How bitcoin is useful: unbanked expat

I first heard of bitcoin four years ago, did not pay it much attention. did not "get it".

I am a (locally) unbanked expat now. I quickly went down the path of

• Western union
• ATMS
• Bitcoin from US exchange to local exchange
• Strike to local exchange

Today, I needed to pay a hospital bill (I am fine).

My options were

• Drive two hours to give the credit card in person (they dont take remotely)
• Drive two hours to hand them cash
• Figure out a way to transfer from US bank to their local bank.
• Use bitcoin and the exchange's ability to deposit in local bank.

Using bitcoin, the hardest part of this was taking an acceptable screenshot of the deposit for "their records" (because they have reasons to want an easily falsifiable screenshot)

I did not "get bitcoin" until I was unbanked in a third world country where financial services are opaque and confounding. We got this. HODL on.