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Original poster

Things are changing too fast in the world for me

143 replies

Cravingahappymeal · 04/03/2023 15:44

I don’t do well with change, discussions today with family about digital currency and a cashless society and what that may mean in the future are scaring me to death tbh.
Is it all true or is it conspiracy territory?

OP posts:
Ginmonkeyagain · 05/03/2023 10:15

It's not governments driving it really, it is businesses and individuals. Most people find cash annoying, unsafe and awkward. So the move to cashless is driven mainly by consumer and market demand.

I am going to a one off stock liquidation sale later that is cash only. It is annoying as I will have to get to a cash machine on the way, which is a small diversion I am not sure how much I want to spend so I will have to take out more as a precaution.

Whereas a card will be much easier for me.

Womencanlift · 05/03/2023 10:18

sashh · 05/03/2023 09:13

OP

My local community shop ONLY accepts cash.

Last week I received a cheque book.

I think we will retain cash because for somethings it is available if there is a power cut or a bank's computer system goes down.

Can you imagine buying a poppy with a card?

I bought a poppy last year with contactless. There were 3 or 4 sellers at the table and everyone was donating with cards

BMW6 · 05/03/2023 10:25

Cash is filthy. Can you imagine how much worse the Covid death toll would have been if people had to use cash only?

throwawayaway1 · 05/03/2023 10:44

JamSandle · 05/03/2023 09:38

You're right. But I'm thinking more along the lines of money being frozen. This would limit people's freedom.

Show quote history

But unless you're literally taking in cash and keeping it hidden in your house, all of these outcomes from cyberattacks to money being frozen could happen anyway. The Canadian truckers accounts, including crypto, were frozen at the source. It had literally nothing to do with whether they were carrying cash or plastic in their pockets.

Ginmonkeyagain · 05/03/2023 10:54

Lol. I am not sure the chances of anyone getting an air borne respiratory disease from a fiver were particularly high.

VanillaImpulse · 05/03/2023 11:05

BMW6 · 05/03/2023 10:25

Cash is filthy. Can you imagine how much worse the Covid death toll would have been if people had to use cash only?

Lol, I'm guessing this is a joke?!

DappledThings · 05/03/2023 11:36

Can you imagine buying a poppy with a card?
Did that last year. First time I've managed to get one in three years since I moved have cash so I was very pleased to see all the sellers with card readers

emptythelitterbox · 05/03/2023 11:59

Penguinduvetcover · 04/03/2023 16:44

I hope we don’t go cashless….

I get my eggs and veg from an honesty box shed, so leave cash.

i tip my hairdresser, and when I use them, tip taxi driver and waitress/ service staff.

more importantly, as someone who doesn’t want to share my entire financial status with my husband, or others who can access my bank details, I prefer to have a wee stash, that is my money that I don’t have to justify what I am spending it on.

Open a 2nd account just in your name.

emptythelitterbox · 05/03/2023 12:01

What are you watching or reading where you hear these things?

Ginmonkeyagain · 05/03/2023 12:07

This stuff does seem a little batshit.

I have five bank accounts, none of which Mr Monkey can see or access. It's not hard.

LlynTegid · 05/03/2023 12:08

You are not alone OP in finding something changing to be unsettling or worse. The difference may be that you are willing to acknowledge it and not keep it to yourself.

On the question of cash versus cashless, I want cash to remain and keep an amount on me sufficient for things such as small purchases (say a bar of chocolate) and charity donations. I want cash to remain an option as I think banks would up charges to retailers a lot and profit more were it not to be available.

I can understand for security reasons why some places don't want to handle cash, and having dealt professionally with one of the cash collection companies, their service was very poor.

Ginmonkeyagain · 05/03/2023 12:17

Taking cash isn't cost free for businesses and taking cards is a lot cheaper now with things like IZettle and sumup.

DemiColon · 05/03/2023 12:17

emptythelitterbox · 05/03/2023 11:59

Open a 2nd account just in your name.

Show quote history

You know that bank accounts details are seen by people, everything you do with them is recorded, right?

Fairyliz · 05/03/2023 12:22

ReliantRobyn · 04/03/2023 18:35

The sooner the better for a cashless society. I hear labour will fast track these changes if they get in

Another reason not to vote for them then.

A cashless society is great until something goes wrong. Our local coop had problems recently and couldn’t accept any cards. Fortunately I had cash with me.
What happens when the Russians target our systems and everything goes down?

