<p>Money creeps into daily life so thoroughly that we rarely take a moment to appreciate how, as a communication technology, it steers our desires, our thinking, our connections with others. To better understand money, we need to examine the habits (both personal and social) that its use instills in us. Naturally, such an examination becomes comparative, as money has assumed various forms throughout its long evolution. This essay traces the historical trajectory of money—from early forms such as commodities and metallic coins to modern ones such as paper currency and contactless digital transactions—in order to analyze how changes in this medium of exchange have impacted individual behaviours and collective practices.</p>