Cash is easier for small value transactions... many places will actually refuse low value card purchases due to transaction fees that they have to pay.

For larger purchases including groceries then I do use plastic. But I am still very far from living in a cashless society

I prefer to use cash whenever possible, especially within my local community.
Cash is still king, or at least in my neck of the woods it still is.
When useing cash it is often possible to barter a better deal for whatever it is you are purchasing.
By bartering a better deal I am not suggesting an attempt to circumvent taxes but am suggesting that the offer of cash for services or goods can often gain you a discount.
The use of cash makes the transaction simplier to the recipient, as they can immediately utilise the cash for other transactions without the hassle of cashing checks, or involving banking procedures.
Also the use of cash decreases the amount of paperwork that might otherwise be involved in CC,debit card, or check transaction thus decreasing the waste of paper which in turn is environmentally friendly.
Plus there is something about cash in your pocket that just feels better then plastic.

I tend to use plastic when traveling as it's just more convient.
I do carry cash though just in case I think I can barter a better deal.

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I do like to use plastic as much as possible. While i pay cash, I will end up with a lot of change, especially the pennies, which I have to give back to the bank all counted and rolled up. It takes some money and effort from my part to make it to the bank. When I use the credit card, I use the one which will help me accumulate points to use against purchases or give a cash back later. I keep the receipts to keep track of my expenses. Also, I don't do much online shopping. Also, we like to pay the bills in time. So the plastic works fine for me.For the cash only shops, I always try to give the exact change to avoid accumulating the coins.

It's better to use what you have than to spend credit. My hi interest rates void any coupons I use.

Strangely, my use of cash is on the increase again. Like you, I've started using my debit card and credit card instead of checks over the last couple of years, and have gone from writing about 30 checks a month to 1 or 2. I began to carry a bit more cash for small transactions as a matter of speed. The only downside is reconciling and tracking the use of cash.

As this has become my lifestyle, increasingly I find that I forget to carry the checkbook or screw up writing the check when that form of payment is the only option. Mainly, I pay my hairstylist with a check, and for the last 3 months have inconvenienced her this way.

So this month I pulled out a little more cash than usual and began paying the hairstylist with cash. Since the place where I get my oil changed now takes debit, that means I'm down to paying taxes by check. It's not cash I find inconvenient as a new habit, it's checks.

For local or more personal transactions, cash seems to be more appreciated. Small merchants and farmers markets can't afford the transaction fees associated with taking credit cards, and I definitely don't want to pay increased fees!

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Plastic used to be my standard. We had a debit card for our bank account and a credit card. The problem is that too often I was too casual about spending with my plastic. It was too easy and I didn't get the real sense of how much I was spending.

When I switched to trying to only use cash, I limited my spending much more! All of a sudden I could only spend what I actually had in pocket, and I valued each dollar much more. I shopped around for better prices and reconsidered parting with (or breaking) my $10 bill.

So now I prefer cash, with plastic only for emergencies. Plus with cash, I don't have to find out every year or so that someone has stolen my number and charged 30 international plane tickets to my account. Ugh. Cancel cards. Get new cards. File report for refund of account. Activate new cards.

Cash is much better!
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The other day, the ice cream truck came down the street and we all started scrambling for cash. My friend and my husband both keep cash 'just in case'. I haven't touched cash in over two years. My doctor says there is nothing dirtier than cash, and with my immune system like it is, I'm not supposed to touch it.

Debit cards all the way for me!

I don't have credit card: I don't want one as I don't want to fall in debt and I can't get one as I'm single parent. So, I always pay but not with cash, with my bank card, simply. That's safe and I always know how much money's left on my bank account; when my account is empty the card doesn't work any more. I never fall in debt and that's how my life goes.

I use a credit card whenever possible. I pay my card at the end of the month and don't pay interest or fees. It's all very well to worry about credit card fraud but at least you have protection. If someone steals your wallet full of cash you're out of luck entirely. I can't help but think people who feel safer with cash than cards must live in low crime rural areas.

I use cash everywhere I go - I won't allow myself to have a card that I can use in shops - only a card that I can use at a cash machine/ATM to withdraw money and then use it in a shop.

The reason is that I'm bad enough with money as it is, without being given a card that "magically" gives me stuff - I'd see it all as free! :s

I have to hand over actual cash in order to feel like I'm really spending (or wasting) it ;)

I use cash 99% of the time. I do have a credit card, just one, just for emergencies or online purchases, which doesn't happen very often. When I get my pay check every other Friday, I already have my bills figured up and I deposit almost that exact amount of money in my checking account leaving about $10 buffer in case I added wrong. I then take a percentage of the cash I have left over and deposit that into my savings account. I then make payments either via phone or internet to come straight out of my checking account. Whatever cash I have left on hand is what I have left and what I know I can spend on things like groceries, gas, mad money, etc.

Why do I do things this way? To save money. See, cash doesn't charge me interest. Cash doesn't charge me finance charges. Cash doesn't charge the business I make the purchase from for each transaction, helping to raise the price of products and services I pay for. (20% of the money you spend on each gallon of gas goes straight to credit card companies, that's 50 cents for $2.50 per gallon gasoline, meaning if it weren't for people using credit cards, gas would only cost $2 per gallon instead of $2.50) Cash doesn't let a transaction go through even though I don't have enough to cover it (debit cards) and then charges me up the ying-yang for that mistake. Cash is accepted everywhere so I don't have to worry about whether they take Visa or MasterCard. The only disadvantage to using cash is you could lose it or it could be stolen, but in my neck of the woods muggings are unheard of and with a sober presence of mind losing your cash should not a problem. So, for me, cash is the way to go. I'll let all the other suckers out there make the credit card companies and banks rich. Me, I'll use my bank to serve MY needs instead of the other way around.

Anyone else remember those credit card commercials where everyone is dancing around perfectly choreographed paying for their purchases with plastic and then there's one guy using cash that clogs up the flow? I laughed so hard when I saw those. The power of suggestion is a powerful thing I guess, because I know there are actually people out there believing that whole, ficticious scenario portrayed. But, seriously, how many times have you been behind someone in line paying with a credit card and it's not going through right away or the computers are slow and you think to yourself, "Man, I wish that guy was paying with cash so we can get the heck out of here!" PLENTY! How many times have you been behind someone paying with cash thinking to yourself, "Man, I wish that guy was paying with a credit card so I don't have to wait for the cashier to count back his change!" NEVER! This is a no-brainer!

I use cash because some places don't accept debit/credit such as my school. So that's about the only time I use cash. I use it for vending machines as well.

yes because the credit card companies are tripping big time!