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There is a common stereotype about Spaniards clinging to cash, ready to refill wallets with coins and notes as soon as fears around Covid-19 fade and health myths fade from the headlines. Before the pandemic, cash served a clear role because many small purchases could not be done with a card. This mirrors a long-standing habit where money holds social meaning, a habit that feels almost like a theological stance toward wealth in a historically Calvinist-leaning culture, where money is always a welcome symbol of security.

While digital payments feel intangible, physical money remains a powerful symbol of buying power. Some readers may recall Sartre’s contemplation of money’s influence on the act of purchase, where coins and notes on a counter transform into goods or services. There is an emotional layer to money: those who feel financially unstable may console themselves with the thought that health is a net benefit when wealth is uncertain. And in broader terms, individuals facing illness or hardship may still view money as a facilitator of access and comfort. Health concerns do not always erase the drive to secure resources, a reality echoed across societies.

Metal, paradoxically, often has the lowest exchange value yet remains the most circulated. It’s the very currency that slips away quickly through daily transactions. Recent government moves, such as Madrid promoting tips at bars to alleviate the hospitality sector’s economic strain, illustrate how small gestures can circulate value. The clinking of coins, the ring of a tip jar, and the bar’s celebratory jingle all mark a social ritual of generosity that keeps cash alive in a digital era. This is cash as cultural ritual as much as economic instrument.

Direct payments through mobile wallets are convenient, but cash continues to fulfill a practical niche. People who carry smartphones may not always initiate digital transfers, and in some communities, cash remains the default method for everyday exchanges. In a broader sense, generosity often flows to those who support the vulnerable, whether through the street or in places of worship. Readers who support beggars who read, or a traveler from distant regions who greets the world with a hopeful message, illustrate how money becomes part of a human economy that crosses borders and beliefs. Such acts reflect a social tapestry where giving is as meaningful as receiving.