ReliantRobyn · 05/03/2023 12:30

Fairyliz · 05/03/2023 12:22

Another reason not to vote for them then.

A cashless society is great until something goes wrong. Our local coop had problems recently and couldn’t accept any cards. Fortunately I had cash with me.
What happens when the Russians target our systems and everything goes down?

Show quote history

We will trade in memes then. Starmer will sort you out don't worry.

Anyotherdude · 05/03/2023 12:40

Whilst not scared to death of the idea of going cashless (like Sweden, for example), I do think that if physical money were to disappear completely, then you could have the scenario, depicted in the 1st episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, where a group of people (in that case, women) suddenly lose control of their own finances.
That having to produce photo ID in order to vote in the UK has just been introduced does put into perspective the fact that the current government are aware of voting fraud/ potential voting coercion, and want to protect people from this.
However, a change of government might not be quite so benign (in the distant future, for example) and the potential then, for removal of access to funds of certain groups of people, while seemingly unlikely, is a real possibility.
IME if a new idea can be subverted, someone normally figures out how to mis-use it for their own gain!

Ginmonkeyagain · 05/03/2023 13:07

@DemiColon 😜 and "people" can see your HR records, health records, tax records too. What is so different about your current account?

Ginmonkeyagain · 05/03/2023 13:09

Your phone provider has a record of all the numbers you dial as well.

It's all a bit tin foil hat.

Saltywalruss · 05/03/2023 14:20

BMW6 · 05/03/2023 10:25

Cash is filthy. Can you imagine how much worse the Covid death toll would have been if people had to use cash only?

I don't think it would have made a lot of difference. The virus doesn't "live" very long on surfaces . And, anyway, hand sanitiser was available everywhere and PIN-pads are also dirty. Plus everything else you touch in a shop, including the things you are buying!

Saltywalruss · 05/03/2023 14:23

Anyotherdude · Today 12:40

Whilst not scared to death of the idea of going cashless (like Sweden, for example)

Sweden definitely isn't cashless.

Anyotherdude · 05/03/2023 15:52

@Saltywalruss , sorry, I wasn’t being clear! Sweden is “going” cashless faster than the rest of the world.
“In 2023, Sweden is proudly becoming the first cashless nation in the world, with an economy that goes 100 percent digital. Currently, about 80 percent of Swedes use cards with 58 percent of payments being made by card and only six percent made in cash, according to the Swedish Central Bank”
whether they will or not, it was certainly the first place I visited where I could purchase something of really small value using my card rather than cash.
Whether they will abolish cash completely remains to be seen - but I suspect it won’t be this year, as older people won’t like it…

Wallaw · 05/03/2023 16:06

ReliantRobyn · 04/03/2023 18:35

The sooner the better for a cashless society. I hear labour will fast track these changes if they get in

@ReliantRobyn

Do you have a source for that? I'd be interested in seeing it. Thanks!

Wallaw · 05/03/2023 16:12

@Fairyliz

What happens when the Russians target our systems and everything goes down?

But in that case you wouldn't be able to get any from the bank either. So unless you're keeping huge quantities of cash in your home (inadvisable, even in a safe), you're in the same position. Plus, in that case, all supply chains are going to be fucked anyway, so your local coop will be closed.

@Anyotherdude

the potential then, for removal of access to funds of certain groups of people, while seemingly unlikely, is a real possibility.

But a government inclined to do that could just as easily stop someone accessing cash, surely?

VanillaImpulse · 05/03/2023 17:04

But a government inclined to do that could just as easily stop someone accessing cash, surely?

They could but if cash is still available then you can trade with other people, sell things for cash so could still keep going. If there is no cash then you couldn't sell things, maybe exchange items perhaps

Wallaw · 05/03/2023 17:16

VanillaImpulse · 05/03/2023 17:04

But a government inclined to do that could just as easily stop someone accessing cash, surely?

They could but if cash is still available then you can trade with other people, sell things for cash so could still keep going. If there is no cash then you couldn't sell things, maybe exchange items perhaps

But that's not a feasible long term solution or plan. Mumsnet users fighting off cashless-big-brother by selling our candlesticks and our bodies to keep us in M&S ready meals is a pretty limited solution, at best.

Plus, any government that was really interested in stopping certain members of society from accessing funds would have other means in place to deal with those members of society.