Cashless society ?

[J4CKO]

V8covin said:

ecsrobin said:

That’s what online food shops are for. I think I can count on one hand the amount of supermarkets I know in the area that you need to put a coin in to get a trolley.

Morrisons,Tesco, Sainsbury's,Aldi,Lidl,Farmfoods, Iceland all have coin operated trolleys so you must have at least 7 fingers

Isn't seven fingers normal in Farmfoods ?

[J4CKO]

PF62 said:

Welshbeef said:

PF62 said:

Welshbeef said:

Cashless is bad when bank data centre goes down RBS NatWest Barclays maybe more have had this problem in recent years some for hours some for a week.

What do you do if car filled up £80odd of fuel and you genuinely have no cash
Ditto restaurant
Supermarket - though you just leave the trolly but the other two you’ve consumed the goods and will not pay.

Duh. Leave your name and address at the garage and restaurant and then arrange to pay later.

Welshbeef said:

There is a risk just like keylesss entry that some technology is invented by crooks so that whoever uses cashless they are 50meters away steal it and off they go.

The tinfoil in your hat needs replacing as the voices are getting through.

Welshbeef said:

Fewer people using cash also means rationalisation of ATM points and also the fee to withdraw cash.

My local one changed a few years ago to £1.50 per withdrawal so I didn’t realise So was taking £20 out for a haircut instead I upped it to £250 out to minimise the £1.50 fee.
These fees will harm the poorest who will use cash and draw it often as they don’t have much are paid weekly or cannot control spend. Costing them loads.

Such is capitalism.

How do you prove your name and address? Not everyone carries around ID.

Why would you need to prove anything? Take my name and address or don’t - either way I am leaving and that isn’t a crime.

Welshbeef said:

Tin foil hat? You are aware people steal identities and do so for massive gain and issue to you

Not in the absurd way you suggest they don’t.

vikingaero said:

You think that because cashless suits you in your bubble, that it is the only way forward. More people than you think operate with cash and not necessarily because of criminality.or evasion.

Not from the comments in this thread they don’t.

vikingaero said:

Would you travel abroad without a combination of cards and cash? I still wouldn't. Even Europe is more coin operated than you think.

You mean like the Greek restaurants who claim their card machine is broken until you make it clear that cash is not an option when the machine magically fixes itself - much like the card machines in black cabs.

Our local Indian has the most unreliable card machine ever, it breaks around the end of accounting periods mostly ...

I love the fact people think card payments are less secure than wads of cash.

[J4CKO]

Old Merc said:

vikingaero said:

PF62 said:

So back to cash use being driven by the poor, the crooked, the elderly, and the paranoid

You seem to have a real chip on your shoulder regarding cash. Must be nice in your ivory tower?

People like cash because it's their norm. They can see exactly how much they have and budget. No delayed payments and bank charges. Sure there are fakes and risk of theft. But that's the same with cards before they are cancelled and it will be the poor retailer who will bear the brunt, not the card companies.

I started work in 1963, my wages came weekly in a brown envelope, if I spent the lot there was no other money available, no cards, no cheque book, no credit. In those days my parents did not have a bank account. My Dad used to put money away each week in boxes for various future expenses. We lived well, went on holiday, had Xmas presents, but we were never spoilt and my parents never had depts.

I am not a million miles, off, no debts, use several bank accounts as the "boxes", go on holiday, live quite well.

Just dont use cash very often these days, my first wages from my various paper rounds, car cleaning, tomato picking etc was always cash, felt weird the money going straight into the bank at first but would be annoying to be given it in cash nowadays.

Manage everything on a spreadsheet, which my mum also does but on a little cash book.

Common sense/prudence isnt based on how money is, its how people are, so many things to spend on nowadays which didnt exist when I was born.

I think its easy to feel like some things are a basic human right, but are actually a luxury, like a mate who spends a tenner a day (conservatively, when not locked down) at Starbucks then moans he is skint, if you spend £200 plus a month on fancy coffee thats £200 you dont have to spend on other stuff.

I have tried to get it across to my kids, if you dont have any money, then sometimes you cant do stuff, even though I end up bankrolling them sometimes.

[J4CKO]

daqinggregg said:

I have no credit cards, the reason being, my bank failed to credit the right account, long story short, a small credit card payment, became huge amount with charges. The bank, HSBC were very helpful and resolved the situation, however, the credit card issuers, were less understanding.

