Vocal Voices

A 1st world problem is creeping up on us; what to do about pocket money as we gradually become a cashless society? Kids (generally) can't have cards, so what to do?

We got pocket money for doing chores, but dad came home every Friday night with a bag of treats to last us the week - that was it. We also paid our children for chores, but we bought their treats throughout the week to an amount we kept an eye on.

Neither of those will work once cash disappears.

One idea I like is a sort of token card topped up by mum and dad. The children use it as a payment card, but can only spend what is on it. Parents / guardians load it up via an app. It might actually be a good thing to teach them about banking and budgeting in the modern world.

You gave them pocket money ??????

Seriously, though, I doubt very much if we will ever move to a cashless society. There's no substitute for a hard bit of metal in your mitt; the ethereal cash in the cloud without substance or meaning is as transient as the morning mist, at risk from every hacker, scam artist, Nigerian prince and totalitarian Government State. *

Sweden appears to be at the forefront of the cashless society movement, but I'm sure I read recently that there are growing concerns for the elderly and the disadvantage, and a worry that if the internet fails, then there will be financial and economic collapse.

Yes we may find ways of "facilitating" payment, but I reckon that little gold coin is here to stay - certainly for the remainder of my lifetime, for sure.

* I'm still waiting for that $1.375m, Frank, have you sent it yet?

The banks are certainly trying to push us towards a cashless society, then they can close all those expensive branches down.
I'm dead against it. Only this week someone tried to access my daughter's on-line bank account. She had £80 stolen from it last month.
I suppose governments might be for it too. No hiding cash under the bed away from the tax man.
I'm with Os, I still want the cash in my wallet, not some figures on a spreadsheet.

I can't see it happening, we will always need cash for odds and sods.

I am NOT for cashless, but going against ther flow I do think it will happen - banks and gov't want it.

Ossie wrote:* I'm still waiting for that $1.375m, Frank, have you sent it yet?

Ossie, as I said earlier, you were late with your application by a few thousands or more. You need to keep halving the halves a few times, well quite a lot as the queue had grown... and I still haven't got your PIN, which is the deal clincher.

Went dancing last night. Payment is cash only. It would never work any other way. Imagine 20 or more couples paying by card. We know the man who runs it would not use cards. He even pays for his hoidays in cash.

Cash only for me except one line shopping but never banking

Cash always works here, it's just what they do.

I can't see that a cashless society is a wise thing to even consider.

I once read, in a scientific book, that ocasionally our sun (the solar system one) bursts out, into the universe, a cloud of a radio-active substance
which, if it happened on one occasion to come in our direction and invade our atmosphere, would completely wipe-out all our radio and television
signals. This would result, for a very long time, in a complete loss of all radio and television signals. We could of course tolerate such an event,
but we would find it extremely difficult to manage if we had no physical money.

Well, here in France, people use cheques for all sorts of things you would use cash for in the UK. Going to the repas at the local fete, pay by cheque. Go to a dance class, ditto.

Personally I think mobile phone cashless wallets will win out in the end. Apple has hedged their bets by creating a card which links to a phone for places that do not accept phone tap to pay.

When you link the card to the phone wallet, parents will be able to top it up, control spending and monitor how it is being used.

Young people see this as the way forward.