we have been on the path towards a decreasing tangible basis for value. It isn't hard for me to envision a future where fiat money moves from cash to electrons. Maybe not 10 years, but eventually. Whether it actually does so, and how long it takes, I see as largely a political and not a technological debate.
A new tyranny bequeathed to our children's future, perhaps. Certainly another erosion of personal freedom.The attached article is painting a picture that in as little as ten years, paper cash may go the way of the black and white TV.
Where will the hobby be without cash?
Apart from things like Bitcoin (Which I do not recommend as it strikes me as a high tech Ponzi scheme.) how will we clients be able to transfer donations to providers without leaving the dreaded "paper trail"?
Any whiz-bank economists/futurists out there want to comment?
Are we facing a future of washing the providers' dishes and painting their houses in order to fulfill our obligations?
Prepaid debit/visa card.
Not foolproof, but close enough
We'll use Google Wallet in Incognito mode. Or the ladies will get creative when their donation appears on our paper trail. rrasha golf and sundries. tobitedford collectibles. montero meditation techniques. "Wow, honey, I've been needing a lot of meditation lately".
If the telecom grid has a lurch then e-pay methods can't work. Just last week went to a restaurant where their computers were down and they could only take cash. They were so screwed up by it that they weren't even trying to charge tax! Said they'd pay for it later once the systems came back on line - a loss in the short term, but they kept their customers. At least, those who had cash.
Travelled to certain locales that have been inundated with stolen credit card use such that they were applying a 20% surcharge to the bill if you you used a card. But tell them up front it's cash deal and that surcharge disappeared. Yes, that's two different pricing schemes in a single business, but they have to take steps to protect their bottom line too.
Currency is a store of value that can easily be exchanged for items/services, is widely accepted, and (hopefully) highly portable. Can be paper dollars, Apple Pay, gold coins, rai stones, Bitcoin, Google Wallet, Visa, Mastercard, cowry shells, shekels, pennies, etc.
In each case you gain them by exchanging something of yours: time, wisdom, services, labor, creativity, body, etc. When it's time to exchange your "currency" it's usually for something worth more to you at that moment than the currency itself.
Maybe providers in the future will accept furniture, appliances, jewelry, foreign currency, precious metals, collectibles, vacations, car leases and so on. Perhaps they'll start their own thrift stores to unload the items they don't want, or so you can buy something and then give it back to her; or sell it at a highly discounted price and she keeps the margin.
Ohhhh but I'd have to pick it out and I have expensive taste and my birthstone is DIAMONDS!!! 
Naturally, you'd want to meet somewhere first and perhaps travel to the store together as a couple. When in the store she can shop to her heart's content, but only up to the session value - over that is on her dime and you'd want agree how to work that out before it comes up.
After selection he pays and keeps the receipt, she gets the jewelry and a gift/insurance receipt, and a celebration ensues at a private venue such as where they met.
She gets bragging rights that someone gave her jewelry, he spent the same as usual.
It would be for more than the $$$ value. I have expensive taste so getting a credit at a jewelry store and having to fork over my own $$$ to get what I want would not give anyone bragging rights to jewelry I have to come out of pocket for.
Steph xoxo
Wouldn't the credit card companies just love it if we did have cash on hand to pay for stuff!
But I'd take big ass gold bars if cash went away, lol!
xoxo,
Steph
Steph, you have been known to be a cerebral woman who is usually a savvy investor. With that said, how much gold do you really have in your portfolio?
The queen always ends up with all of it....
Thank you
2015 = 28
Cha- CHING!
Providers will need to be specially fitted with the proper ass cheek readers, of course.
Where will the hobby be without cash?
Apart from things like Bitcoin (Which I do not recommend as it strikes me as a high tech Ponzi scheme.) how will we clients be able to transfer donations to providers without leaving the dreaded "paper trail"?
Any whiz-bank economists/futurists out there want to comment?
Are we facing a future of washing the providers' dishes and painting their houses in order to fulfill our obligations?
..precisely because it is discreet.
I doubt it will disappear in 10 years, however I can see that happening within the next century.
Probably won't affect those reading these boards.
It'll be a gradual move as it has been for the past half-century now.
...precisely because it is discreet.
we have been on the path towards a decreasing tangible basis for value. It isn't hard for me to envision a future where fiat money moves from cash to electrons. Maybe not 10 years, but eventually. Whether it actually does so, and how long it takes, I see as largely a political and not a technological debate.
A new tyranny bequeathed to our children's future, perhaps. Certainly another erosion of personal freedom.
At least one party in a session , given probable cause for a search can be held for suspicion of drug trafficking just based on the cash on their person. That is now, not in the future. Each piece of paper currency has a unique magnetic identity, now not future.
All it will take is a tragedy and the right mix of politicians and news coverage and carrying any cash will be a serious crime.
But do not worry, there are no minds more crafty than the two oldest professions and they are not going anywhere as long as there is demand for their services.
The market has prevailed since before words were written, and always will.
Yes always.
to set up business for transferring money incognito. Something similar to hush mail.
It can work within a country as well, it doesn't have to only cross borders.
Say you? because nowhere in the article it was insinuated that there is no future for cash.
Of course there will ALWAYS be cash no matter what. Not every transaction is ideal for cash-less. Especially true if the nature of the business is less than legal!
Last but not least the way the electronics world is becoming more and more risky and dangerous with ever increasing stories of fraud and hacks cash may turn out to be the SAFEST way to safeguard your wealth. No one is going to steal it by hacking into your bank account or computer or some private institution going bankrupt.
I posted a while back:
There's someone who tours to NY (from PA) who will accept specie. Her website says,
i am also accepting gold & silver in lieu of federal reserve notes. you may pay exclusively in silver, or *established friends* may mix-and-match precious metals with cash (i also accept gold) -- contact me privately for such an arrangement.
a couple of notes: PLEASE bear in mind that these rates are subject to fluctuate. these are accurate as of 11/12/13. also, please make sure you mention using silver or gold when contacting me.
1 hr ~ 14 oz of silver
1.5 hrs ~ 20 oz of silver
2 hrs ~ 25 oz. of silver
3 hours ~ 1/2 oz. of gold + 5 oz silver
4 hours ~ 1/2 oz. of gold + 10 oz. silver
12-16 hours (overnight)~ 1 oz. of gold
(Be sure to wipe your fingerprints from the coins so they don't "get dusted".)
What about other collectibles? I can see a variation on Antiques Roadshow: "This genuine Indian Blanket is worth one million dollars at auction or one hour with each and every provider on your regional TER board for the rest of your life." Go figure. It was just sitting on the back of a chair
mrfisher, you're right to be worried about Bitcoin but not about it being a ponzi scheme. Nobody is at the top of a pyramid here, though speculators have been playing a "greater fool" game for four or five years with it.
Distributed ledgers (basically, the system trusts transactions when confirmed by multiple unrelated sources and there's no central server) are coming and will change things. But Bitcoin itself may not be what wins. I like Ripple right now, which has gone open-source, as the likely winner. It offers things like transaction-level refunds, which Bitcoin lacks. I suspect Bitcoin will continue to get mauled by speculators until it becomes the MySpace of distributed currencies.
...how else would the CIA make their bribes and payoffs around the world?
Sur, cash cash and one more cash only!