Research from Apacs released earlier this week provided the news that debit card purchases have, for the first time in history, outstripped cash spending in terms of the amount of money splashed out – underlining the flexibility which people today appreciate when it comes to making everyday buys.

The figures showed that in 2005 people spent some £89 billion using debit cards, which was a significant increase of nine per cent on the previous year's amount and eclipsed the cash spending total of £81 billion.

Indeed, the cash figure was a four per cent decrease on that of 2004 – emphasising the noteworthy swing in spending habits which has manifested itself over a period of 12 months.

Broken down, debit cards formed 37 per cent of Brits' retail spending over the course of 2005 while cash accounted for 34 per cent. With credit cards added into the mix, card spending as a whole made up some two-thirds of overall retail outlay in the UK.

Sandra Quinn, director of communications at APACS (http://www.apacs.org.uk ), spoke of the path which spending patterns have taken over the past couple of years, saying: "At the end of 2004, we saw total UK spending on plastic overtake cash for the first time, signalling a real sea change in our payment habits.

'This change was mainly driven by debit card use. The 2005 figures show that this trend is continuing with debit card spending in retail outlets crashing through the cash barrier for the first time ever."

She also noted the general cultural change which debit cards have precipitated, observing that businesses are ever more receptive to card purchases and continuing: "However it is also being led by us as customers - debit cards have been around in the UK for almost 20 years so we now have an entire generation of shoppers who readily delve for their debit card instead of cash."

Debit card users who require a payday loan benefit greatly from the fact that My Payday Loan (http://www.mypaydayloan.co.uk ) pays their sum of between £80 and £1,000 directly into the borrower's account – usually within 24 hours. The convenience and expediency of this allied with the flexibility provided by carrying a debit card is a winning combination for those who require a spendable sum of money swiftly.

Of course, a payday loan is equally handy for those who prefer to make cash purchases – holding an advantage over longer-term forms of credit if your needs are immediate and confined to a relatively small loan. Perhaps you have an unexpectedly high bill to pay or a special event to fund – if so, some short-term cash can come in useful and be spent using a variety of methods.

Interestingly, one such time-honoured method is, according to the Apacs survey, in decline. Amounts spent using cheques fell by 14 per cent in 2005 to a relatively meagre £9 billion – showing that, while this is still a perfectly decent means of spending your payday loan, it is perhaps becoming undesirable when placed alongside the swiftness of card transactions, especially with the recent advent of chip and PIN.