Hello. I was thinking about this cashless society thing, and reading that you have to pay some bridge tolls and parking with a mobile phone now. Not very good for people like me who don't embrace all the latest technology. I still want to pay cash for most things.
I think we could have a cashless society if we all went back to bartering, skill swapping, and exchanging goods and services with each other. We could all join LETS, a system of community credits. People earn LETS credits by providing a service, and can then spend the credits on whatever is offered by others on the scheme. I'm not sure if that would work for everyone, so I think we are stuck with earning money and spending money.
I've made a video about my thoughts on a cashless society. Please excuse the gormless look on my face. You get a choice of three thumbnails, and they are all awful.
How do you prefer to pay for goods and services? Could you manage without cash?
The fireworks are going off all around me, but we are snug in our lovely home. The cats are sleeping through it all.
Thanks for popping in, enjoy your Sunday, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip
Garden Centre fun
2 hours ago
Definitely prefer to deal in cash. The main bank account we've used for 30 years is a very basic one. No overdraft facility. It's a very simple one with just a debit card. I don't mind using the card on-line if I need to as only enough cash is kept in it to cover a few direct debits usually. Our other account is a plain savings account, no on-line banking, no debit card and just a good old fashioned pass book.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy your video Ilona-you are such a sensible yet fun friend.When I was at school I was desperate for a pair of white rollerskate boots like my 2 friends had.I asked my parents for some and they said they couldn't afford them.I cried and still never got them,they said my friends parents had more money than we did.I had to hire mine at the ice rink.Fireworks are lively here but as advised by police to me last year I have hosepipe and ladder at the back door ready and my top dog has his thunder shirt on-lovely Lily under desk listening to music and mop dog is under the table wrapped up in a duvet x
ReplyDeleteI am off to watch your video on youtube on the tv shortly, a perfect example was this evening Ilona we had free cinema tickets so off we went to our usual car park and the ticket machine had been changed, it wouldn't take cash only contactless payment, we were annoyed we don't do this, we just like using cash.
ReplyDeletePlease be carefull.Simple Living....This happened to my daughter,a few months ago,in a carpark that has always been free......Cinema,resturants,.....Freemons Common,Leic...now,they photo you as you enter the carpark and the cash starts from then.It seems if you give your number to the place you are useing...parking charges dont apply for a few hours...but if you dont you will get a parking fee for 60 pound,going up to 100 pound if not paid within a month.Luckly,my Daughter still had reciepts from her meal there....One hour 37 mins...Which i sent off and appealed.She didnt have to pay it in the end,because we had the prove that she had been there...but just be carefull ,look round at the places where you could park for free...they are called Parking Eye and will send you,through the post a parking fine that you could end up paying...These firms are making thousands out of people,that thought that they could park there for free,as they have done for years.Debi,x
DeleteI think you have misunderstood, I didn't say we parked there without a ticket, I just said the car park we usually park at has changed from taking cash to contactless. We parked elsewhere.
DeleteJust checked in to see what your up to - love that gormless look 😂😂😂made me chuckle - I think you were in rant mode - although a lot of it made sense. I do online banking - pay by direct debit for as much as I can and why? Because if I have cash in my purse I will be tempted to spend it on something I don’t need.
ReplyDeleteIt’s just another way of doing things the sentiments the same - waste not want not - whichever way you do it.
But I do agree that children should learn the value of money.
