What I learned from a cash-only weekend

Mobile and contactless payments may be convenient, but could cash give a clearer picture of your spending? Birgit, 48, a production designer, shares how getting back to cash gave her a blueprint for budgeting going forward.

I spent my early 30s in Berlin, where most places were cash-only – so when a cash machine ate my debit card, I welcomed the chance for a spending reset.

Here’s what I learned:

Bring a back-up payment method

I had almost forgotten that my current phone could make mobile payments.

Or it’s supposed to. But I couldn’t get it to work.

And anyway, if I lost my mobile or the battery died en route, would I not still need another way to pay?

So, my advice stands – carry a lower-tech, but still functional, alternative.

Ensure you can pay for travel

First, I had to get home. Taking a bus or the Tube required contactless payment, and I wasn’t keen on walking four hours from South London to North London.

Luckily, a friend had lent me cash so I could purchase a single train ticket for a specified route – £4 for what would have been a £2.80 journey by contactless payment or Oyster card.

Safely home, I dug out my old Oyster card (yes, it still works!) and haven’t travelled without it since.

Make it easy to see your spending

I had other cards at home but was now committed to my experiment. My next step – cash for the weekend.

Deciding how much to withdraw, I assessed my regular spending. I admit it was a bit of a mess.

I used one card for everything, and once my rent and bills were paid, anything could happen.

As my travel budget was now on a designated card, I decided to assign dedicated accounts to my other monthly spends, too.

This way, I could clearly track my grocery shopping (or impulse purchases) in its own account.

Give yourself a physical budget

Stopping at a charity shop, I realised how easily I make contactless transactions or spend more than I’ve planned to because I technically can.

But with a single £10 note for incidentals, I was acutely aware that spending £2 on Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs book would leave me with only £8 for the rest of the weekend – and what if I found something better tomorrow?

Heading home, I considered getting the bus. But at £1.75 for a two-stop trip and with only £20 on my Oyster card, I decided it wasn’t worth it.

I walked the 15-minute journey for free – and tried not to tally up how much I must have spent on similarly short bus rides over the years.

Take charge of your budget

When budgeting, I can find it difficult to strike a balance between not feeling too constrained and being too rigid in setting those constraints.

Depriving myself in the short term can feel like an unnecessary punishment, while focusing on the long term can feel like it comes at the cost of the present.

My cash-only weekend helped me approach budgeting as an interesting challenge, rather than a dreary chore. I set the parameters myself and got creative about working within them.

As a result, I didn’t feel like I was missing out when I chose a lower-cost alternative or skipped an activity – I felt like I was making an active choice to honour other priorities.

A final note

I was lucky. My favourite pub and café are both cash-only, and it’s what most car boot sales and antique traders prefer.

In fact, the only place that didn’t take cash was the pub my partner chose for our Sunday attempt at the cryptic crossword – so I graciously let him treat me.

Not ready to go completely cash-only? If you bank with Chase you can open multiple accounts to act as virtual envelopes, up to 20 in total, to help you with your budgeting. You might want to rename accounts rather than closing one and opening a new one. You have to be over 18 and a UK resident to open an account with Chase.

Recommended reading

• Things to do for future you
• Ways I save money by shopping in person
• Tips on improving your financial health

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