And again not for the first time, money was the subject of conversation. This led to some vigorous discussion, as these things usually do.

The amount in question was piddling – a mere $2.

“What can I buy here for a piddling $2?’’ this correspondent asked. 

The answer: well, bugger all. The chocolate machine thingo takes $2 coins, but there’s no guarantee of winning anything. The Salvation Army officer who comes around each Friday evening seeking donations happily accepts $2.

And of course, to the wider world. Taree’s unkindly known as a $2 town, but in reality, two bucks doesn’t go too far here, either.

We can hear the regular reader of this piece asking why the sudden fascination with $2 and what it does or doesn’t buy. The regular reader possibly thinks we’ve benefited by a $2 pay rise. The regular reader would be wrong. We think Bob Hawke was still in power the last time we received a pay rise, but that’s another column for another time.

No, there’s one thing that can still be purchased for two bucks and that’s this newspaper. In fact, buyers will even get 30 cents change.

While this correspondent was on a sabbatical recently the paper’s online editions switched to subscription. To access our online stories readers sign on for a miserly $2 a week. For this $2 they enter the magical world of online journalism. Readers get all the breaking news well before it appears on any other outlet (last week’s drug busts being a prime example), along with the majority of stories that appear in our regular editions. This largely unread column remains largely unread online, showing that even in digital journalism some things don’t change. There’s a host of other features too numerous to list in this limited space. All for $2.

Of course until recently readers were getting this for gratis as this newspaper made the first tentative steps into the online revolution. Now we’re asking for $2 a week and some are upset.

“Pffft they ain’t gunna get a dollar outta me,’’ one posted on our Facebook page.

Well that’s okay. Despite the efforts of that fool Scott Morrison and his ratbag government, it is still a free country. Don’t pay. But don’t whinge about us charging for a service, either. There’s no shortage of uninformed outlets around where ‘news’ unhindered by the slightest shred of fact is presented. Apparently there’s no charge for this garbage – although even free it’s still overpriced, in this correspondent’s opinion at least.

So those who don’t want to sign up will save themselves the princely sum of $2 a week. They’ll be able to spend it on… well not very much.

Enjoy.