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I wish we could ban cash altogether and go digital. It's a useless inventory management exercise that we all have to go through every day.

jcdreads 17y ago
I'm sure every credit and debit card company---who get to charge several percent of each transaction in fees---agrees with you.
sivers 17y ago
Ah, but for those of us very aware of the permanent trail we leave, cash has a lovely peace-of-mind of knowing that it's anonymous. I love going to the cash machine, pulling out $800 (the max), and making that my budget for the month for all purchases. Empty credit card bill at the end of the month, except for a few online charges. Something refreshing about that.
- fexl 17y ago
  Right. And what's with all this "we" and "ban" talk I hear so often? What's the fascination with controlling the lives of others and looking up their skirts? How about freedom, live and let live, to each his own, and mind your own business? I think "we" should "ban" treating other people as property.
mixmax 17y ago
I respectfully disagree for a few reasons - Everyone privately buys and sells a lot of small things in the harbor where I live (fishinghooks, rope, etc.) and a digital transaction would be extremely cumbersome, if possible at all. Instead I can just hand a guy a buck and get a few fishinghooks. - Not every business accepts creditcards or bank transfers. Believe it or not. - There's a psychological difference between paying cash and swiping your card. When you pull 10 $100 bills out of your pocket and pay someone you instantly know that you're shelling out real money. If you swipe your credit card you don't. Paying in cash is a moneysaver, this has been experimentally tested by psychologists. - And most importantly, I don't like my bank and other authorities knowing exactly what I'm spending my money on. Not that I'm doing anything illegal I just guard my privacy. When I go shopping for groceries I always pay in cash.
- eru 17y ago
  I agree. I heard about the money saving by using cash, too. But it seems to work differently for me. With cash I have no audit trail (which can be a good thing). But paying with electronic money, I get to see all the money I spent everytime I check my bank's statement. Cash just vanishes.
mynameishere 17y ago
It would make black (that is, "free") markets impossible. You'd have to pay prostitutes with crack, which you'd have to pay for with antique silver dollars.
- eru 17y ago
  Or just foreign currency.
fexl 17y ago
Physical cash, digital cash -- it's all good. See https://loom.cc/faq https://loom.cc/faq
anamax 17y ago
Cash is already close to optional so the "useless inventory management exercise" is a choice that you've made. Given that cash already optional, wanting to ban cash means that you're objecting to someone else using cash. Why do you care?

jcdreads 17y ago

I'm sure every credit and debit card company---who get to charge several percent of each transaction in fees---agrees with you.

sivers 17y ago

Ah, but for those of us very aware of the permanent trail we leave, cash has a lovely peace-of-mind of knowing that it's anonymous. I love going to the cash machine, pulling out $800 (the max), and making that my budget for the month for all purchases. Empty credit card bill at the end of the month, except for a few online charges. Something refreshing about that.

fexl 17y ago
Right. And what's with all this "we" and "ban" talk I hear so often? What's the fascination with controlling the lives of others and looking up their skirts? How about freedom, live and let live, to each his own, and mind your own business? I think "we" should "ban" treating other people as property.

mixmax 17y ago

I respectfully disagree for a few reasons - Everyone privately buys and sells a lot of small things in the harbor where I live (fishinghooks, rope, etc.) and a digital transaction would be extremely cumbersome, if possible at all. Instead I can just hand a guy a buck and get a few fishinghooks. - Not every business accepts creditcards or bank transfers. Believe it or not. - There's a psychological difference between paying cash and swiping your card. When you pull 10 $100 bills out of your pocket and pay someone you instantly know that you're shelling out real money. If you swipe your credit card you don't. Paying in cash is a moneysaver, this has been experimentally tested by psychologists. - And most importantly, I don't like my bank and other authorities knowing exactly what I'm spending my money on. Not that I'm doing anything illegal I just guard my privacy. When I go shopping for groceries I always pay in cash.

eru 17y ago
I agree. I heard about the money saving by using cash, too. But it seems to work differently for me. With cash I have no audit trail (which can be a good thing). But paying with electronic money, I get to see all the money I spent everytime I check my bank's statement. Cash just vanishes.

mynameishere 17y ago

It would make black (that is, "free") markets impossible. You'd have to pay prostitutes with crack, which you'd have to pay for with antique silver dollars.

eru 17y ago
Or just foreign currency.

fexl 17y ago

Physical cash, digital cash -- it's all good. See https://loom.cc/faq https://loom.cc/faq

anamax 17y ago

Cash is already close to optional so the "useless inventory management exercise" is a choice that you've made. Given that cash already optional, wanting to ban cash means that you're objecting to someone else using cash. Why do you care?