Does anyone carry cash in their pockets anymore?

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Sometimes I do, but that’s generally leftover charge from cash situations. I generally also try to have some spare change when I visit the campus or otherwise expect to need to use a coffee machine. 😉
 
I carry a credit card and $20-$30 in actual cash, so I voted $20-$50. I rarely have $40-$50 and sometimes I have $10 or less, but I don’t like to let my cash get that low. I also buy scrip (constant fundraising) from church, $200 at a time for the grocery store, $200 for the discount store and spend until it is gone before buying more. Perhaps the scrip would count as cash, so I guess I voted incorrectly.
 
I voted $20-50. On DH’s payday I go to the bank and withdraw cash then go home, prepare the envelopes for the next two Sundays. I usually end up with $60 to carry around for small purchases and for the guy who usually knocks on the office door begging for money. For everything else I use a debit card or the credit card. Credit card is used mainly to accumulate travel points and is paid off monthly.
 
I carry a few bucks for the occasional lunch (I normally brown bag it), the weekly office football pool and for the occasional fundraisers run by our student extra curricular organizations. Other than that, I rarely use or carry cash. Well, except for the coins I keep in the car for parking meters.
 
MomaMary8 said:
I used to never need cash, until I had teenagers! Now I like to have some handy for those moments of “Mom, can I have $5 for gas/food/movies/pay back so-and-so” The list can go on and on!
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You took the words right out of my mouth! Two teenagers who always need $5 for this or $3 for that. And one does sports where the team stops for a meal on the way back from the games.

A lot of businesses here have $5 or $10 minimums on plastic purchases. So I need cash for small purchases too.

So, yes, I carry cash.
 
Corki said:
A lot of businesses here have $5 or $10 minimums on plastic purchases. So I need cash for small purchases too.
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That’s actually illegal in most states. If you really want something and the manager gives you lip about a minimum just tell them it’s illegal and you’ll report them to mastercard/visa/discover and they’ll let you buy what you need.

I pay for my gas with cash. I got fed up with gas taking up to a week to post on my card.
 
I like to have a little cash just in case (I voted 20-50), it has come handy many times. Mom always emphasized that I should always have a little cash on me just in case, I try to make sure dh always has some too. I like to have at least a couple 1’s, and a 20. The cash usually lasts a long time though, and I just get cash back at a store when I run low.
 
I carry a $100.00 bill in my wallet just for emergencies, other than that I am “plastic all the way.”
 
Truly_Beloved said:
That is too funny! We use cards specifically because it’s easier for us to budget things, and see exactly where our money is going. We only spend what our monthly budget allows, though, even using cards, so I wonder if we’re weird or something? 😛
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Nope , not weird unless we are weird too. We use credit cards as part of our budget plan. I pay in full every month. I use the cash back bonus every year or two for a major purchase. Last year it was the refrigerator which had broken ,this year it is a treadmill. The next couple of years cash back will probably be going toward college expenses.
 
I keep about $20 for tolls. It is the worst feeling to realize you’re out and have to go scrabbling for nickels! I pay $1.30 each way for my toll on the way to work … it stinks. So every time I get groceries, I get about 20 cash back, to keep in my wallet or in the car. Cash is also helpful for paying people back, putting in for a group gift (they’re always doing that at work!), or going out to eat with others. I actually should have a little more cash than I do, seeing as everything I get out goes into tolls.

But otherwise, I like using a card. It’s easier, and then I can go online and see where all my money went. I sometimes show it to my husband too (while I’m still working, we kept our separate bank accounts) and I’ve discovered it helps me be frugal when he looks at the “recent purchases” and sees the amount I’ve blown at Starbucks and Panera. I can’t quite explain how that fits into our budget. So now I hardly ever go to those places, and save a lot more.
 
I only use my check card, but I use it for everything. Even if I’m just getting a Coke or something.

The only time I feel badly is at mass. I always write one large tithe check a month but always forget to have some small bills for the kids on the other Sundays. They always ask me, did you bring your wallet. I really need to get better about that.
 
Hmmm . . . hadn’t thought of it before, but when I was in debt up to my ears, I never carried cash. Now that I am debt free, I typically have a couple of hundred dollars in my wallet. Just knowing I have to decide whether I will pay cash or card (either debit or credit) leads to the next question – “Do I really want/need this?” Maybe that’s why I’m debt free!! 😉
 
I would like to try an have about $20 in cash on me but it seems that my husband and my children must be able to smell it. Because I seldom have it for more than 24 hours before they take it away from me.
 
Seatuck said:
Nope , not weird unless we are weird too. We use credit cards as part of our budget plan. I pay in full every month. I use the cash back bonus every year or two for a major purchase. Last year it was the refrigerator which had broken ,this year it is a treadmill. The next couple of years cash back will probably be going toward college expenses.
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Is that an American Express card that you are using? This sounds like a good plan…may be something I need to look into doing as part of a budget plan.
 
DJgang said:
Is that an American Express card that you are using?
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We do the same thing Seatuck does, and ours is an AMEX card. Their cash back bonus program was the reason we got the card, and we use it for everything. 👍
 
I voted yes, $5 - $20. Seems like that is the one most people fall into. I don’t have a car so I’m always having to catch a bus or call a cab, both of which require cash. Well, you can usually use a credit card in a cab but it’s a pain for everyone and the cab drivers are charged a small fee for credit card fares. So I don’t like doing that to them and if I have to, I’ll tip 50 cents extra for it.

Also, just for things like…I don’t know, getting a soda or a snack at work. Buying a paper. Some people still do read papers! And personally I’ve had some annoying experiences hanging out with friends who never carry cash. People say they never need cash, but little things always come up. So for example, if we stop by the 7-11 for gas and run in to get a drink or something, I usually will get both because they hate to put $1.09 on their debit card. :rolleyes: Which I mean, is fine…but it’s annoying when it’s a habit. Just carry a couple dollars or some change around! 😛
 
I deduct $15 or so from the ATM occasionally - it usually lasts 2 or 3 weeks. We don’t use cash much because the psychology is backwards for us.

With the debit card, I know the money there is budgeted and laid out for something. If I have cash, it’s already been removed from the bank account and is therefore no longer being “tallied” - it’s already been tallied - so it doesn’t affect my budget anymore. So I can spend as much of it as I want.
 
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