What do you think of the idea of a cashless society - where you no longer can pay for things with notes and coins?
Are there any huge disadvantages to this? Or is this the best thing that can happen?
I find it to be a bad idea. I already don't like notes and coins and would prefer a tangible money, that I can see and hold in my hands rather than a random number on a screen that can disapear at any moment. That is what I'm the most afraid of, especially with our societies especially, getting completely fucked and told that "oh, you didn't have this amùount of money! Look, your bank account says you only own 0.50€... Ah, no, now you owe us 5000€ , give us your money, you scum! :v".
It already happened a little bit with banknotes and coins but it would be, in my opinion, way worse by making money more virtual. Sadly, virtualization of money already happens in France and probably in the whole EUSSR as it's one of the goal. Under cover of fighting criminality and terrorism, you can't pay something above 1000€ using banknotes or coins, which is obviously a retardation.
I rarely use cash, rarely even have any on me. I pay almost everything with cards.
Are there dangers? Of course. Are there advantages? Yes. I’m not concerned by the dangers but I do enjoy the advantages.
Today at 12:01 AM i paid with cash, and at 12:15 AM i paid with card.
but if i was given a choice, i'd rather not pay.
I prefer paying with cash especially when I'm not at home. I don't like sharing with my bank where I'm staying.
The big advantage of cash is anonymity.
you can't pay something above 1000€ using banknotes or coins, which is obviously a retardation.
Did you ever pay something above 5-10 000 € in cash? I did - and I don't need a repetition. It is pretty weird from start to finish - organizing the money from your bank - transporting it - and the weirdest moment is when the person you give the money starts counting it - lol.
I was actually glad when I got rid of it and was more than happy that this weird habit of having to pay cars and the like in cash stopped.
I'm afraid to be too young for this. The cap was already at 1000 when i reached my 18 if I remember properly and I don't have anything to buy that worth 5-10000€ for now (no, not even a car) so I wouldn't. As for asking to the bank, I don't need either as I already keep a little amount of money under the mattress so I can avoid this pain at least for now.
That being said, I already paid few stuff with cash like this, and yes, it's a little bit weird to count yourself the money and then to see the person in front of you doing the same, especially in a country like France where people don't do that usually (unlike Germany from what I've heard).
Else, maybe I've not been clear enough. What I call a retardation is the excuse that politicians use.
I always pay with cash except when it is just about impossible not to do so. I do this for a number of reasons.
Firstly, most banks are scum. I don't want to contribute to some banking executive's "end of year bonus payment".
Secondly, I'd far prefer in most cases that my money goes to the merchant I'm buying from than to the bank. The bank scams the merchant of a couple of percent at least.
Thirdly, if the amount for something substantial is more than, say, 100 Euro, the magic words "what is the discount for cash?" usually yield a cash discount. Most merchants prefer that they give you a discount rather than giving the bank extra profits.
Fourthly, every purchase of yours goes on a database. With increasing sophistication of data mining and the like, this is dangerous for you personally.
Fifthly, as mentioned before in a couple of posts, there are issues with budgeting. If you have cash, you know exactly where you stand regarding your finances. As a sheriff from a major US city I was chatting with regularly over internet for some time many years back had told me "I only use a poor man's credit card - cash".
Something that I've noticed about people who pretty much exclusively use credit cards - they tend to buy a lot of consumer crap and in general waste a lot of money. For sure they like to show of their shiny new toys, but "for whatever reason", they don't tell you about the struggle they have with monthly paying off of credit card debts.
Practically I would have thought the same, until I travelled further afield. Two cases to consider: A) intermittent ICT connection problems. When travelling through one of earthquake-prone New Zealand's national parks, I stopped to refuel as there was nothing but air in the tank. About half-a-tankful later there was B) a power cut. Cash trumps plastic if there's no connection. Another confounding scenario C) is where citizens prefer to use a stable currency like the US dollar or Euro rather than one hit by economic stagflation.
As a postscript to A (see above) I had to find the nearest small town library for an internet connection (that cost), only to find that London's plastic card Cretans told me I must return to the UK to reset my 'pin.' Later I discovered that not one single NZ Bank had Wifi. They all told me to visit the local library! OK it was 2 years ago, but the idea of a cashless society in my view is completely absurd!
Last edited by look4swissmiss; 03-16-2019, 10:41 PM.
At least both of you see with clarity what is happening with the money - electronic payment is usually someone putting their hand in your pocket to take out a note.
I already paid few stuff with cash like this, and yes, it's a little bit weird to count yourself the money and then to see the person in front of you doing the same, especially in a country like France where people don't do that usually (unlike Germany from what I've heard).
yes, paying cash is still very common in Germany. I don't even know if there really is a limit to 1000€. I actually don't think so....but don't care enough to check :-P.
As for asking to the bank, I don't need either as I already keep a little amount of money under the mattress so I can avoid this pain at least for now.
putting money beyond your matress is pretty weird behavior to me. The last generation who did this used money as wallpaper - they are all dead now. You only do this because money does not earn interest in Europe at the moment.
Although money is nowhere safe, but in a bank it is still safer than under your mattress.
Well, it can be sen as weird but in my point of view, bank is in noway safer. Actually, I have some money there too, but the interests you earn from the bank doesn't even cover the inflation anymore,, so I'm losing money in both case... The best way not to lose money, or not too much, would be to change those virtual numbers, or those pieces of paper, in something real with a value that won't be lowered day after day but I'm neither good or interest in it enough in it to do it for now.
If I did this, i think it would be less dangerous than in a bank considering how it does work, and how economy seems to go this year with those scammers yelling that hell is coming to.. make it true probably.
Doesnt really matter imo, if you have some virtual numbers on a screen or a bunch of useless paper/coins in your pocket........if the hole thing comes down.........lol.
I don’t carry cash either. For delivery persons, I keep a jar of coins and bills at home. Investments and money-in-the-bank are great but the very best investments are land, buildings and goods.