The Guardian UK
by Helena Smith
January 2, 2013

It's been a busy day at the market in downtown Volos. Angeliki Ioanitou has sold a decent quantity of olive oil and soap, while her friend Maria has done good business with her fresh pies.

But not a single euro has changed hands – none of the customers on this drizzly Saturday morning has bothered carrying money at all. For many, browsing through the racks of second-hand clothes, electrical appliances and homemade jams, the need to survive means money has been usurped.

"It's all about exchange and solidarity, helping one another out in these very hard times," enthused Ioanitou, her hair tucked under a floppy felt cap. "You could say a lot of us have dreams of a utopia without the euro."

(excerpted)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan...-poverty-crisis

I love how they try to put a rosy outlook on the Greek situation in this article. This is a disaster. These people are running on a grey market economy to survive and this is just the ones smart enough to go around the broken system.

Quote: Frank Cannon wrote in post #2

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I love how they try to put a rosy outlook on the Greek situation in this article. This is a disaster. These people are running on a grey market economy to survive and this is just the ones smart enough to go around the broken system.

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Quote: Palinista wrote in post #3

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At what point do the people run out of stuff that is easy to sell on the grey market? When that happens they will have to produce something that can be sold. Sounds easy enough, but it really isn't. Let's say I have a garden and can do canning. So can the neighbors. They aren't going to buy my canned goods. I'm not going to buy theirs so there is a savings in that, but where do I get the money for the doctor that I am paying cash to see? I don't get the money for the doctor. I don't go to the doctor.

Yes, there was a time when people did survive without paying for everything and they didn't have all of the modern conveniences like telephones, cars, electricity, televisions, radios... the good ole days. Life was hell.

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My brother lived in Greece for almost two years and they have been on a mostly cash under the table economy for a long time. He said they have it down to an art form. Getting a written receipt was like pulling teeth because they didn't want to pay the taxes.