|
Home / Finance / Personal Finance
The Basics of Money
By:Nathan Dawson
What is Money?
The answer to the question is simple. Money is anything widely used for paying debts owed by a person to someone else and also for receiving the payments of debts owing to a person from someone else. A country produces coins and banknotes, (accepted by everyone) for the payment of bills and for the receipt of money owing.
Money is what is known as a "medium of exchange".
In the "old days" people traded the goods and services they owned (and probably produced) for goods and services owned by others (probably produced by them). The scenario went something like this - "you give me two sacks of your potatoes and I will trade you ten of my fish".
This method of trading was fine for a while. As society developed, business became more cumbersome and inefficient with this method of trade. Business dealings became stilted and slow and lagged behind the new pace of commerce. There had to be a better way. Some bright spark then came up with the idea of a common "medium of exchange" easier to carry around and better to use.
Money was born.
It wasn't that simple, because while all sorts of things were used as a medium of exchange, these were all basically called "money" and it wasn't until coins and paper notes were developed that money as we know it today became the standard accepted as a medium of exchange.
Forms of Money
There are various forms of money - cheques, IOU's, credit cards, bank drafts or gold. Gold was the standard used in the past because of its scarcity and its qualities. Gold is resistant to corrosion or damage. These unique properties, as well as the scarcity of gold means that even today, wealthy people around the world would rather keep their wealth in gold holdings than in the currencies of countries which are subject to inflation.
In fact, all sorts of things have been used as money throughout the ages. Some include: beads, eggs, salt, pigs, leather, yarn, axes, ivory and jade. Today we have another form of money, which cannot be touched, and yet it as real as the tangible coins we are able to touch. This form of money is electronic money.
The Name "Money"
The word money comes from the Roman goddess - Moneta. Apparently coins were minted in her temples and issued to the world, as the Romans knew it at the time. The Latin word "Moneta", (meaning mint or coins) came from the old English word "mynet" (meaning coins or money) and from this came the English word "mint".
Origins of Money
To understand the origins of money we have to go back to a time well before money came on the scene. Money did not suddenly appear - it was introduced gradually in response to the requirements of human needs. As civilization grew and expanded beyond local societies, the need to exchange the products provided by various groups became evident. The hunter needed to exchange with the farmer, the shepherd needed to exchange with the medicine man etc.
The medium of exchange that was necessary to enable the various groups to barter and swap their products was money. It was originally a physical substance like gold or silver. Sometimes it was a substance that was alive such as cattle, which was one of the oldest forms of money.
Today, although much of the money used by individuals in their everyday life is still in the form of notes and coins, its quantity is relatively small compared to the intangible types of money existing as entries in bank records.
Today money exists in the form of digital cash and such things as coins and bank notes will soon become obsolete. When this happens, the change in the nature of money will have a significant effect on our society.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article keywords: debt consoladation, military finance, military loans, military pay, special duty pay
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
Find more great articles at a great online source for finance information.
|
|
| Top Personal Finance Articles |
|
|
- 2). Forecasting the Future Value of Your 401(k) By : Stephen L. Nelson, CPA
If you’ve got Microsoft Excel (or just about any other popular spreadsheet program) running on your computer, you can use its FV function to forecast the future value of your 401(k) account.
The FV function calculates the future value of an investment given its interest rate,
the number of payments, the payment, the present value of the investment, and,
optionally, the type-of-annuity switch.
|
|
|
- 4). Handling Your Money Effectively By : Mary Williams
There is inflation every year. You cannot stop an increasing in living expenses as prices of consumer goods increasing all the time. Saving money becomes an extremely difficult task to do. Here are some solutions for saving a little so that you can still meet your needs and still find ways to trim off a little for the future.
