Cashless society

[Value Collector]

With end of financial year sales noticed that many retailers nowadays couldn't care less if you offered to pay them cash (so as to try get a better deal/cheaper price etc.) as blatantly told that's the price mate & don't accept cash anyway... miss those good 'ol days when negotiating "best cash price" would usually get you a great discount.

It’s because the retailers don’t really save anything when you pay cash. They probably pay 0.79% on credit card transactions, so what are they going to offer you 79cent discount on a $100 item? But then again that cash sale costs them in banking cost too, probably more than the 79cent credit card fee.

If you want a deal from a retailer spend 2 mins and find the item online cheaper and ask them to match.

I recently saved $300 off an item at JB Hi FI, because I pointed out that Myer sold the item for the same price, but coles was selling Myer gift cards at a 15% discount, so I needed a 15% discount to match the price I could get it for using the discounted Myer gift cards, he spoke to his manager and did it.

 

[JohnDe]

It’s personal preference I guess, but if your plan is to get cash out while you shop, it seems to me you may as well just use your card to pay.

You might be suffering Stockholm syndrome, and not realise the inconvenience you are suffering because you are used to the inconvenience.

Try committing to going completely cashless for a month, it’s a bit like getting an electric car, eg you won’t want to go back to the service station.

You might like collectable coins, but I would rather just pay the $97 on card, collect points instead and leave the $3 of coins in the bank earning interest.

As I mentioned, there are many ways of collecting cash.

What makes you think that I don’t use a card and collect points?

Do you know that you can pay your tax bill with a card and collect thousands of points?

My monthly payment to business creditors gives me thousands of points.

Paying for all the small stuff with cash like groceries, dinner, wine & craft beers is something I enjoy and gives me great satisfaction.

You trying to guess my life only shows off your personality. Try living dangerously ?

 

[Smurf1976]

That depends on a cost benefit analysis I guess, eg what is the actual benefit you receive by holding on to this extra cash vs the cost of using the cash system.

Some exceptions but most people have relatively limited time these days.

If EFTPOS fails then that doesn't change that they need to do their shopping, they've got a doctors / dentist / vet or whatever appointment or they've already pumped fuel into their car's tank.

Just because a bank's systems fail, doesn't mean life comes to a halt. Cash provides a backup there.

Much like owning a car and also living within usable distance of public transport provides a backup. Even if you don't routinely catch the bus, its existence is a backup if your car breaks.

 

[Value Collector]

Some exceptions but most people have relatively limited time these days.

If EFTPOS fails then that doesn't change that they need to do their shopping, they've got a doctors / dentist / vet or whatever appointment or they've already pumped fuel into their car's tank.

Just because a bank's systems fail, doesn't mean life comes to a halt. Cash provides a backup there.

Much like owning a car and also living within usable distance of public transport provides a backup. Even if you don't routinely catch the bus, its existence is a backup if your car breaks.

Yes, people have limited time, so having to make weekly visits to the ATM probably don’t rate highly on the agenda.

As I said nothing wrong with having a spare $100 note if you really want a back up, but regularly paying in cash is going to drain your time far more than that once in 10 year dash to an ATM in an emergency.

 

[Telamelo]

It’s because the retailers don’t really save anything when you pay cash. They probably pay 0.79% on credit card transactions, so what are they going to offer you 79cent discount on a $100 item? But then again that cash sale costs them in banking cost too, probably more than the 79cent credit card fee.

If you want a deal from a retailer spend 2 mins and find the item online cheaper and ask them to match.

I recently saved $300 off an item at JB Hi FI, because I pointed out that Myer sold the item for the same price, but coles was selling Myer gift cards at a 15% discount, so I needed a 15% discount to match the price I could get it for using the discounted Myer gift cards, he spoke to his manager and did it.

re: If you want a deal from a retailer spend 2 mins and find the item online cheaper and ask them to match.

Done that many a time with great success ? most recently at chemist warehouse & saved 40%?

 

[Value Collector]

1, What makes you think that I don’t use a card and collect points?

2, Do you know that you can pay your tax bill with a card and collect thousands of points?

3, My monthly payment to business creditors gives me thousands of points.

4, Paying for all the small stuff with cash like groceries, dinner, wine & craft beers is something I enjoy and gives me great satisfaction.

5, You trying to guess my life only shows off your personality. Try living dangerously ?

1, You said you use cash, and gave an example of using cash when you could have collected points, so I assumed you aren’t making the most of it.

2, No, you don’t earn points on the Tax office transactions. However, you can use those gift cards you get at coles when they are on sale for a 10% discount, and collect flybuys in the process.

3, smart but every bit counts, so add your groceries on there too.

4, Really??? You actually enjoy handling cash? Getting change actually annoys the hell out of me.

5, I am not guessing, I am going off what you told me.

 

[Telamelo]

1, You said you use cash, and gave an example of using cash when you could have collected points, so I assumed you aren’t making the most of it.

2, No, you don’t earn points on the Tax office transactions. However, you can use those gift cards you get at coles when they are on sale for a 10% discount, and collect flybuys in the process.

3, smart but every bit counts, so add your groceries on there too.

4, Really??? You actually enjoy handling cash? Getting change actually annoys the hell out of me.

5, I am not guessing, I am going off what you told me.

I don't mind paying with cash but so true, getting loose change annoys the hell out of me as I tend to try exchange it for notes wherever I can or even find an ATM to make a deposit lol

 

[Value Collector]

re: If you want a deal from a retailer spend 2 mins and find the item online cheaper and ask them to match.

Done that many a time with great success ? most recently at chemist warehouse & saved 40%?

