I know some people still prefer to go to a Bank or Credit Union to do their banking but certainly here in Australia in many instances that option simply isn’t available. It’s not only because of great distances but also corporate policy.
For years my pay was deposited in my bank account and I only received a little square envelope which had heaps of information printed on the inside. It told me how much I’d earned so far that financial year, how much Super I’d paid and tax etc but there was no hard cash. I had to go to the bank for that. Some people had to create bank accounts just so they could get their pay.
Before the Direct Deposits became the official system I used to get a cheque which I took to the bank to cash. I used to get actual notes and coins which I tendered for all my purchases and to pay my rent. When I first started working though I was paid cash, it was given to me in a little brown Kalamazoo envelope. On the outside was simply written my name and the amount of money enclosed. No way could I have dreamt that in years to come I’d be using a single card to pay for just about everything only really needing coins to make the Dog Wash work.