For sometime now, I have been cash only, then along comes Covid, we need contact less payment, so our monthly spend is transferred to Mrs. DG’s account, who is normally very prudent. Now everything is paid for using smart phone, all of a sudden spending goes through the roof, just tap and pay, so easy. It shocked both of us, Mrs DG, not I, set up an alert, so I get messages for all transactions.

I realize, I’m swimming against the flow and will need to get onboard soon, I just don’t like the idea of everything being done electronically. For clarity, I live in Asia, many places still don’t take cards.

I dont get the idea that money is easier to spend on a card than via cash, everyone knows you get x pounds in each month and have to spend y pounds in the same period.

A Quid is a Quid however it is spent, I dont find it any more difficult or not to spend an electronic quid than a physical one.

I manage my money pretty rigorously via a spreadsheet, and yes I am a joy at dinner parties...

The problem with money is you can only spend it once, and anyone who thinks the electronic form is in anyway different is labouring under a misapprehension, its exactly the same except you arent handling notes and coins, its just not that hard.

Not used cash for a month or more now, had a tree surgeon round and he insisted on a Bank Transfer, citing going to Gusto for a meal and not being able to use it as part of his reason.

[J4CKO]

Lord Marylebone said:

J4CKO said:

I dont get the idea that money is easier to spend on a card than via cash, everyone knows you get x pounds in each month and have to spend y pounds in the same period.

A Quid is a Quid however it is spent, I dont find it any more difficult or not to spend an electronic quid than a physical one.

I manage my money pretty rigorously via a spreadsheet, and yes I am a joy at dinner parties...

The problem with money is you can only spend it once, and anyone who thinks the electronic form is in anyway different is labouring under a misapprehension, its exactly the same except you arent handling notes and coins, its just not that hard.

Not used cash for a month or more now, had a tree surgeon round and he insisted on a Bank Transfer, citing going to Gusto for a meal and not being able to use it as part of his reason.

We actually find it easier to monitor and save money when payments are electronic rather than cash.

My phone shows me all the payments I have made, and where, with just a couple of swipes on the screen.

My wife's phone has our personal banking app on it, and it automatically splits up all your purchases that month into categories and shows you pie charts and amounts.

At a glance you can look and see things like "We spent £190 eating out last month" or "We spent £200 on petrol so far this month". It even shows you how much you spent on utilities and in the supermarket etc. It's brilliant and easy.

Moving money is easy as well. On the last day of every month, it takes my wife takes just a few seconds on the app to transfer our remaining balance for that month to our savings account.

Indeed, I was pretty bad with money for years, monthly bank statements on paper vs instant access from your phone, no thanks.

It is much easier to track as there is an audit trail in black and white of every purchase.

Moving money between accounts is useful, I have several savings accounts and it is so useful to create separate pots for various purchases, I move cash out when I get paid to savings and back if as usual life is more expensive than anticipated.

I allocate money at the start of the month down to the penny for bills, add in enough for shopping and fuel, check it off as it goes out an it gives a really accurate position, not gone overdrawn in years, dont owe anyone. This is after years of overdrafts and credit card bills, took a while but got there, earnings vs outgoings is obviously the main bit, but discipline is also a big part.

I find I am better when in the black, when I was in the red it was easy to just say fk it and spend. Same when you have a few quid put aside, sometimes feel like spending, but always worth thinking to a time when you might not be able, I remember looking at a pair of expensive speakers thinking they seemed a rash purchase a year or two later when cash was tight.

I think its difficult when you are younger, less money and you want everything, its sort of ironic as you get older you find it easier to wait.

[J4CKO]

Lemming Train said:

J4CKO said:

I dont get the idea that money is easier to spend on a card than via cash, everyone knows you get x pounds in each month and have to spend y pounds in the same period.

Most debit cards let you pay and put you overdrawn, then you get a big bill from your bank a month later with their statutory (un)authorised overdraft charge + daily interest. If you're not good with money and don't have much of it, that quickly becomes a problem.

Cash is cash. If you don't have it then the temptation is no longer there as you've not leaving the shop until you've paid for your st.

That is true, but I would imagine most folk have a bank account from which they withdraw cash and have payments going out.

So, if you are prone to overspending, or just dont have enough coming in, that will happen anyway. It does sort of feel easier and there is less resistance I can see that. I think Internet spending, if you are that way inclined is too easy, my mum always says she doesnt have online shopping accounts as she cant trust herself and she will shop but can certainly cover it.

Suppose it is partly also a discipline thing assuming you have enough to cover the basics and some spare, for me that came with age and bitter experience