Despite the rise of digital payments, new data suggests cash usage is increasing this year, offering a much-needed way to combat mindless consumption
Cash is making a comeback, and it’s about damn time. The pandemic was predicted to condemn us to a cashless society full of swanky debit cards and the irritating da-ding of Apple Pay.
However, new data from Nationwide has found that cash usage has increased in Britain for the third year in a row. This January, cash withdrawals increased by 4.6%. We here at DITCH are ever so happy that people are ditching their cards and reverting to cold, hard, beautiful cash.
Now, perhaps you are wondering why. Cash is heavy, cash involves counting, and worst of all, cash can be lost. This might be true, but it remains king for one simple reason: cash helps to combat mindless consumption.
Card management company London Zurich outlines the top five reasons why businesses should accept cards, and coming in at the top of the list: “to encourage impulsive transactions.”
We’ve all been there: you see something you like, and all it takes is a simple tap, and you’ve acquired a new item that ten minutes ago you’d never seen before, but 30 seconds ago, you impulsively decided you couldn’t live without.
Now that impulse buy sits in the corner of your room, haunting your every waking hour and making you question: How has this happened? Am I really that weak? Will my life ever be the same again?
Well, firstly, know that it is not entirely your fault. In recent years, it has become much easier to fall into the trap of impulsive spending. Online payments, Apple Pay, credit cards and debit cards remove so many barriers to handing over your hard-earned cash.
And secondly, know that you’re not alone. Mindless consumption is a growing problem: 67% of 18 to 34-year-olds report that they “doom spend” to cheer themselves up. It’s a phenomenon we know all too well; you’re having a crap day, so you buy yourself a treat in a half-hearted bid to cheer yourself up.
Well, here’s where good old-fashioned cash comes in. A study by the research journal Qualitative Market Research in October 2024 found that cash promotes spending awareness by forcing you to think about the money you are literally handing over. Getting out your wallet, picking out the correct change, and handing over your hard-earned cash all place much-needed barriers between you and your purchase. This process wins you some time to ask yourself the critical question: do I really need this?
Ultimately, cash is a winner. It’s good for your bank balance, it’s a good way to combat over-consumption, and it’s good for your wallet – which can finally feel useful after a couple of years of being discarded for your phone.
Social media influencer @budgetliketheothers recommends putting cash in envelopes to help you manage your spending. Follow the steps below to give it a go:
1) Have a long hard look at yourself and analyse where you spent your money last month.
2) Figure out which expenses were unnecessary. For example, what have you bought that you haven’t used, and in what areas have you overspend, i.e., coffee.
3) Allot a certain amount of cash in different envelopes to spend on those expenses.
4) For the next month, challenge yourself to only spend the cash within the envelope on each expense.
Let us know how if it works for you on our Instagram @ditch.magazine or our TikTok @ditchmag