Had a millennial tell me they never carry cash anymore, really made me think about my own habits

I was at a food truck in Austin last week, this guy in front of me pulls out his phone to pay for tacos. I'm fumbling for my wallet with cash and coins. He said he hasn't touched paper money in like 2 years. I work in banking but I still do cash for small stuff. Made me wonder if I'm just old school or if there's actually a reason to keep using bills. Anyone else still carrying cash or am I the dinosaur here?

3 comments

3 Comments

wren_walker6213d ago

Cash is still king for emergencies and tips though.

jamiegreen12d ago

Exactly this. I always keep a $50 bill tucked in my phone case for exactly those moments when the card machines go down or the power's out. People forget that your fancy payment app means NOTHING when the cell towers are down. I was at a farmers market last weekend and half the vendors couldn't take cards, so cash was the only option. Plus for tipping, especially the person who bags your groceries or the valet, cash just hits different and they appreciate it way more than a credit card slip.

lilyb277d ago

And yeah, @jamiegreen totally nailed it... I am the worst about this though. I literally had a $20 in my wallet for like three months and forgot about it until I was doing laundry and found it all crinkled and sad. But after that farmers market story you mentioned, I'm definitely tucking a bill in my phone case too. Nothing worse than watching the person in front of you struggle with their card while you just stand there feeling smug with your cash.