I let my last credit/debit card expire this month

[QuestionAuthority]

what kind of card is it?

It was a Carte Blanche. He was the last person on earth with an active account. lol

[AtheistAKASaneBrain]

Do you take any anonymous measures like mixing coins before paying and whatnot? or you don't care about what shows up on the blockchain?
I would like to try this but I don't want my name attached to blockchain transactions.

[fryarminer]

Great story indeed
If we started a Poll to ask people, if they could do the same thing, almost 90% of them would say NO.
I find that it is easier for people living in 1st world countries to break the chains, than with 3rd world countries. Simply because more services like these exist locally for them to go 100% off the grid.
This is truely inspiring and one of my primary goals for the future.

I would think it the other way around - third world countries don't have credit cards do they?
Not that Mexico is a third world country, but when I was there several years ago people actually owned the cars they drove and credit cards didn't exist.

[QuestionAuthority]

Great story indeed
If we started a Poll to ask people, if they could do the same thing, almost 90% of them would say NO.
I find that it is easier for people living in 1st world countries to break the chains, than with 3rd world countries. Simply because more services like these exist locally for them to go 100% off the grid.
This is truely inspiring and one of my primary goals for the future.

I would think it the other way around - third world countries don't have credit cards do they?
Not that Mexico is a third world country, but when I was there several years ago people actually owned the cars they drove and credit cards didn't exist.

Yeah and Mexican sewers don't work. They wipe their ass and throw the paper in a bucket next to the toilet. The age of consent is 18 but most things in Mexico don't go by the law. It's common to see 14-15 year old prostitutes working the streets. Drug cartels control major sections of Mexico including the largest cities. The Mexican Federales are afraid of the largest cartels like the Knights Templar, Los Zetas or Sinaloa unless they're on the take (which they usually are). I lived in Mexico for a few years and even thought about buying a retirement house in Baja. Don't make decisions based on what happens in Mexico. There's a reason they keep illegally crossing the border into the USA. I would too if I was born in Mexico.

[goosoodude]

Very nice, this is essentially at least a 2-3% bonus (depending on how much of your salary you need to convert into fiat, price declines, ect.) raise over your normal wage. This is also the taxes I was referring to as say you needed to sell $1,100 worth of bitcoin to cover your fiat related living expenses, but only "paid" $1,000 (via your wages) then you would owe taxes on that $100 in short term capital gains (assuming the below tax break would not apply to this)

Unless I create a localbitcoin sales company based in the Caymans and I draw a salary for my efforts. Then it is income which is subject to the $100k limit. But paying capital gains on $1k or so for the year is not that big of a deal (which I keep diligent records of when exchanging cash for bitcoins because I love the IRS and am a loyal citizen, etc.).

It sounds like you are above board regarding your bitcoin dealings and taxes. Based on what I have heard from people I have discussed bitcoin with in person, it seems that a lot of people are engaging in questionable tax practices when it comes to their bitcoin dealings which is not a smart idea nor is it good for "bitcoin's" reputation

[BillyBobZorton]

The thing is if you are a trader, even if you wanted to, it would be a pain in the ass to report all tax gains. Let's say you've been trading since 2010+mining+signature campaings+gamblings, now add up the fact some of the exchanges you traded at are dead and buried and records are lost, now take into account some of the coins you holded and exchanged are dead, now into account you've mixed your coins several times... how in hell are you supossed to report anything? it gives me an headache if someone asked me where my bitcoins come from, because i don't even know it at this point.

[countryfree]

I have found Bitcoin to be so much more convenient than my bank account. I must have had at least 3 different e-mails telling me on the 1st of the month that my card on file had expired. Companies that could withdraw funds from my account. My friend at work just had over $800 taken out of his bank account this week for his phone bill that was linked to his account. He was having trouble with his phone plan so he switched to a different one on the site. He did not realize that the new plan charged 40 cents per kB of data while all of the plans he used before had data included. I've had so many automatic fees taken out of my bank account that I've had to dispute. One that charged me $50 per month for over a year that I could not get the right number or department to turn it off, finally going to the bank to get them to block it.

With Bitcoin I control my money. My hosting service charges me monthly in bitcoins. If I want to stop my service I stop the payments. If I stay at a hotel and they want to tack on some fees after I've left...they cannot, I paid with bitcoins. I don't have to worry about insufficient fund fees kicking in because of a bad ordering of payments which then snowball for a bunch of tiny purchases. I don't have to pay yearly credit card fees or interest payments ever again.

I can get paid in bitcoins from my US company and sell those bitcoins for a profit in euros to spend instead of paying for a wire transfer and currency exchange fee plus ATM fees to get the money from my paycheck.

No, please, there are ways to avoid all that. No company has any right to make direct debits on my account, I haven't paid for any fee for a wire transfer for over a year, and I've only paid ATM fee once this year because I had no time to go to the fee-less ATM. I had a bank account with ridiculous fees, but I quickly closed it. With a bit of organization, banks work. You can make BTC works too, but BTC also calls for organization.

