Another little step towards a cashless society.

[grenfell]

I think it's the lack of choice that's a bugbear. Ironic really as governments from the 80's onwards have pushed "consumer choice" . I can't help but think that if we are all forced to use only electronic banking then we have no choice but to continue using that form should negative interest rates come in or if the banks start to charge a "small service charge" . I mentioned earlier that cash is used in barely 2% of transactions in Sweden which seems pretty low but I was also recently reading that in the western world as a whole cash only accounts for something like 3-5% of all transactions.
As preppers we can prepare for food shortages , or bad weather but prepping for a cashless society is something else. We can store food but there's no point storing cash if nowhere excepts it and besides this isn't going to be an overnight thing , it's a steady creeping process. Sure we could barter or use PM's but one has to balance things up . Do we all just go along with it and except the loss of choice , negative interest and service charges all of which could see our money degraded or whittled away or are we forced into a barter economy where it is just as easy to lose out when you perhaps need a gallon of petrol that you know is "worth" say 20 tins of beans but the owner of that petrol won't let it go for less than 30 or that very nice gold ring you have on?

[yorkshirewolf]

I agree that cash seems to be becoming a dirty word, and it doesn't help when you have idiot politicians saying that people who use a legal currency as a form of payment are 'bad citizens'
Of course we all know that what they're getting at is the cash-in-hand and gig economy and the tax it avoids, which lets face it, cash or no cash, will always be there, and lets be straight, but the biggest tax fraudsters are the big companies and those in parliament they pay off.

*I know politics warning alert!*

I use a lot of local shops, especially local farm produce, and talking to them they have tried going more and more cashless as the pressure from inland revenue increases, but they also know that if they do that, they lose a lot of customers, people like paying cash, i know i'd rather have something tangible in my hand than a credit card, and over the years paying cash has meant i have gotten better service, faster service and on occasion, cheaper service.
I will be very clear though, i do pay tax, i have no issue at all paying tax, i think it is something everyone needs to do to keep the country running, but until those in power start to lead by example, i'll continue to use cash, or barter, or favours-for-favours.

And if everyone does the same thing and shuns credit/card only shops then they won't have a choice but to keep it. the problem is that people are lazy and will use a card instead of going to a cash machine.
I know in Greece they get paid into the bank and take every penny out, as they know using cash is better for them, we should be doing the same.

[Deeps]

I agree that cash seems to be becoming a dirty word, and it doesn't help when you have idiot politicians saying that people who use a legal currency as a form of payment are 'bad citizens'
Of course we all know that what they're getting at is the cash-in-hand and gig economy and the tax it avoids, which lets face it, cash or no cash, will always be there, and lets be straight, but the biggest tax fraudsters are the big companies and those in parliament they pay off.

*I know politics warning alert!*

I use a lot of local shops, especially local farm produce, and talking to them they have tried going more and more cashless as the pressure from inland revenue increases, but they also know that if they do that, they lose a lot of customers, people like paying cash, i know i'd rather have something tangible in my hand than a credit card, and over the years paying cash has meant i have gotten better service, faster service and on occasion, cheaper service.
I will be very clear though, i do pay tax, i have no issue at all paying tax, i think it is something everyone needs to do to keep the country running, but until those in power start to lead by example, i'll continue to use cash, or barter, or favours-for-favours.

And if everyone does the same thing and shuns credit/card only shops then they won't have a choice but to keep it. the problem is that people are lazy and will use a card instead of going to a cash machine.
I know in Greece they get paid into the bank and take every penny out, as they know using cash is better for them, we should be doing the same.

My missus rarely carries cash and much prefers just carrying a bank card. I do encourage her to have a wee stash but she finds it easier to fritter it, she wouldn't buy a bag of sweets on a card but if she had cash on her she would. Each to their own although I would prefer it if she had some emergency readies.

On the political 'stuff', I was disappointed that no party had tax reform in their manifesto, for me this is the crux of the problem, our tax system has that many loopholes, fix the system and make people pay what they're supposed to. That way we won't have parties using it to woe factions of voters, everyone will pay their due.

[Plymtom]

And if everyone does the same thing and shuns credit/card only shops then they won't have a choice but to keep it. the problem is that people are lazy and will use a card instead of going to a cash machine.
I know in Greece they get paid into the bank and take every penny out, as they know using cash is better for them, we should be doing the same.

You have to resist some way, At Lidl they have introduced self service tills and are dong their damndest to get people to use them I have refused, I have said no, I prefer people and jobs to annoying machines, the other week on shop assistant said it'll be quicker on the self service, I'll do it for you.. I still said no way, I'm having no part in bumping the stats up for those things against real people, if a person can't serve me the shopping can stay in the trolley and I'll go home, nowt here I can't get somewhere else

[peejay]

I hate not having /some/ cash around, always have £15/20 in change in the car for parking etc. however I'm constantly bugged by the OH for odd change now & then "because I never use cash do I, I only ever use the card". Yeah, she never uses /her/ cash I think she means!

Had a good one from the daughter last week too. She needed to get a bus into town but didn't want to draw out a tenner just for that as she was due a refund for it anyway. So I says "well I only have a £10 myself to hand anyway" (discounting the cash in the car) to which she politely offers to "pop up town & buy something for 30p or so to break the tenner so the bus doesn't moan about "correct change" etc.".

I pointed out that to get to the shop she'd have to pass a cash machine so might as well pull out her own tenner & "break it".

Didn't hear back from her on the subject again!

I'm far from tight but it bugs me when others "depend" on me for utterly basic stuff!

[jansman]

Ha ha:lol: just to stir it up!
Why cash is king: Five situations where cards don't cut it
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40611649

[Plymtom]

Ha ha:lol: just to stir it up!
Why cash is king: Five situations where cards don't cut it
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40611649

I have to walk to the bank to put money in to pay for stuff online, or write cheques, and I am glad to, everywhere i can use cash I will, after that I'll look into any other ways I can of trading off grid as it were, not because I have anything to hide, but because I feel we all have something to loose and we all will be exposed for a huge fall so resist!

[yorkshirewolf]

I too refuse to use the self serve tills, if the staff ever say anything to me about why i'm not using them my reply is usually along the lines of; "do you really think it's a good idea to encourage me to use a machine which will put you out of a job? i'll wait for a human thanks"

[grenfell]

And if everyone does the same thing and shuns credit/card only shops then they won't have a choice but to keep it. the problem is that people are lazy and will use a card instead of going to a cash machine.
I know in Greece they get paid into the bank and take every penny out, as they know using cash is better for them, we should be doing the same.

I use cash , I don't use self service but with regards to cards I'm guilty as charged m'lud I do get payed in cash for a large chunk of my work , some cheques and some by bank transfers and it's that money I use for getting materials , I never actually handle it physically. I shouldn't really say this but the accountant that has helped with the books did say only to use cash for materials for jobs that I didn't want to declare .

[jansman]

I too refuse to use the self serve tills, if the staff ever say anything to me about why i'm not using them my reply is usually along the lines of; "do you really think it's a good idea to encourage me to use a machine which will put you out of a job? i'll wait for a human thanks"

Totally agree.