the be-all and end-all

The Japan Times March 21, 2024の記事からの引用です。
Local governments engage elderly to ease adoption of cashless payments
Some older people and others who find digital devices difficult to operate continue to view cash as the be-all and end-all for making purchases.

"the be-all and end-all" の表現を見るのは初めてなので辞書を見ます。

・Oxford English Dictionary: the most important part; all that matters: Her career is the be-all and end-all of her existence.
・Collins Dictionary: If something is the be-all and end-all to you, it is the only important thing in your life, or the only important feature of a particular activity.: For some people, competing is the be-all and end-all of their running.
・Cambridge English Dictionary: the most important thing:　We all agreed that winning was not the be-all and end-all.

あまり自覚はしていませんが、私も後期高齢者なので "elderly" の範疇に入っているのは間違いないでしょう。しかし、少なくとも現金のみが "the be-all and end-all" とは思ってはいません。クレジットカードには大変お世話になっています。いずれにせよ、スマートフォンを "the be-all and end-all" には絶対にできません。PCファンです。