Never to shy away from a challenge I started my first day without cash, with just 4 Rs 50 notes in my pocket for any emergencies.
Day 1.
- Went to petrol pump and got the tank filled, paid by my Credit Card (2900). As there is no surcharge on this credit card I was happy to pay by credit card.
- Wanted to get the air checked in the tires of the car. But did not have change in pocket to give to the pump boy, so skipped it. (Is this cheating on the challenge? I guess it is only postponing something not urgent)
- Went out for cup of T with my colleagues at the famous T stall. He accepts only cash and Sodexho coupons. So allowed my colleague to pay as I am on a cashless existence. I am sure he believes this is one of my cheap tricks and not a true experiment with life and money.
Day 2
- The maid’s salary was due. She accepts only cash. I tried to convince her to take check and promised to give her 100/- more if she takes check. But she informed me she does not have a bank account so will take only cash.
- Then came the car cleaning guy again cash only transaction. On my explaining to him that I do not have any cash today and may not have for a week. He looked at me with horror but offered to accept in form or some old T Shirts, and shoes provided he likes them. So I parted with some really nice barely worn T shirts which were too tight on my 80 kilo body, but are now hanging on his lean frame J. Long live the barter system. You clean my car and wear my T-Shirt in exchange. "Bloggers of the world Unite, you have nothing to loose but your Shirt"
- Took Sodexho coupons to the T Stall. (Technically they are not cash so I was ok with the same). The lady of the house thinks I am not taking the challenge in its true spirit.
Day 3
· Bought some groceries using Credit Card, at the supermarket.
Day 4
· Dinner with some visitors at a nice restaurant, wanted to add Tip in the Credit Card slip. But remembered what one of my friends in food business told me, a lot of staff do not receive tips given in this form. So reluctantly parted with 2 Fifty rupee notes. ( Hey I go there often and do not want to discover a roach in my soup)
Day 5
· Princess wanted to buy some potato chips from the grocery store in the basement of the building and this guy is a cash only business, coming after office I just did not had energy to fight with a kid who can scream on need, with no regards to the gazals being played at full volume at our neighbor’s house. So parted with another Rs 50 note.
Day 6 and 7
· “Hey did we not talked about the work week? Oh I did not mentioned that in the beginning?, well I am mentioning it now!… thus went the argument with Mrs. P. Never seen her grinning this wide not even on the day when her dad agreed for our marriage.
Thus my little experiment with Life and money ended. With Mrs. P smiling and telling me “ Told you So” .
But guys in all fairness if you see wherever I got stuck for cash was small transactions less than 500/- except for the salary of maid, and that poor women does not have a bank account, due to not having an ID proof. That topic needs a blog post of its own..
Thanks for reading, would love to hear from you.
I was wondering how you will pay the maid and the Dhobhi.
ReplyDeleteThe maid was paid cash, the dhobi takes monthly payment so I was saved :)
ReplyDeleteFiat paper currencies not backed/limited by gold or silver are tantamount to abuse. The currency loses value every year. Imagine what 10 rupees bought 10 years ago. Now compare it to what you can buy now. But if the currency loses value, where did that loss of value go? It got shaven off and put into well connected, rich people's pockets. Everyone who holds paper currencies gets pick-pocketed everyday.
ReplyDeleteSo ask yourself who decides on the amount of currency to print every year and how does he come up with a number? How come the people have no say in this? If they printed the right amount every year, there would be NO loss of value. They always print extra, and the extra amounts go into well connected pockets for "providing a service".
Now think a little deeper. Who owns the machine that prints the currency? Whoever owns it is the master of the universe right? So who owns the machine and who decides on printing the amounts? And when the currency has been printed, whose hands does the currency end up in first? The person who holds the paper currency first has the rights to products and services in the economy. let's just say at this first step the money is given away. The people next in the chain then must earn this money by working and/or begging.
Anyways, everyone can continue to play the game with the same currency that the corrupt sectors of the economy use. This currency keeps the powered in power. To break this chain, to getaway from this chain, to stop begging for this currency, trading between people in any terms other than paper currency will solve the problem of poverty creation. If people use gold or silver or barter between each other, they are no longer in the corrupt system. They've left those elements that are corrupt out in the cold.
Yes, poverty is created on purpose from the very top of the pyramid.
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ReplyDeleteHi Mitesh: Currency is needed as we can not go back to the barter system, but is paper currency still needed? That is the question we need to ponder upon. The whole concept of paper currency is suspicious in my eyes. I think we should move towards electronic currency asap, the technology for same is available, but we need political will.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the time I tried going without mobile phone in today's world... survived 2 months, not a small achievement :)
ReplyDelete