Always have cash.

Our money should be available when we need it- but not so available we spend it thoughtlessly.

There is an English phrase- financially embarrassed- that is now rarely used. It describes the awkwardness of being caught without cash and one imagines it to be rather like losing ones trousers in public. By keeping as little as £10 in cash it is possible to avoid this sensation.

Ten pounds will usually get us home or get us fed in a crisis. It is better not to keep this in our wallets or purses as we are unlikely to have these if our cards are stolen. I have a bullet shaped capsule on my key ring which contains ten pounds. For some reason I forget I have the money- so I never spend it. I also keep small change for vending machines and so on in a second key ring dispenser.