As you buy Christmas presents, please consider shopping locally and using cash. In this way, each of us helps to safeguard our community as well as our money. Those who have recently moved to this area can check out all the wonderful small businesses and help ensure this region stays fantastic.
Every time you pay with a card, a middle person gets paid and probably is laughing all the way to the bank. It probably is the bank.
When the floods happened in 2022 and the ATMs were out for weeks, it was impossible to buy food or petrol if you didn’t have a stash of cash available. I’m sure that won’t be the only time electronic money will fail us.
Australians are losing more than $1 billion a year to debit and credit card scammers but the federal government is nonetheless urging a cashless society. If your wallet is robbed, you only lose what was in there, but when your bank cards get scammed, you could lose your life savings!
Digital payments help the tax department by providing transparency and accountability. For all of us except, of course, many uber-wealthy who have people who help them cover their tracks so they don’t have to pay tax.
And what about all the little cash transactions that keep our communities vibrant, unique and thriving, such as CWA cake stalls, school fetes, farmers’ markets? And small home endeavours, such as garage sales, veggie stalls selling excess produce or entrepreneurial kids doing jobs to make a bit of spending money?
I’m sure waitstaff at restaurants have noticed a dip in tips with the increasing use of card payments. I saw a tip-jar in a cafe that said ‘Afraid of change? Leave it here’. It’s a bit mute if everyone is paying by card.
So, do everyone a favour this Christmas and shop locally, pull out your purse and pay with some old-fashioned cash. You might even want to give your change to a good busker.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