2 Christmas’s ago I went to pet barn to buy few bags of kitty litter, they were $28 a bag, the girl at the check out asked if I would like to donate $2 to their charity I said since it’s Christmas let’s do $500.

She was so shocked and grateful she immediately said let me just check online pricing, can probably give you a big discount on this kitty litter since you are so generous, ever since I have been doing the price check thing, and been saving big. Considering the $500 donation was tax deductible, and I have now saved hundreds of dollars in kitty litter, that $500 donation was a great investment. ?

 

[Value Collector]

I don't mind paying with cash but so true, getting loose change annoys the hell out of me as I tend to try exchange it for notes wherever I can or even find an ATM to make a deposit lol

It’s especially annoying in foreign currencies, life’s to short to have to deal with coins ?

 

[farmerge]

So for cash in any form of "plastic fantastic", any outage however long or short, is more than a inconvenience.
Forces the consumer to consider having two or more banking sources of "plastic cash" cards.

Cash is, was and always will be king.

Hey Mr Craton that's my mantra.

 

[farmerge]

And people can also keep a reserve of cash, for when the banking system has a crash. Pretty hard to do that with a cashless system

People I am currnetly working for got caught out badly yesterday. The wife went and filled up the car with fuel. Oophs can't pay card activating. Rings her husband some distance aay. Bring over some loot so Ican get away from the servo. Crickey haven't got enough coin in the house. Asks me if I had a 50 in my wallet, which I did, saved the day for them.

 

[farmerge]

I think people that pay in cash all the time would have much more frequent instances of looking into their wallet and finding they are short, and then face the anxiety and inconvenience of having to go and find an ATM before they get to their actual plans.

Sure by all means carry a $50 or $100 as back up, but you are pretending if you think cash is anywhere near as convenient as cashless methods.

As I said I will take a 1 in 3000 chance that I might have to run to an ATM when my card fails one day, rather than having visiting an ATM weekly as part of a routine.

Never used an ATM I guess I am fortunate that I get sufficient in brown paper bags from various jobs to eleviate the need.

 

[Smurf1976]

As I said nothing wrong with having a spare $100 note if you really want a back up, but regularly paying in cash is going to drain your time far more than that once in 10 year dash to an ATM in an emergency.

Thing is, you can't make that dash to the ATM in an emergency.

The very circumstance under which you need cash, failure of banking systems, also shuts down your ability to get hold of it.

As with any insurance, you need to get it before you need it. It's too late once the need has arisen.

Last time I bought anything with cash was November 2022. Remember it well - 29 hour blackout. The local shops were open but strictly cash only, no EFTPOS, and after about 25 hours the mobile phone network was failing too - still had a signal but data was so slow as to be useless in practice.

Since I had power at home, from my own backup, and cash life basically carried on. Main nuisance was the tree which blew over.

 

[farmerge]

Thing is, you can't make that dash to the ATM in an emergency.

The very circumstance under which you need cash, failure of banking systems, also shuts down your ability to get hold of it.

As with any insurance, you need to get it before you need it. It's too late once the need has arisen.

Last time I bought anything with cash was November 2022. Remember it well - 29 hour blackout. The local shops were open but strictly cash only, no EFTPOS, and after about 25 hours the mobile phone network was failing too - still had a signal but data was so slow as to be useless in practice.

Since I had power at home, from my own backup, and cash life basically carried on. Main nuisance was the tree which blew over.

Bloody trees always causing problems.

 

[Value Collector]

People I am currnetly working for got caught out badly yesterday. The wife went and filled up the car with fuel. Oophs can't pay card activating. Rings her husband some distance aay. Bring over some loot so Ican get away from the servo. Crickey haven't got enough coin in the house. Asks me if I had a 50 in my wallet, which I did, saved the day for them.

It’s no big deal, just go inside the fuel station, give them your details and tell them you will be back within the hour with the payment.

I am pretty sure by law they have to allow you a minimum of 1 hour to come back with an alternative form of payment.

 

[farmerge]

It’s no big deal, just go inside the fuel station, give them your details and tell them you will be back within the hour with the payment.

I am pretty sure by law they have to allow you a minimum of 1 hour to come back with an alternative form of payment.

Tht might work in your neck of the woods but not here with the Indian and Pakistani mafia running the servos on both sides of the road.

 

[wayneL]

Last time I bought anything with cash was...

...this afternoon.

Probably 80% of everything is with cash. Actually nearly 100% of everything not online .

 

[Value Collector]

Thing is, you can't make that dash to the ATM in an emergency.

The very circumstance under which you need cash, failure of banking systems, also shuts down your ability to get hold of it.

In that case the guy planning to go to the ATM to get cash for his groceries, and the guy planning to use his credit card are in the exact same pickle.

 

[Value Collector]

Tht might work in your neck of the woods but not here with the Indian and Pakistani mafia running the servos on both sides of the road.

I haven’t tried it myself, My car is electric hahaha so I am not buying anything at the servo etc for cokes and pasties, and even in the 17 years of driving a petrol car I never had my card fail, But I did see a lawyer talking about it, and apparently that’s the law, you give your licence details and tell them your plan, then you can just leave and return with the payment.

 

[farmerge]

I haven’t tried it myself, My car is electric hahaha so I am not buying anything at the servo etc for cokes and pasties, and even in the 17 years of driving a petrol car I never had my card fail, But I did see a lawyer talking about it, and apparently that’s the law, you give your licence details and tell them your plan, then you can just leave and return with the payment.

Perhaps but didn't work for the peopke I am working for. No coin no can leave.