The problem as I sse it today, is that if you want to avoid cards, you'll always end up spending more. You can fly Easyjet without a credit card, but you'll pay more. I bought a car in Germany last week. Germans usually don't pay the registration tax on the spot, they give their bank account details, and the money is taken off their account sometimes later. With me not having a bank account in Germany, I had to use the service of an agent, and I paid him cash, but I ended up paying more than a German with a bank account would have paid... I hope that someday, companies will give you a discount if you pay with BTC, but I don't see that coming soon for anything I usually buy.

[Elwar]

I bought a car in Germany last week. Germans usually don't pay the registration tax on the spot, they give their bank account details, and the money is taken off their account sometimes later. With me not having a bank account in Germany, I had to use the service of an agent, and I paid him cash, but I ended up paying more than a German with a bank account would have paid... I hope that someday, companies will give you a discount if you pay with BTC, but I don't see that coming soon for anything I usually buy.

Interesting, I bought a car in Germany last fall. I had no cash and to transfer that much over would have taken days. I could take money from my US bank account at the ATM at a heavy conversion and ATM fee which had a limit of 4-500 euro per day so it would have taken me 10 days of doing that to get the cash. Instead I went on localbitcoins and got 5000 euros for my 12 bitcoins (price was higher at the time) and paid the private seller in cash. It is probably different for me since I go through the military for registration. That was a hassle of its own.

What part of Germany are you in?

[Elwar]

Ok, a few people asked for me to update with any difficulties I run into with this.

I usually do not buy bitcoins through localbitcoins but I stuck an ad on there anyway a long time ago at a percentage that I did not think anyone would ever take, and since Germany blocked localbitcoins I cannot edit my ad so everyone in Germany is locked into how we were in December. (I probably shouldn't be saying on a public forum that people can still get to those ads...so shhh).

Anyway, I get a message from someone who really needed some money. He arrived in Germany to work and the ATM ate his card. He tried to get his wife to Western Union him some money but he had a hard time finding one and the fees were more than my ridiculous exchange rate (20% discount). So he contacted me and I really could not pass up such a rate so I gave him all the cash I had available. I had deposited a lot the week before so I only had a few hundred euro available. I had a few sales so I had some spending money again but he contacted me again a week later. He was moving into an apartment and needed some money. I again gave him everything I had, only a few hundred euro.
Long story short, I was starting to run out of food and money for spending.

Usually I have cash around so it's no big deal. I finally had to go into my big pile of coins that I've been amassing since I arrived in Europe. Fortunately they have a 2 euro coin and I just throw those to the side like they're quarters. I was fine but that was the first time I felt the pinch of not being able to access my money and taught me that I need to keep some reserves around just in case. Fortunately rent is not due until the end of the month and I have enough people buying bitcoins that I am caught up now but that gave me a flashback to the college days of scraping up change for food.

The problem I see now is getting dollars. I work for the military so I can use the Commissary to buy cheap American food but they only take dollars. I also fill up my gas card with dollars which gives me US prices at the pump. I did fill that up with $200 last month and I drive a Smart car so I should be good for about half a year. I was thinking maybe I could buy popular gadgets for 35% off on Amazon through purse.io and sell it to people on post for dollars through the local craigslist. And I think it is better that I not eat American food anyway, it's probably healthier to spend the extra few euros for German food. I just need to get used to less preservatives means cooking things quicker.

I am looking to go on a vacation in France next week so we'll see how that goes.
 

[fryarminer]

Do they have BTC ATMs in Germany or near you, or do you depend only on localbitcoins to get cash?

[countryfree]

I bought a car in Germany last week. Germans usually don't pay the registration tax on the spot, they give their bank account details, and the money is taken off their account sometimes later. With me not having a bank account in Germany, I had to use the service of an agent, and I paid him cash, but I ended up paying more than a German with a bank account would have paid... I hope that someday, companies will give you a discount if you pay with BTC, but I don't see that coming soon for anything I usually buy.

Interesting, I bought a car in Germany last fall. I had no cash and to transfer that much over would have taken days. I could take money from my US bank account at the ATM at a heavy conversion and ATM fee which had a limit of 4-500 euro per day so it would have taken me 10 days of doing that to get the cash. Instead I went on localbitcoins and got 5000 euros for my 12 bitcoins (price was higher at the time) and paid the private seller in cash. It is probably different for me since I go through the military for registration. That was a hassle of its own.

What part of Germany are you in?

I was in Koln, but I left on the 11th, and I have already been to 3 other countries since then. Travel is my life!
It's quite true that ATMs aren't good tools to withdraw large sums, but if you're with an international bank, you can make larger withdrawals at the counter. Then I suppose it's not that easy to sell 12 BTC for cash in a single transaction. It will be much easier when there will be car sellers accepting BTC...

I also fill up my gas card with dollars which gives me US prices at the pump.

What? Do you have an American gas card which works in Europe?

[Elwar]

What? Do you have an American gas card which works in Europe?

I have an Esso card through the military instead of needing to go on base to fill up.


As for ATMs, I think there are only 2 in Germany and they are only for buying bitcoins.

[fryarminer]

Ok so I cancelled a credit card today. I'm trying to reduce and eventually be fiat free like Elwar - but I have a way to go (gotta pay off my credit cards).

