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Cash or card: How do you like to spend your pocket money?

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The Post Office says more people are turning to bank notes and coins - but how do you prefer to receive money?

People using bank cards to pay for things is very common nowadays, but the Post Office has said it's handled increasing amounts of cash in recent times.

People typically use less physical money in August according to the company, but the Post Office says it handled 拢3.45 billion in cash in August this year, which is a record-breaking total.

We want to know which is easier for you? Do you prefer to know how much you have to spent, by being able to see what's in your pocket?

Or is a card convenient and safe for you to use?

You can have your say in our vote, and you can also leave us a comment below.

So what's led to the change?

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Well, according to the Post Office, some people say they find it easier to keep track of their spending by using notes and coins, rather than electronic payments made through their bank cards.

It says that at the moment, because of the rising living costs, some people have put tighter budgets in place and say cash makes it easier to keep track.

"We expect cash transactions to continue to exceed expectations in October and for the rest of the year," said Martin Kearsley who is the banking director at the Post Office.

Why is cash useful?

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Using physical money can help with budgeting, but it can be less convenient getting hold of it compared to using a bank card

Using cash can make it easier for people to monitor exactly how much they're spending.

A person can use however much cash they have as their budget for that period of time - when it's gone, it's gone.

Cash can also be useful in situations where the use of a bank card isn't an option, for example in some small shops which only take cards over a certain amount or where it can be easier to use physical money, like on the bus.

Plus not everyone has access to a bank or bank account, so having cash is really important.

What about cards?

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The majority of payments are now made with bank cards

However, there are some disadvantages when it comes to using cash.

It isn't always convenient to carry around bank notes and coins compared to a single card, and physical money can also be easier to lose.

If you lose a bank card, you can ask the bank to stop people using it - but if you lose cash, it can be spent by anyone.

Did you know?

The use of notes and coins has fallen drastically over the last decade, from 55% of payments in 2011 to just 15% of payments last year

Digital payments made with a bank card are often a lot faster and more convenient compared to using cash as they can be done anywhere and at anytime.

Also, purchases from lots of online stores can only be made through payments which require bank cards.

However, using a bank card also has downsides.

It can be a lot trickier keeping track of spending and it can also be more difficult budgeting compared to using cash.

How do you prefer to get YOUR spending money?

Whether it's a weekly or monthly allowance, birthday money, or cash at Christmas, we want to know how you get your money - and how you spend it.

Do you tend to be given bank notes and coins, do you have cash added to a bank card, or are you typically given a gift card with money on it?

And which form of money do you prefer to use?

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