Actually, I find in the Netherlands I hardly need cash at all. Even very small market stands have debit card machines and they don’t charge. I use my card for food, in bars, at the supermarket and the local corner shop. Public transport works with a specific card, so you don’t need cash for that. I can go ages without using cash.
Because debit cards are the norm, you don’t worry about the debt.
The UK on the other hand sometimes feels like being stuck in the dark ages. I still can’t get over it whenever someone asks me for a cheque. They haven’t existes in the Netherlands for years. Here I use cash all the time, they even use cash on public transport (a sloppy mess IMO, they never have the right change and berate you for not having £1.35 on you!).
No, actually I do 90% of the shopping. I just use a credit card for everything. One credit card gives me cash back and the other puts money in my kids’ 529 accounts. Neither has a fee and I don’t carry a balance so there’s no interest. Why would I ever use cash?
I used to always carry cash back when the fast food restaurants only took cash but then about a decade ago they started taking credit cards and that was it. No reason for me to carry currency anymore.
I noticed just over the last year or so in my area all the repairmen went from requiring checks to taking credit cards. Even the independent plumber we use has a Square reader on his iPhone now.
Daily. I’m going off the the convenience store tonight to pay our family’s national health insurance premium by cash (the only way unless you set up automatic bank transfer).
When I came back over to Japan in 1990, most everything was still cash based. I worked for a small company and got my salary in cash. Very few restaurants took credit cards, etc.
Things are changing, but Japan is still a long ways from going cashless. Checks are extremely rare, and most payments BtB are via wire transfer.
I seldom carry or use cash. There is almost nothing I need cash for. I don’t tend to buy things out of vending machines or taco trucks. However, right now I’m dealing with 700 boxes of girl scout cookies which creates a lot of cash passing through my hands. So in February and march, I’ll handle lots of cash, and then it actually is feasible I won’t touch it for a month at a time.
I went to the ATM last night and drew out my limit since I was down to one five dollar bill and assorted canadian coins.
Spent ninety bucks on a local bus pass - there aren’t many places around here that are happy about putting a bus pass on a credit card, and I’m not surprised - not sure if the corner stores get any margin of bus fare. So I usually pay cash for my pass.
And part of the reason why I took out so much is so I have some spending money for the March Toronto Comicon!
Yesterday, lunch. Some restaurants and shops I frequent don’t take cards. I also use cash for tips at the hotel. Other than that, I try to put everything on cards.
About 5 years ago, I did everything with my debit card.
Now I’ve flipped a u-turn, and don’t even have a bank account.
This experiment has shown me that I have a lot fewer headaches dealing primarily with cash, and only using card-money for online things. (I just get disposable Visas for that)
I stopped at McD’s this morning for a parfait and a diet coke - $2.19 cash money.
I also hit up the soda machine at work almost daily, and that’s cash only. I probably go through about $20-$30 in cash a week, give or take, on small purchases.
I rarely use cash but I always have some in my wallet just in case. This morning it was frigid so I stopped at Tim Horton’s for a tea. They only recently started taking credit cards so I’m still used to paying cash there and did so today.
It’s Girl Scout cookie season, so I’m handling quite a lot of cash on a pretty regular basis. Filthy stuff (seriously - as anyone who’s ever worked as a cashier knows).
So far no contact highs from the cocaine traces on the 20 dollar bills, though.
