Earlier quoted context omitted.
The vast majority carry an internet connected gps tracker with microphone, Wifi, Bluetooth, sms and email all in one place with them at all times, and bank accounts, sms, emails are already accessible to the state on the server side. Shops are using facial recognition and Bluetooth to advertise and track customers. So I honestly think privacy in what you purchase is a ship that has sailed, this data will be recorded…
All of that can be turned off or circumvented, or you could even just leave the phone at home. But laws are tightening on cash payments, a lot of countries have already made cash transactions over a certain amount illegal. At the moment only for services, you can still exchange cash with your friends, but you may get a lot of scrutiny if you wish to deposit said cash into your bank account.
Cash is doomed by the same problem - it's inconvenient, and also pretty insane to carry around paper tokens when we could carry digital ones.
Even if you do manage to evade some tracking (e.g. by using cash) cameras are tracking you everywhere, we have facial recognition improving rapidly, car number plate tracking etc etc. At some point it will be possible to track your entire life with ease simply from following your movements, and it will be very difficult to circumvent without laws to control that sort of information.
I do think it's more important to control the use of extensive personal information and tracking than to try to limit it, because limiting it simply won't work, and can be easily bypassed.