It was like pulling teeth to close the credit card. First they told me all about my history. When I applied, that I transferred funds, that I paid it off quickly, that I made a transaction in October and several in January.. my whole life story since I had the card.
Then the next 30 minutes was spent trying to give me every possible reason why I should not cancel. And they kept saying: Well, while you are still thinking about closing your account, let me give you other reasons to consider..
Finally it got to the point that I just repeated after everything they said: "Close my account please" and they finally did.

I did not mention bitcoin. I did not want them flagging me!

[Gyfts]

Aren't you paying a huge premium though running only on Bitcoin? Aren't the fees a major pain? I can imagine it being expensive to switch back and forth to bitcoin and back seeing as the world runs on fait, not BTC 

[Elwar]

Aren't you paying a huge premium though running only on Bitcoin? Aren't the fees a major pain? I can imagine it being expensive to switch back and forth to bitcoin and back seeing as the world runs on fait, not BTC 

Switching back and forth?

Nope, converting to bitcoins and spending bitcoins. I sometimes need fiat so I sell bitcoins for a profit using localbitcoins.

My next challenge is that sometimes I order electronics on Amazon through Purse.io and they don't ship to an APO address. So I have been using a ship to APO website (apobox.com) that charges my credit card so I can use a US address that they then box and ship to my APO address.
I will put in a request at the various sites to see if they can add bitcoin as a payment option.

[NorrisK]

Ok, a few people asked for me to update with any difficulties I run into with this.

I usually do not buy bitcoins through localbitcoins but I stuck an ad on there anyway a long time ago at a percentage that I did not think anyone would ever take, and since Germany blocked localbitcoins I cannot edit my ad so everyone in Germany is locked into how we were in December. (I probably shouldn't be saying on a public forum that people can still get to those ads...so shhh).

Anyway, I get a message from someone who really needed some money. He arrived in Germany to work and the ATM ate his card. He tried to get his wife to Western Union him some money but he had a hard time finding one and the fees were more than my ridiculous exchange rate (20% discount). So he contacted me and I really could not pass up such a rate so I gave him all the cash I had available. I had deposited a lot the week before so I only had a few hundred euro available. I had a few sales so I had some spending money again but he contacted me again a week later. He was moving into an apartment and needed some money. I again gave him everything I had, only a few hundred euro.
Long story short, I was starting to run out of food and money for spending.

Usually I have cash around so it's no big deal. I finally had to go into my big pile of coins that I've been amassing since I arrived in Europe. Fortunately they have a 2 euro coin and I just throw those to the side like they're quarters. I was fine but that was the first time I felt the pinch of not being able to access my money and taught me that I need to keep some reserves around just in case. Fortunately rent is not due until the end of the month and I have enough people buying bitcoins that I am caught up now but that gave me a flashback to the college days of scraping up change for food.

The problem I see now is getting dollars. I work for the military so I can use the Commissary to buy cheap American food but they only take dollars. I also fill up my gas card with dollars which gives me US prices at the pump. I did fill that up with $200 last month and I drive a Smart car so I should be good for about half a year. I was thinking maybe I could buy popular gadgets for 35% off on Amazon through purse.io and sell it to people on post for dollars through the local craigslist. And I think it is better that I not eat American food anyway, it's probably healthier to spend the extra few euros for German food. I just need to get used to less preservatives means cooking things quicker.

I am looking to go on a vacation in France next week so we'll see how that goes.
 

Nice story..! Although I cannot agree with you that german food is much healthier than american food. Germans eat like not veggies at all! Only meat, potatoes and bread

[Xiaoxiao]

But lets face it, credit cards are easier to use than bitcoins for the next 100 years.

[Light]

I'm actually very impressed at how much you've managed to integrate usage of Bitcoin into most of your payments. For me I've only been able to buy a few electronic goods (i.e. domains, servers etc). Do you have plans to continue using Bitcoin long term? And do you have a strategy set up in case Bitcoin falls significantly compared to the USD worsening the value of your holdings or do you just have most of your worth with a bank?

But lets face it, credit cards are easier to use than bitcoins for the next 100 years.

For laypeople I'd have to agree. There still needs to be more simplification of the system for end users and greater access to goods and services bought with Bitcoin before usage will rise significantly.

[solitude]

Daily reminder that OP AKA Elwar is the resident attention whore of this forum, proud SJW and just an all around faggot.

He'll make threads like "why don't girls use bitcoin more"? and "im a special snowflake who doesn't use credit cards anymore!" even though we all know that's a flat out lie.

He made his account in 2010 but you can bet dollars to donuts he sold any bitcoins he had when they were worth little to nothing, and made always zero profit.

At this point his best bet is to sell his "legendary" account filled with spam bullshit and hope to make up for all those bitcoins he sold when they were worth nothing.

[Amph]

But lets face it, credit cards are easier to use than bitcoins for the next 100 years.

i find more tedious to use credit card at supermarket than probably pay with bitcoin(still not common there), the boring part on writing your pin everytime, not to mention the risk associated with that, also the magnetic stripe of the credit card will be ruined after some time you use it(it was the case with one of my old debit card)