In corner shops across the country, 86 percent of transactions
are now in ready money, up from 56 percent a year ago.
James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience
Stores, said: "When times are tough people live on a day-to-day
basis. They are not spending large amounts of money on credit cards
but they are spending small amounts of cash to help manage their
expenditure.
"In the recession people are struggling with money so are trying
to spend less and put a bit on the side.
"We have noticed this trend in community stores as these are
set-up for cash transactions and for people to make short-term food
purchases."
Seventy per cent of people who shop in the Association's member
corner stores are using cash to make budgeting easier because they
are worried about debt.
The recession has had an effect on other habits too. More than a
quarter are now cooking from scratch as a cheaper alternative to
buying more convenient, but more expensive, food. And the number of
people cooking for friends at home rather than dining out has risen
by 13 per cent.
Melanie Green, principal money researcher at consumer group
Which?, said: "It's a sign of the times that some people are
turning away from plastic. It certainly can seem easier to keep
tabs on your day-to-day spending if you set yourself a weekly cash
limit."
The figures for cash payments were produced by the Better Local
Living campaign, backed by PayPoint, a cash and internet payments
company operating in 22,000 convenience stores.
Ukash is a globally recognised alternative payment method that
enables consumers to shop, pay and play online using cash.
Available for purchase in the UK wherever you see the PayPoint
sign, Ukash can help customers to stay in control of their spending
when shopping online because there is no "account" - you simply buy
the amount of Ukash vouchers required. This can aid budget
management by eliminating the risk of over-spending and allowing
customers to see where their money is going.
www.ukash.com