1. Budget – Get one and stick with it! And set aside at least a small portion for savings while you’re at it; savings for your future, your retirement, your education, your vacation, whatever.
|
- 5). An Overview Of The Direct Deposit System By : Bob Benson
Direct deposit is an excellent feature offered by many banks all around your area. Banking is supposed to be convenient and easy, it has been made that much easier and more convenient with the offering of direct deposits. When thinking about direct deposit, consider many of the things that could apply to you. Have you found yourself hurrying off to.
|
- 6). Post-Christmas Financial Difficulties By : Mike Hanna
If you’ve spent more than your budget can cope with, then maybe you’re thinking about credit to help you through January. Many people fear the long, broke month of January. After a lovely Christmas full of joyous smiles January can see a mood swing in the wrong direction. Many of us turn to credit cards to help get through this terrible month. But without knowledge of the financial industry a person without a great income can fall victim to the evil grip of unscrupulous credit companies.
|
- 7). Boost your savings By : Bob Benson
It is general knowledge that residents of the United Kingdom are typically not savers. They tend to spend much more than they save; according to studies, saving money is not as popular as it once was. Saving is extremely important to the quality of life you expect to live in the future. Think about it, what would happen if your car suddenly quit working?.
|
|
|
- 9). If You Want To Make Money: Avoid Debt! By : Rene Graeber
Everybody starting in life should avoid running into debt.
There is scarcely anything that drags a person down like debt. It is a slavish position to get ill, yet we find many a young man, hardly out of his "teens," running in debt.
He meets a chum and says, "Look at this: I have got trusted for a new suit of clothes."
He seems to look upon the clothes as so much given to him; well, it frequently is so, but, if he succeeds in paying and then gets trusted again, he is adopting a habit which will keep him in poverty through life.
|
|
|
| New Personal Finance Articles |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- 5). Living Debt-Free By : Debbie Dragon
Do you dream of living without the burden of excessive debt hanging over your head? It’s possible, but not easy. Living debt free requires financial discipline, all the time. To become debt free and maintain a debt free life, try the following three steps:
1. Get rid of existing debt. This is obviously your first step to living a debt free lifestyle.
|
- 6). Accountant By : Jason Gluckman
An accountant is a person who manages financial issues, including the preparation of financial plans and budgets, as well as the management of accounts and staff welfare.
In most countries, officially licensed accountants are recognized by titles. In the UK, they are termed as “chartered accountants.” In the U.S., accountants are commonly known as “certified public accountants,” whereas in Canada, they are either known as “certified management accountants” or “certified general accountants.
|
- 7). Roth 401k – New Retirement Savings Plan. By : Simon Fox
Brand new employer sponsored retirement plan is a hybrid of a traditional 401k and a Roth IRA.
Income tax rates have been cut, the marriage penalty done away with, and the "death tax" is also on a path to no more. All of this is a result of the Bush administration's Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act which was passed by a Republican congress in 2001.
|
- 8). Budget Backyard Family Vacations By : Cheryl Johnson
When travel and lodging are cost prohibitive, you can still have a vacation right at home. Yes, in your own backyard. Many of us live within reasonable distance to museums, campgrounds, historic sites, and beautiful state parks. You might be surprised at what you find in your own local area.
Do some research in your area to find free or low cost activities and sites to visit.
|
- 9). The Cost Of Talking By : blueboy
With so many companies offering “the lowest call rates, and the best service" who do you believe and are there any additional costs hidden in the small print? Do they all give per second billing by email, full cost analysis, discounted BT line rental and personal account managers? On mobiles do they offer free connection, and line rentals from £4?
There has never been a better time to review the cost of your telephone charges and the service you are getting.
|
- 10). Asking for a lot of money By : James C. Samans
Most people dream of making a lot of money. The question is, what does that mean?
The truth is that money is highly subjective. Certainly, a billion dollars is a lot of money; there are only a handful of billionaires in the world. Is a million dollars a lot? In terms of total wealth, no; a significant minority of the population has a million dollars or more in total assets to leave to their heirs, largely due to the appreciation of real estate.
|
|
|
