By Breeauna Sagdal

When digital systems falter in crises, they can leave you stranded if cash isn’t an option. However, one of the largest public utility providers in the Lone Star State recently recommitted to keeping the lights on. In Austin, TX, Austin Energy’s in-person payment system offers a practical way to live that principle, one bill at a time. Austin Energy’s two customer service centers—along with 10 authorized pay stations located at stores throughout the community—stand as analog strongholds.

Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., these lobbies accept cash directly—no apps to crash, no accounts frozen by algorithmic whims. Hand over your payment at the counter, or drop it in a secure slot; it’s processed instantly, receipt in hand.

Unlike credit card transactions or third-party kiosks, which often pile on fees, cash payments at the customer service centers are free, keeping your money yours. (This is not necessarily the case at the pay stations: The utility notes that the stores “may charge a handling fee” of $.75 to $2.95.) For those wary of carrying cash, it’s a low-risk trip—most centers are in safe, accessible locations like libraries or community hubs.

Make no mistake, this isn’t an advertisement about community convenience; it’s an invitation to employ firewalls against the rising cashless dystopia. And it’s not just about keeping the lights on—it’s about preserving your God-given right to transact without being on Mr. Global’s digital leash. As highlighted in Solari’s booklet on Financial Transaction Freedom, cash is the unsung hero of self-governance and sovereignty—low-cost, outage-proof, and surveillance-resistant.

Across the pond, the governments of the United Kingdom and the European Union continue to float both carrot and stick approaches to compliance schemes, as they begin rolling out mandatory, interoperable digital IDs on centralized systems.

According to UK.gov, the recently created Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) is where the

“Geospatial Commission, the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI) have merged to create the new Government Digital Service – the digital centre of government, part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).”

Similar to the European Union, the purpose of the UK’s centralized data hub is to create an interoperable system connecting digital ID to all public services, and eventually to private industry.

Of concern, these services, whether in the EU, the UK, or the United States, are being built out on servers that require energy-intensive, resource-depleting data centers—stressing already vulnerable electrical grids. Naturally, citizens will be expected to limit their use of energy and resources to offset what’s required to track and surveil their compliance. Stated plainly: Tyranny is expensive, and one way or another, citizens will be on the hook for the cost.

Every online transaction feeds data to corporate and government trackers, building profiles that can easily be weaponized. However, no matter where we are, we can make a different choice: rather than pay the King’s Ransom—a life of servitude to geospatial, carbon, and social credits that amounts to a life in someone else’s kingdom with no rights of our own—we can choose to pay for freedom up-front in cash.

If you live in Austin, TX, now is the time to settle up—balancing the utility of government with individual freedom, all without leaving a digital footprint. It’s a small but mighty way to “finance your friends, not your enemies,” as Catherine Austin Fitts regularly urges, supporting local infrastructure over faceless fintech giants and Mr. Global.

Austin Energy’s in-person option is a reminder that freedom isn’t just claimed;, it’s practiced. In that simple exchange, you’re not just paying for water or power—you’re banking on a future where that power remains in your self-governing hands.

Looking for more action items? Join the Solari 60 -Day Cash Challenge! If you are eating out, get the check, count out those dollars, and walk to the counter. Tip in cash. Pay cash at local markets, use coins for coffees, or barter with neighbors—each act chips away at centralized control. Make sure to tag us on X and Instagram whenever you do use cash.

#SolariCashChallenge
#UseCash
#CashEveryDay