they paid for ā€œwhateverā€ in cash; usually large amounts. Iā€™ve only seen the show a few times, but the litigants seem to be mostly low-income folks. Poor people are much less likely to be one of the 70 million Americans without a bank account. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/89 "2011-05-08T01:17:54Z")
I usually have at least some cash for pocket money. Iā€™m finding it easier to keep a little bit of cash on hand for smaller purchases like coffee than to use my debit card, mostly because itā€™s a more of pain to keep track of very small purchases than it is to keep, say, $20 in ā€œpetty cash.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/90 "2011-05-08T02:11:37Z")
Maybe $100 in cash per month. Credit card for everything else. Never my debit card (other than ATM). Problems with a debit card are problems with MY money, rather than someone elseā€™s, and problems DO happen. Using debit over credit is just asking for trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/91 "2011-05-08T02:13:21Z")
I like to use cash whenever possible. ---
**Author:** ![EdwardLost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@EdwardLost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardLost)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/92 "2011-05-08T06:40:19Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > Swipe fees , that are in the news now, are a huge expense to every business, but especially for small business on minor purchases. In many cases the swipe fee eats up all the profit for small items, or even costs them a little to sell you something. Iā€™ve had customers use a credit or debit for 1 or 2 dollars quite often. I hear the ā€œwhy should I careā€ argument a lot, but IMO, one way of reacting to the banks lobbying and fees etc. is for average Americans to make a minimum effort to help out their local businesses rather than their banks. Exactly. I have other reasons for carrying cash, but this is the main reason I use it for small purchases. I appreciate the small shops in my area and I want them to stay in business. I want them to keep the profit from my purchases, not have it eaten up in bank fees. ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/93 "2011-05-08T08:19:13Z")
We pay for groceries and other daily incidentals with real cash almost exclusively. My current car, the car I traded in to get my current car, and my husbandā€™s ā€œfun carā€ were all paid for with cold, hard cash. We use the debit card for gas and online bill paying. We use credit cards that offer rewards points/cash back for travel arrangements and large purchases such as patio furniture or household appliances. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/94 "2011-05-08T09:54:58Z")
> [@cruel\_butterfly](#): > > My current car, the car I traded in to get my current car, and my husbandā€™s ā€œfun carā€ were all paid for with cold, hard cash. As opposed to warm, soft cash? šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/95 "2011-05-08T10:31:02Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > i use cash for most things under $30. This. Itā€™s faster. Also I work under the assumption there are still some places that only accept cash. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/96 "2011-05-08T12:40:58Z")
I get 1% back on all my credit card purchases. I know it costs the merchants, but they are free to offer a discount for cash. If they gave me, say 1.5%, half their swipe fee, I would happily pay cash for almost everything. So the ball is in their court. Still, most purchases under about $25, I pay in cash, so I use it all the time. My wife or I take out $200 about once a week and split it. My barber and her hairdresser take only cash, my doctor, who charges me for a blood test he does every 6 weeks, takes cash or check only. Ditto my chiropracter. The guy I filled my transit card at took only cash (he has since lost his lease and moved out of my neighborhood). Now I do it in machines and use credit cards because I am tired of fighting with them to accept cash. Ditto with parking garages. I bought a new car four years ago. I put $1500 on the card (the largest they would allow), paid $500 in cash that I had received for my old car in a private sale (it was 17 years old and rusting out) and the rest, around $20,000, in a cashierā€™s check, which I consider as essentially cash. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/97 "2011-05-08T14:00:38Z")
I still use cash for small purchases because I find it helps me keep track of where the money is going and cut down on impulse purchases. Larger, planned purchases, on the other hand, go on the debit card. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/98 "2011-05-08T14:24:03Z")
I am one of the ones who tends to overspend (or even lose) cash, but am thoughtful about debit card purchases. I _like_ having a big pile of money in the bank and hate to deplete it: I donā€™t really care about green pieces of paper in my wallet and donā€™t mind spending them. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/99 "2011-05-08T14:28:35Z")
never used to, now I get tips, and often have a little wad of 1ā€™s,5ā€™s and 10ā€™s on me. My debit card is getting a much needed rest for all those ncikel and dime purchases. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980/100 "2011-05-08T17:02:47Z")
I try to use cash as little as I can. Not because I find it terribly inconvenient or anything like that, but rather because as far as Iā€™m concerned, the cash is gone as soon as itā€™s withdrawn; thereā€™s no tracking of what I spent it on. Debit cards, on the other hand, let me see what I spent my cash on in much finer detail. My bank (Wells Fargo) has some pretty slick online tools for categorizing transactions and monitoring budgets, so by using cash, I can use those to their potential, instead of having the ā€œCashā€ bucket be a huge black hole on the budget chart. That being said, I still do use cash regularly for a few things. The sundries shop in my building requires $5 minimum for a debit transaction, and since my usual purchases (not always at the same time) are sodas, coffee, chewing gum and lottery tickets, I rarely break that $5 amount. I also deliberately use cash for a few transactions, so I have change($1 bills and coins) on hand for the office coke machine. If that thing would take my debit card, I think Iā€™d probably spend about $40 in cash over the course of a couple months. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-use-cash/580980.md?page=6)