Consumers still wary of credit card debt, using cash

Americans have slowly started using their credit cards more often again, but many are still relying on cash to make the smaller purchases – such as those for coffee or at the drug store – they need in their everyday lives.

A recent Javelin Strategy and Research study found that 79 percent of respondents had used cash to make a purchase in the previous seven days, compared with 65 percent combined who used either a debit or credit card, according to a report from the Huffington Post. This shift may indicate just how much consumers began to rely on cash to make small purchases during the recession.

However, experts say that even as Americans shift back to using their credit cards more often, cash will likely remain just as popular as it has, because during the recession, consumers who prefer to make purchases with cards simply used debit instead, the report said.

Consumers' credit card use took a serious dip during the recession because many were dealing with significant financial difficulties and looking for ways to reduce debt.