CAN you ( changing the subject ) do a video on a days eating as your meals look lovely but I want to know the whole day/ week etc as I’m a cake/chocolate picker and want to stop that and stop eating meat - you seem to do very well and dont suffer cravings and overweight- I would be very interested - thank you 😊
Yes I would be interested on your diet advice please. I wonder if you are so cheerful all the time is because you are strong willed? Sharon
DeleteAlthough I worked at a bank for too many years, I never have cash. I prefer to pay with my credit card and pay my credit card balance in full each month. The most convenience is that the parking meters take credit card! As a side note to your readers' checking accounts, it's easy to set up overdraft protection as a safeguard if you need it. Pat
ReplyDeleteI mostly use debit or credit, and pay off immediately but I really don’t like the idea of cashless. We have cash saved in the house for emergencies...what would happen if the electric system or internet had problems for a few days? I think it is folly to count on electricity or internet for all life services, it is too easily disrupted by accidents or intentional crazy people. I was living in New York City in the 1980’s for their first major blackout. The next day, restaurants were open and cooking food, since it was going to spoil. And giving it away since they couldn’t work their electric cash registers....can you imagine that today? Kids can’t even count to 20 to make change :). Hilogene In Az
ReplyDeleteAgree! Fellow American here;)
DeleteMrs.O
I prefer cash as it’s too easy to overspend with cards. I try to keep the debit with low amounts in case it gets compromised. The credit card is used for the odd big purchase, that’s been saved for, and paid in full when the bill comes. We get cash back when we use it so we order gift cards with that ‘extra’ money. I don’t think we’ll ever have a cashless society. It’s been bandied about for decades.
ReplyDeletemomsav
cash or credit card.
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I feel rather rabidly against all these banks and such that are constantly at one to do all one's banking online, from your computer or phone. Dead against it. (my phone is very basic, wouldn't work, and regardless, rabidly against it). There is hardly a day which passes in which the news does not announce some new "hack" /endangerment of one's "online" accounts/info/security. Ridiculous to have these institutions so rabid at pushing it.
Another rabid peeve of mine (sorry to add in something different), is all this personal medical info online (as we are assured it increases quality and speed of medical care etc).
A huge personal security risk as well.
From many reports in the news and personal knowledge and personal friends etc, I have seen no evidence of this intrusion increasing any quality or speed of care.
It also (medical and financial) is a huge risk of personal info loss etc.
Agree!!
DeleteMrs.O
A cashless society would mean that the government has control over all your money. You couldn´t even give your children or grandchildren 10 € without having it registered somewhere. And the best thing, for the financial system, is that you could not store cash anywhere. So, if the already very low interests on savings get negative, as has already been mentioned as a possibility, you have no way to avoid this.
ReplyDeleteYes, scary indeed. Too much interference from Big Brother.
Deletemaddens me every day , i do not want a smart phone !!! i can not even get one because my credit rating is so poor , Im already driven mad by my ordinary phone , i do not want internet banking . We have no bank its a 30 mile trip away we have no post office or shop its 10 miles for a bread loaf , we have a prepayment meter and can now only vend the key 10 miles away because theyve removed the online support for vending, this is rural Lincolnshire today ....such fun
ReplyDeleteI use a mixture of cash, debit card and credit card. A credit card is invaluable for someone who does buy online (things like tickets, hotels, flights), but of course I agree the bill needs to be paid in full. I like contactless though, it's quick and easy, and in a way more secure.
ReplyDeleteThe way I spend my money suits me, and I don't want some stupid bureaucracy changing that. Plus I agree with the person above who raised concerns about electricity supply problems and internet problems.
Off topic, Ilona your hair looks nice in this vid, you're a great hairdresser. 😀 Karen.
Let's not forget that the likes of Visa and Mastercard make a percentage on every card transaction we make. There was a very interesting documentary on iPlayer recently called "Billion Dollar Deals and how they changed the World". I highly recommend the one about Money. It's a real eye opener!! Julie
ReplyDeleteThank you, I will look for that.
DeleteAlthough I work in Switzerland (so think Swiss bank account - but not one of the numbered ones of course) I prefer cash. Cash to me means once it's gone it's gone. I was never foolish with money anyway, having grown up in a poor family, but there is something about seeing just how much (or how little) you have left that puts the brakes on for me. On the other hand, they haven't used cheques in Switzerland since 2003 so online banking is a must - and I have no problem with that at all. Anna
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteIts so interesting when you have your videos mean queen,I agree with all of your thoughts on money,its a shame people feel pressured or feel they should have to do all the d debits ect.or feel old fashioned for doing things your own way.
