# When was the last time you handled cash? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2012, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819 "2012-02-24T08:19:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/21 "2012-02-24T15:04:36Z")
I paid cash at McDonalds yesterday. So **Otara’s Rule** gets another bit of evidence in its favor. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/22 "2012-02-24T15:06:01Z")
I’m a little surprised that I can’t remember using cash more recently than a week ago - the Browncoats dinner in Toronto, I paid for my burger and fries using cash rather than asking the server to bring over the credit card pad. I still use it fairly often for ‘little’ things - I don’t tend to use debit unless it’s an emergency, and don’t put small things on the credit card if it seems like it’d be a nuisance. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/23 "2012-02-24T15:14:09Z")
I use cash almost exclusively. I don’t even have my own credit card. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/24 "2012-02-24T15:19:41Z")
I use my credit card a lot because I am trying to build up my credit (came from bad credit to no credit for many years) and eventually want to buy a house. And like others, I pay it off immediately at the end of the month. But I do still occasionally use cash, like when I got a dunkin donuts coffee yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/25 "2012-02-24T16:00:05Z")
I think there may be an age trend here. I work on a college campus, and every day I get my lunch at the campus 7-Eleven. I stand in line with all the students, and about 90% of them pay for their purchase, however small, with a debit card. I, the old dinosaur, don’t even have a debit card, so I always use cash. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/26 "2012-02-24T16:11:02Z")
I use cash daily for little things: takeout coffee, my newspaper, and parking meters. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/27 "2012-02-24T16:15:13Z")
Starbuck’s, this morning. If there was a minimum dollar value (20, 50, 100 bucks) I’d have to think about it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/28 "2012-02-24T16:19:02Z")
Bought theater tickets a few minutes ago. I’ll also be using it to buy lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/29 "2012-02-24T16:19:30Z")
I understand the gist of the question and I admit months will go by where I don’t have any cash in my wallet. When I do need some I usually have to look up the PIN for my ATM card because it’s been so long since I used it. Even my daughter’s girl scout troop now accepts credit cards for cookies using card readers on smart phones. However, last night I did in fact have to use cash when I paid for parking at a hockey game. The lot attendants don’t have credit card readers yet. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/30 "2012-02-24T16:20:55Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I take out $20 for the week to cover small purchases. Both for the “We don’t take credit for purchases under $5” places and to save myself the hassle of reconciling a dozen $2.16 McDonalds receipts for coffees and dollars sandwiches into the checkbook. This is why I still use cash. I hate looking at a bank statement at the end of the month that has a ton of different lines on it for piddly stuff. Also, if I take out a certain amount at the beginning of the week/month for discretionary purchases, I will actually notice if I’m in danger of going over budget. Not so with the card. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/31 "2012-02-24T16:22:06Z")
I generally don’t have cash just randomly. I owed a coworker some money last week (because we ordered lunch and I didn’t have cash) so I got out a twenty. So I’ve got a couple bucks left from that. I tend to get out something every week or so because there’s a club I go to that asks for donations, but that’s just ‘get out a twenty, put the twenty in the box’. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/32 "2012-02-24T16:33:47Z")
I use cash as much as possible for daily purchases. A faithful EMS (enter, mark, spend) over at Wheres George. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/33 "2012-02-24T16:39:14Z")
Went down to the bar last night to play in a pool tournament. Entry fee has to be cash, and even though the bar finally has a credit card machine, I always use cash there. But I had to stop at the ATM on the way. I hadn’t used any cash for a week before that. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/34 "2012-02-24T16:40:45Z")
I paid my cleaning lady this morning. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/35 "2012-02-24T16:44:53Z")
I live almost strictly on cash, rarely using my debit or credit card. My spouse uses his debit more though. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/36 "2012-02-24T16:52:31Z")
Bought dinner at Culver’s last night. A few minutes before that, I gave my massage therapist a cash tip. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/37 "2012-02-24T16:57:51Z")
One week tomorrow. (Saturday) I had $15 in cash and put $35 in gas in my van, using $20 on my debit and the $15 cash. ---
**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:** [February 24, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/38 "2012-02-24T16:58:43Z")
Probably 75% of my transactions are cash. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/39 "2012-02-24T17:41:26Z")
About 90 minutes ago. I bought my breakfast in the cafeteria. ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819/40 "2012-02-24T17:48:47Z")
Less than 10 minutes ago. Sold a lady a dog license; she paid in cash. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-you-handled-cash/613819.md?page=3)