A Math Problem

sigh

people, I know HOW to pay online. I know HOW to buy and affix a stamp. I know how to pay bills and make phone calls and all that.

What surprises me in regards to this thread --- which was supposed to be a little economics puzzle looking at the macro-scenario and ultimate cost per transaction type is how many of you took it way too literally as if it's a serious problem for me, and are offering solutions. Not only does that miss the entire point (that's okay, my bad for failure of presentation), but that you all have fallen for the giant online banking thing.....Save paper, go online, it's free and easy! Or better yet, they'll take the money out automatically for you!! Or even best of all -- they'll shut down the internet and all of your "digits" will disappear!! Do you not worry about that?

For all your conspiratorial suspicions, you are fine with not having control over your own affairs?

Yeah, well, I'm not comfortable giving "the internet" that much credit for security. Every day thousands get their accounts hacked, fraudulently used, and credit ruined because of simony -- usury -- and trusting their most precious information to "the cloud."

Conspiracy theorists? LOL!! In real life, hackers get in. Just wanted you all to know.
As for the stamp? I'm going to let the bill ride until next month and see what happens. I expect I will have a carry over of the $1.05 with no 'late fee' added in.

Sorry I bothered.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Online payment is MUCH safer than it used to be. The pay portals are layered with encryption and monitored 24/7 by IT techs in most cases.

I understand the hesitation, but it's not anywhere near as risky as it used to be back in the inception days of the World Wide Web. To be honest, you have more chance of someone intercepting your mail, doctoring the check and stealing money from you than you are being hacked online.

Apologies if I got this wrong, I admit I only scanned the OP quickly.

a reply to: Kryties

Thanks Kryties -- it was my failure of presentation. I wanted to get at the "global meltdown" part of the issue. In these days of "slashing costs" and "improving systems" and "digital revolution!" it seemed like an interesting little puzzle.

To me.
To figure out which in the end is more wasteful and costly.
Anyway, yes, thanks. Mr Wigs works as one of those IT guys who ensures security --- he has worked for financial giants his whole career.....in the banking, taxes, stock management, trading environments. He's a senior Quality Assurance engineer in charge of PREVENTING those very things from happening.

He doesn't trust the internet. So I follow his lead in part. I do, however, use paypal, also use online pay for a couple of my other bills...thanks.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Ahh I get you now. Yeah sorry, I was way off in that last post lol.

I'm not an expert in this subject (the financial puzzle) by any means but I think each has their own individual problems.

From an environmental perspective we do need to stop using so much paper unless we can replant the trees as fast as we tear them down, likewise the environmental impact of giant server centres with their massive cooling systems just creates more crap going into the atmosphere. Each of those incurs massive financial costs in terms of either paper and manual accounting or electricity use.

I think the entire problem comes down to ease-of-use, and the ability of the companies being paid to be able to cut down on staff manually processing payments.

Your husband is correct not to trust the Internet, but I find that a lot of hacking and stealing occurs through the individuals own stupidity in not keeping their banking details secret and falling for online and email scams.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I see your point, or at least I think I do. Everything is going digital, kinda seems that way or might be inevitable....? But I do see your point and why you've come to write it, good point!