I agree with everything you have said. My parents gave us NO thoughts or lessons of money when we were growing up, this led to me and my siblings having no regard for money. It's only in the past 10 years or so that I've managed to get a grip of my finances. When I look back I'm ashamed at the money I've wasted and the debts that I encurred through stupidity. I'm now a cash queen and live frugally and have never been more content having seen the light and dug myself out of the hole in was in. X
ReplyDeleteGlad you are in a better place now. The youngsters of today are going to really struggle with money later on when they have no knowledge on how to budget.
DeleteI don't have a smart phone just a basic no frills mobile. I do have both debit and credit cards. The credit card is only used for big purchases (for the added security if there is a problem). For the same reason I like to use Pay Pal wherever possible when purchasing online. When I am out and about I mostly use my debit card to withdraw cash - just as much as I plan on spending that day. I hate using ATMs though and always get my cash from the PO - unfortunately the shop it is currently in is due to close down soon so we may well lose our PO too! I think you are more aware of what you are spending when using cash. I don't want a smart phone - definitely don't want the expense of one as I believe you have to have a contract with them - not top up as I use now.
ReplyDeleteWe lost our Post Office, we now have a pop up one, three mornings a week in the church. Perhaps you could put the suggestion forward to your community. I don't want a contract with a phone, either.
DeleteRE comment
ReplyDeleteYou know what Ilona you’ve made me think ! My card is registered with Amazon Ebay and guess what probably others I can’t remember so this morning I’ve cancelled those and I’ve ordered a new card just to make sure I’m starting fresh and no one can use them without my knowledge. I don’t think I pay any bills with them. And ..... guess what! I am just going to get a few bits from shop but my card isn’t going to work now ....
So I’ve got to pay cash - all of a sudden the shopping list has gone down ....
what a relief to be in control ...what a knowall I have been didn’t realise I am actually out of control and unaware ... not that I spend masses but the brakes are on and I feel relieved ...thank you .
Jenette, I'm pleased to hear that. I had a letter from my bank if I'd like to share my account details with any other institutions I might deal with. I was furious, and went into the bank and said, no definitely not. Do not give my details to anyone else. They assured me they wouldn't.
DeleteGood for you, Ilona! I'd be furious too. By the way, not sure if many people know this, but you are entitled to ask your bank to remove the contactless payment feature from any cards they send you. They will send a new card with the facility removed. Don't let them force them upon you!
DeleteYour blog is a wonderful source of information and guidance. I look forward to your posts and read them daily! Julie
I didn’t know that either..... that contactless thing is really a worry .
DeleteContactless cards can be read by a crook standing close to you with an electronic gizmo reader. You can buy little wallets to put your card in which will put a barrier between the card and the gizmo so it won't pick up the signal. Be careful to keep it safe.
DeleteI know someone who had a man stand by her and moved his arm oddly-she spotted this and shouted ''what are you doing?"he ran and then the police gave chase.I then bought a purse but sometimes it's a bit big and so wrap my card in tinfoil.I not certain this does protect it,but I think it may x
DeleteWe recently met up with friends from Birmingham, we live in mid Norfolk....so we live slightly different life styles. He buys £29 of fuel so that he uses contactless..apparently lots of data stealing going on with pin numbers at the garages. I quite like it too as I often feel concious of people behind me. Credit cards for online shopping which is a brilliant way to get the best bargain and cash sometimes, hairdresser, village shop etc. Rae x
ReplyDeleteI take the same amount of cash every Sunday, and limit the use of my bank card, it is so easy to overspend when using plastic. Having cash makes you think before you buy.
