Privacy

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Decided to start paying predominantly cash again (lemmy.mtate.me.uk)

submitted 3 months ago by smeeps@lemmy.mtate.me.uk to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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I had two reasons, the first is because i found it way too easy to spend on my card without thinking, and the second because I wanted to regain a bit of privacy alongside everything else I'm doing. Ive set it up in my bank that on payday, an amount of my salary automatically goes to the bills account, some goes to long term savings, some to short term savings, then the rest I take out in cash.

It really does change my perception of spending I think: Ive found myself not buying things because I didnt want to break a note and carry change. I can physically see how much I have left. I can take £20 to the pub and leave when its finished. Plus it feels really good knowing every single transaction isnt stored forever. I have a small amount of money on a contactless ring for emergencies like a bus fare or somewhere that unexpectedly only takes card.

Is anyone else still predominantly using cash day to day?

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[–] xilliah@beehaw.org 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

My bank recently got rid of their own contactless payment app and now I am forced to use Google pay. You have to accept Google's privacy terms and they'll have access to all your transactions. No thanks.

Beyond that I quite like using tech. Still waiting for bitcoin to take off after more than a decade. For budgeting you can use programs and it'll notify you real time on your expenditures.

[–] smeeps@lemmy.mtate.me.uk 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

This decision was helped by moving to GrapheneOS and losing Google Pay, definitely. (And Degoogling for other reasons at the same time). If I have to carry a card I may as well carry cash, a few folded notes are the same footprint as a card and as I mentioned, I try not to break notes if I don't have to, so I'm not carrying change often.

[–] xilliah@beehaw.org 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I've lived in Germany and cards are just not really a thing there. The only real thing I hated about it was that everyone was somehow incapable of just prepping their cash, so I've wasted countless hours waiting in line at banks.

The other thing I hated was during corona. I worked in a store and we had to handle all that cash 🤢

Other than that, the coins are quite annoying. They're bulky and heavy. My trick was to just empty them out every time I came home into a bowl. Then once a year or so I'd get it turned into paper money.

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I have a leather coin bag full of change that I swear I could bludgeon a person to death with because it just so rarely gets used.
It pulls down my pants if I bring it with me anywhere.

I recently had it with me out recently and ended up paying the restaurant bill in exact change because of it and we were all amazed. They say it doesn't happen really anymore.

I just can't justify the like 8 bucks of paper money it would make me either.

[–] xilliah@beehaw.org 1 points 3 months ago

😂 The way you wrote it I imagined your pants dropping during a fight.

When I exchanged it I'd always end up with well over 100 euros, even 200.

It was also useful when I was low on money. Just yesterday my account was in the negative because.. apparently it is possible for companies to get money from me when I have none? Well at least the coins were always safely there in my drawer so I could you know.. eat?