I think some of you have forgotten the point of having currency in the first place. There's no such thing as "free". Things you get for "free" were produced (from materials that also had to be produced) then the good was exchanged for a payment of some kind.
If you get something for "free" it doesn't appear out of thin air. It was already partner in a transaction.
Currency exists primarily to facilitate the ease of transactions.
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Originally Posted by trikkonceptz
Can the world function without money?
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Maybe, but this is like asking if the world can function without electricity.
It can do either, but it seriously handicaps the populace and would make modern living extremely difficult.
Bartering takes a good deal of time and effort to negotiate (just look at how much time and effort is spent trading stocks or commodities). All of that potentially wasted time in your life is saved by simply having a relatively stable monetary system.
Also, imagine how large of a vehicle you would need in order to carry around the items you would need to in order to barter efficiently, where-as currently all you have to carry around is your wallet.
Stable currency is a staple feature of any successful industrialized nation. Currency continues to be invaluable and is exchanged even more frequently once a nation has reached post-industrialization.
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Originally Posted by Coyote X
So I say it is pretty easy for a free world to exist if everyone was like this.
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What you are talking about is being frugal and reducing your expenses and consumption, and being less materialistic. More people should be doing that.
However, I'm fairly sure you would still prefer to be paid for your work in something of a consistent level of value that you can readily and easily exchange for goods and services should you need or want them.
That's the point of currency. I don't have to worry about my boss trying to pay me in silver bars, which the dentist, grocery store, or pharmacy don't accept as payment, so I would have to go trade them for something they do accept.