ReplyDeleteI think I rather avoided the topic yesterday.A few years ago I was too fond of watching a shopping channel and ordered a lot of stuff with plastic.Luckily I didn't get into debt.I now have very small amount in my card account. I am so annoyed with myself though.I think I acted so foolishly.My excuse was I don't drink or smoke.That was before I found your blog Ilona-thankyou-I may still have been acting ridiculously x
ReplyDeleteHere in the USA, I don't use the big banks at all. I have accounts in two different credit unions. One has my pension & auto checking along with a debit card. It is within bus & walking distance, in case my used car is in the shop for repairs. The other has a debit card for any online purchases, which I keep at minimum amounts. Only when I have a necessary online purchase, do I deposit the $$ needed for that particular purchase.
ReplyDeleteMy budget philosophy = "If I don't have the cash, then I don't need the item."
It is so good not to have a big bunch of debt hanging over my head in retirement!
I pay most of my bills by check. I have 1 credit card for online purchases & my few trips to the mall; pay it off in full every month. I go to the bank once a month to get a set amount of cash to cover grocery shopping, gas, stamps, prescription medicine, hair cut every other month, lunch/dinner out with my sister a couple of times a month, other misc. expenses. It concentrates your mind to say this is it for the month and make it last.
ReplyDeleteI used to have a bank branch in walking distance to my apartment. They closed it this summer so I have to drive a ways to get there and stand in a line waiting for the one teller they provide. She told me they closed my branch because it was just a convenience to their customers. It does make me wonder just what they are in business for - obviously not to improve the customer's experience!
Joan, Michigan
Love this video Ilona. Really think that household finance should be taught in schools. Things like buying, selling and renting property, utility bills, bank and building society savings and other accounts, credit cards, Lease agreements on cars, APR interest etc are a mystery to most school leavers. All the best xx
ReplyDeleteThere is an advert currently running in cinemas for Barclaycard - a young woman is shown running from shops, to bars, to cafes etc etc using her contactless card. It all looks very easy and fun but imo sends totally the wrong message to young people - no actual contact with cash so very little idea how much they are spending. I have a credit card which I pay off every month and I have been trialling using contactless recently - it is very quick and convenient, but I make sure I always have the receipt because I think it would be so easy to overspend with it. I check my total on line every few days. However I am only registered online with a credit card, I don't have internet banking and never will as I just don't think it is safe enough. I keep direct debits to a minimum, the only person who controls and has access to my bank account is me. I definitely would not like a cashless society - that way government and big business will be able to control us all which is of course exactly what they want. Watch out for the latest thing in shops - can you give me your email address so I can send you the receipt?!!!! Do they think people are stupid, why would anyone want a load of advertising in their inbox, and I certainly don't give out my internet address over the counter to a stranger in a shop! Great video Ilona, you should go into schools and tell them how it is!!
ReplyDeleteWe have a credit card and pay it monthly in full, she often says you can do this online if you like, I say I have money coming from all different accounts, so do it by check, it may be easier for them but it wouldn't be for me. Credit cards have saved our neck when we bought a tumble drier and then company went bust so that was good. I do like internet banking but do the minimum check accounts and transfer money around my accounts, adjust standing orders etc that's about it. On saying that our joint account we couldn't access at all this weekend so have to spend time trying to sort that out and hope there isn't a problem. Another bugbear is carphone warehouse, son had a phone as he is underage it was under partners name and bank account. however they rang him at uni, he says ooh yes I want to upgrade they bumped him up hes now paying twice as much with the insurance and the phone has had problems grrr. All this and it wasn't even his bank account or under his name grrrr really angry. its now been swapped to him now hes over 18. Last time I saw him I said do not buy anything over phone, do not get loans, insurance anything without running it past us first. its really scary letting your child go on his own to live. you think you have taught him well but he could get into debt quite easily and there is nothing we can do about it. scary. my daughter budgets so well, its scary how much like me she is. Its hard enough sorting your own stuff out, but I have that nagging feeling about the kids all the time that they are okay too. Schools should have more finance taught in schools, I have been pretty good with mine, but they have told me how lacking their school was in the basics.
