Put pounds in your pocket the old-fashioned way

Ching ching! What’s that? The sound of a good oldfashioned cash payment? Of coins jangling in pockets? According to the Bank of England, digital methods of payment may be on the increase, but so is cash.

Speaking at a conference in Vienna, Victoria Cleland, the Bank’s chief cashier, said: “In 2016, the value of Bank of England notes in circulation increased by 10 per cent, reaching over £70billion in the run-up to Christmas: the fastest growth in a decade. Cash remains the most widely used payment method in the UK.”

This week, all the card machines in my local coffee shop have been down, leaving me quite faint – it’s been a long time since I had to rummage in my handbag for spare change. But as the days went on I learnt to appreciate the value of good old-fashioned money, instead of spending wildly around town like a Queen with my contactless debit card. Honestly, the amount I fritter away now that I only have to tap on a machine with my phone to purchase something. From now on, I’m going contactless-less. In other words, cash only please.