How do you pay for stuff, most often..?

[RED-85-Z51]

When you are out and about, lets say grocery shopping, how do you, most likely find yourself paying for your goods? Not talking about internet purchases, or gas, just...running to the store?

[RED-85-Z51]

Personally, I dont have a credit card, nor a check book, I pay cash 90% of the time for anything and everything, I have a check card for emergencies.

[ApexOversteer]

I only have a debit card to pay bills online, it never leaves the house. Otherwise, I use cash. Everything is budgeted, down to snacks and Hot Wheels cars. I get $2/week for Hot Wheels.

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by ApexOversteer

I only have a debit card to pay bills online, it never leaves the house. Otherwise, I use cash. Everything is budgeted, down to snacks and Hot Wheels cars. I get $2/week for Hot Wheels.

yep.

I have a check card for my business, I use it to put gas in the work truck to do pickups and stuff, and to buy inventory online, but only for the paper trail/taxes and stuff like that.

Personal stuff, if I cant lay down cash on it, I probably dont need it...

I only ask, it seems like people are living on credit these days, buying furniture "rent to own" and buying cars on credit, getting upside down on them, and so on...what ever happened to using cash...Ive actually found myself laying down cash for stuff and people get all confused like..WTF is that.

[ApexOversteer]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

yep.

I have a check card for my business, I use it to put gas in the work truck to do pickups and stuff, and to buy inventory online, but only for the paper trail/taxes and stuff like that.

Personal stuff, if I cant lay down cash on it, I probably dont need it...

I only ask, it seems like people are living on credit these days, buying furniture "rent to own" and buying cars on credit, getting upside down on them, and so on...what ever happened to using cash...Ive actually found myself laying down cash for stuff and people get all confused like..WTF is that.

Know what you mean. I saved up all last year for a new laptop and a recliner chair. Chair gets delivered tomorrow. The look on the furniture store girl's face when I started counting out $20's... you'd think she'd never seen that much cash in one place or something.

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by ApexOversteer

Know what you mean. I saved up all last year for a new laptop and a recliner chair. Chair gets delivered tomorrow. The look on the furniture store girl's face when I started counting out $20's... you'd think she'd never seen that much cash in one place or something.

I went to harbor freight and bought a bunch of stuff, a 20t press, 240v welder, some jack stands, a jack, some cheap tools I can cut down and modify for special jobs, impact wrenches, basically everything I needed to open my shop back up...The bill came to like 950 dollars, I layed down (45) 20's and a 50, and a 1 for the change...the lady looked at me like I was paying in monopoly money, she just stood there, called a manager and told him "Im not sure what to do with all this". He looked at her, told her to count it, put it in the drawer and give me my reciept...just like she had been doing all morning.

Cash confuses people.

When I bought my Z71, I went there with 3400 dollars + 20 for gas. I knew what I was going to pay for it, i had my cash seperated into bound rolls of 100's in 1000 dollar rolls, I pulled out 3, peeled off 3000 bucks, then grabbed 4 more to make 3400, then I counted it, and recounted it...3400 bucks. plus 20 for gas.

I go there, count the money into his hand, he recounts it....comes up 200 short, I told him no ****ing way, recount it. So he recounts it, it comes up 100 over. So his wife counts it (she is a teller no less) comes up 200 over. I tell em, consider the 100 a gift, give me 100 back, so they did...

Dumbasses...

[Rotorhead]

Debit card to back up my expense report claim. Cash when the wife and I go out due to my debit card being taken out of my site, and fraudulently being used.

[Jay13]

Unless you're spending undeclared income, why would anybody pay cash for anything? Credit cards are free use of money and give you the ability to download a report at the end of the year telling you exactly how you spent your money and remind you of expenses that might be deductible. Oh, and there are also these things called frequent flier/spender miles and your exposure to identity theft is lower than with debit cards.

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by Jay13

Unless you're spending undeclared income, why would anybody pay cash for anything? Credit cards are free use of money and give you the ability to download a report at the end of the year telling you exactly how you spent your money and remind you of expenses that might be deductible. Oh, and there are also these things called frequent flier/spender miles and your exposure to identity theft is lower than with debit cards.

Credit cards are not free, almost always a fee buried in there somewhere, there is a reason cc companies are so rich.

