Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

BBC news was saying this morning that Sweden has gone electronic money? Not something I would welcome, it must be very hard to keep track of your outgoings if you don't have receipts (only time I ever did (inadvertantly) an electronic card transaction I wasn't given a receipt) or a residue of visible notes/coins in your wallet. I think debt would spiral out of control.

ivyleaf

GreyQueen wrote: »

Most people rather enjoy spending money. Wine rather than tap water. Takeouts over beans on toast at home. We like buying new things, shiny things, pretty things, things which go VROOM!!!!! and meals that we don't have to cook ourselves or wash up after. Holibobs are always a popular treat.

If people aren't spending money, there are usually very sound reasons. Which economists would know about if they removed their heads from their derrieres and actually met and mingled with a broad spectrum of Real People, particularly the vast majority of the population who are on modest-to-low incomes.

If your costs of living go up, whilst your wages are static or falling, you spend less. If your employment is looking precarious, you spend less. If your health is becoming erratic, and you are concerned about your ongoing ability to earn, you spend less. If the interest on your savings now has to be found with a magnifying glass, you spend less. If your little shop, stall, cafe or whatever, is turning over fewer sales, you spend less.

All these things are blindingly obvious to Joe and Josephine Soap, who have the great advantage of not being economists. But the big brains in that profession seem incapable of grasping cause-and-effect.

Reviewing my personal spending for May 2015 to date, I have spent £20 on archery lessons, £11.50 on a coach ticket and £5 for charity. That is the sum total of my elective spending, every other penny was on bills and groceries. This is a fairly typical month, too.

This is so much common sense :T

I hereby propose GreyQueen for Chancellor! We should start a campaign!

ivyleaf

Lyn Do you mean "contactless" payments, where you just "show" your card to the reader? I did one of those the other day and could have sworn I got a receipt, but perhaps I didn't i'll try another one soon and see.

[Deleted User]

Yes, just hand your card over and stand like a loon waiting to put in the pin and then it's handed back with the comment 'all finished'.

nuatha

ivyleaf wrote: »

Lyn Do you mean "contactless" payments, where you just "show" your card to the reader? I did one of those the other day and could have sworn I got a receipt, but perhaps I didn't i'll try another one soon and see.

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Yes, just hand your card over and stand like a loon waiting to put in the pin and then it's handed back with the comment 'all finished'.

The contactless payment is you wave your card in the direction of the reader. Putting your card in the reader and entering a PIN is considered a contact payment, in either case you should have a receipt, exactly the same as if you'd paid by cash.
I simply stand at the till and refuse to budge until they've given me the receipt. I've been asked if there was anything else I wanted, in which case I point out that I'm waiting for the receipt that their till has printed for me. (I'm an awkward sod, I've also been known to point out the errors, both over and undercharges and insist they are rectified).

[Deleted User]

I didn't do it intentionally!!!! I'll make sure they give me a receipt from now on though, thank you!

nuatha

ivyleaf wrote: »

This is so much common sense :T

I hereby propose GreyQueen for Chancellor! We should start a campaign!

What has she done to deserve that? It strikes me as a cruel and unusual punishment

jk0 wrote: »

I wonder if the Greeks are more likely to save coins rather than notes in view of Greek Euro notes actually being identifiable?

If Greece exits the Euro, do Greek Euro notes become worthless? What about Greek Euronotes that have found their way to Italy, France or Germany (there's bound to be some)

[Deleted User]

Should that be CANCELLOR? after all she's the one who can shoot straight.....lovely thought eh GQ?

jk0

nuatha wrote: »

If Greece exits the Euro, do Greek Euro notes become worthless? What about Greek Euronotes that have found their way to Italy, France or Germany (there's bound to be some)

It's a good question. I think if I was a resident of another Eurozone country, I would go and spend any Greek Euro notes asap, just in case they do.

moneyistooshorttomention

Been googling re Sweden and it looks like its the nearest there is to a cashless society - but still does use cash and will in fact be printing more banknotes at some point this year.

Add the fact that the Swedes are a more democratic and law-abiding society than many (including ours.....:() and I don't see Britain going cashless for quite some time - if ever.

EDIT: Apologies - typo error - I meant "I don't see Sweden going cashless for quite some time..."

(Nor Britain either of course)