ReplyDeleteAlso re contactless I was quite perturbed to do one in greggs and didn't get a receipt or nothing, what if that's wrong on the statement, you have no proof at all that you didn't buy it. I try to always ask for a receipt but she had gone on to serve someone else bfore I had realised.
ReplyDeletelove love your vid! if you're a luddite, then so am I, and glad to be.
ReplyDeleteDebit card or internet banking for day to day management, credit cards for larger purchases for insurance purposes.
ReplyDeleteUsing my debit card means I can track all my spending, I can download transactions into a spreadsheet to analyse them, and my bank also has it's own money manger programme that gives me a basic idea how much I'm spending on food, pets, garden, home repairs etc etc.
Both bank and credit cards have automatic alerts so any suspicious transactions are put on hold and I get an immediate automated phone call to check whether they're genuine or not. That has proved invaluable in (a) stopping a couple of obviously fraudulent transactions and (b) avoiding my card being temporarily blocked when I'm abroad and making purchase my bank wouldn't class as normal!
Credit cards have an automatic alerts to let me know when my statement is ready to download and when I'm nearing my credit balance.
Internet banking means I can monitor my balances in close enough to real time, and also make any payments needed literally one minute after my salary hits my bank account. It's also super easy to transfer money to friends when we're going out as a group and one person books all the tickets. If I transfer money to them it hits their account within 2 hours. I can pay my PT by direct bank transfer using internet banking which is safer than carrying large amounts of cash around.
There's also a huge degree of convenience for me - I'm in completely control fo what's getting spent where, I can monitor it 24/7 and working long hours (I'm often in the office from 7am to 6 or 7pm) I don't have to take time off work to go and hang around in a long bank queue.
When I did my long US road trip in 2010 (booking a hotel in the US without a debit or credit card is not recommended) and when in Sicily last year for a friend's wedding it was so simple to move money around using my phone and debit card rather than having to worry about carrying travellers cheques or large amounts of cash.
Appreciate it doesn't work for everyone but debit cards and internet and phone banking have been a godsend for me.
I used to use a debit card all the time instead of having to carry a purse full of cash but I stopped and now budget with a set amount of cash each week for shopping. I allow extra cash for transport when travelling to work but it is all budgetted for. When its real money you know exactly what you are spending and if you haven't got the money you can't afford it. I am also uncomfortable with the amount of information carried with cards and shopping habits. I see people paying for bus passes on phones, so if you use cash you need the correct fare, drivers never have any change. Unfortunately some products now are only available online so it can be a bit restrictive not to shop online, but I don't like it either. Since I stopped using my card I am definitely spending less.
ReplyDelete"I love vegetables so much that when I am away from home for a few days I do crave them, and look forward to getting back to my steamer".
ReplyDeleteThis is sooooo like me! :-)
Wonder how little we need, to be perfectly happy! Dear people around, some jokes, sunny day, simple food...and life is good! :-D
I prefer cash so I know exactly how much I’m spending. I use a debit card for large amounts and keep a close eye on my bank balance. I don’t have a credit card and rarely buy things online. Kristel
ReplyDeleteMy husband and myself went to the pictures the other week as a rare treat for ourselves. I was so shocked when I arrived to find that there were no payment booths manned with staff, only a machine on the wall which accepted payments by card. This horrified me,as firstly they had taken away my choice whether I wanted to pay in cash, and secondly I saw this a huge sign that big companies are making us go cashless of which in i feel is a very dangerous path for any country to take. What if the internet or computer systems crash as we have seen recently, how do we buy our food petrol etc!!!,Sorry but I am really worried that eventually we will be forced into a cashless society. That day at the pictures we walked out in disgust, however I afraid how long will it be before we have no choice in the matter as more and more companies will be doing this. I will resist it for as long as possible.
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