Why do we need money?

I am not purporting a turn to communism. Really, I'm not. But in theory, wouldn't the world be nicer if we didn't need money? I pick up the body wash or kettle or sweater I want. I don't need to look at price, and since I'm used to this system, I don't pick the ones with all the bells and whistles of each product, but a quality product with only the features I need. In return, I don't get a pay cheque, but that's okay.

Of course, I realize there are so many problems with this system. How is it fair if I work harder than you? What if I'm really educated, and yet I want to work at a local coffee shop or fast food joint to eschew the responsibilities that come with the job for which I was trained? These roles must be filled.

But I had these grand thoughts of how it might work as I fell asleep last night. Here are some ideas:
-No one can be greedy. Just because the washing machine or jeans are free, doesn't mean I get the "most expensive" pair. (Of course, expenses don't exist. But I can't pick the item with the most features. I pick just what I need.)
-Everyone must contribute. No one lives on welfare or they don't get anything. (Perhaps that's the way it should be when there are apparently third generation families on welfare. However, they are in the minority, so I shouldn't get too upset.)
-Everyone must work to his/her ability. This is one of my plan's down points. Not everyone wants to fulfill his/her potential. The number of ladies I used to work with at Sears demonstrated that: they had no need or desire to do anything but work in bed and bath, folding towels and answering questions about threadcounts. It wasn't that they didn't have the capacity, but they wanted an easy job that paid okay.

So I don't think my "plan" would work. And as communism has demonstrated, it rarely works. There is corruption and those who want more than their share. Those in power want more. They feel they deserve more because they do more. But that's true of everyone, isn't it? I feel I deserve to make more than I did when I worked at Sears. I have more education, more responsibility, more authority. In fact, I have very unique qualifications, and while that suits me for a good income, it also means there are less jobs out there for me to apply to. So I'm not that different, I suppose, than those who corrupt. Of course, there's a difference between me and those who corrupt: I haven't actually acted on anything. Mind you, I haven't had the opportunity to become corrupt, but I hope that if I do, I make the right decision.

Anyway, no idea on how my post switched from everyone being equal and living in a perfect society to my hope that I would chose the high road if faced with a moral dilemma. But it did, and I'm going to click "post" as this is.