You don't need to rely on paper money, the money that is printed and minted is based on trust. That you can use it to pay for other goods and services.
However if you want to resort to carrying large amounts of gold around, let me know, I am always after some more
We live in a society where you need money to get by. What you think of it is irrelevant, we stopped bartering a long time ago.
It may be unfair, but it's better than the alternative.