Frequent fliers miles are for those who fly, I will never fly, unless I grow wings...

my exposure to identity theft with Cash..is not only low, its non existent.

Credit cards promote spending money you do not have, it promotes living beyond your means, and violating your budget.

[carlton_fritz]

Originally Posted by ApexOversteer

I only have a debit card to pay bills online, it never leaves the house. Otherwise, I use cash. Everything is budgeted, down to snacks and Hot Wheels cars. I get $2/week for Hot Wheels.

I still have a bunch of Hot Wheels from when I was little.

[FasterTraffic]

Originally Posted by Jay13

Unless you're spending undeclared income, why would anybody pay cash for anything? Credit cards are free use of money and give you the ability to download a report at the end of the year telling you exactly how you spent your money and remind you of expenses that might be deductible. Oh, and there are also these things called frequent flier/spender miles and your exposure to identity theft is lower than with debit cards.

Nailed it. The only places I use cash are where they don't take credit cards. Next year, the wife and I are taking another real, need-a-passport sort of vacation and we'll likely use our miles. My business travel doesn't hurt for piling up miles, either.

We have debit cards but they are only used when we travel internationally because it's an easy way to withdraw foreign currency without getting fee-raped.

[FasterTraffic]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

Credit cards are not free, almost always a fee buried in there somewhere, there is a reason cc companies are so rich.

Frequent fliers miles are for those who fly, I will never fly, unless I grow wings...

my exposure to identity theft with Cash..is not only low, its non existent.

Credit cards promote spending money you do not have, it promotes living beyond your means, and violating your budget.

My airline mileage credit card has an annual fee that is about $60. Any guess what my ticket to Brussels would have cost? As long as you actually use the card enough to earn the rewards, the fee isn't an issue.

See the world by bicycle? More power to you.

Your exposure to theft with cash is not non-existent. The credit cards limit my liability to $50, if I remember correctly, and they're damn sharp about calling us if there is any unusual activity.

That seems like a cop-out answer to me. Blaming the credit card because you overspent is like blaming the fork for your overeating. Credit cards are no more a tool of the devil than debit cards, checks, or even cash. If someone is a financial dumbass, they're probably going to crash a budget whether they pay with credit cards, cash, or goats. The only place I think you could make an compelling argument for cash versus credit is in regards to government oversight and aggressive tax collections.

[Midnight85]

I've been places that won't take cash. Stupid? No, think about it, what kind of idiot would attempt to rob a place that has no cash? I think you're going to be seeing a lot more of this sort of thing. When I go someplace I only take $20-$30 cash, I use a debit for whatever big purchases I may do. Same type of reasoning, some low life comes up & sticks a gun in your face and your pockets are full of cash, who's the winner?

[NeedSpeed]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

Credit cards are not free, almost always a fee buried in there somewhere, there is a reason cc companies are so rich.

Frequent fliers miles are for those who fly, I will never fly, unless I grow wings...

my exposure to identity theft with Cash..is not only low, its non existent.

Credit cards promote spending money you do not have, it promotes living beyond your means, and violating your budget.

If you're financially responsible, there is much gain to be had from credit cards. Problem is, one or two slip ups and they got ya by the balls.

I no longer have credit cards (because I was a dumb ass), but rarely carry cash. All check/debit card. Same as having cash for the most part.

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by Midnight85

I've been places that won't take cash. Stupid? No, think about it, what kind of idiot would attempt to rob a place that has no cash? I think you're going to be seeing a lot more of this sort of thing. When I go someplace I only take $20-$30 cash, I use a debit for whatever big purchases I may do. Same type of reasoning, some low life comes up & sticks a gun in your face and your pockets are full of cash, who's the winner?

You really want a low life to have a gun at your head..and all you have on you is useless cards?

Debit is unreliable...I got into a situation last year, I had 2 gas cans for the shop, one I fill with 93 100% fuel for 2 strokes, one I fill with 87 E10 for riders, and then On a 3rd transaction, I was going to fill up my truck. Unfortunately, my bank decided to shut off my card due to "suspicious activity"....which was me buying gas 2 times. So the card, as it sat, was worthless, as an ATM card, or as a debit card. Thankfully I had 10 bucks cash in the ashtray and was able to get enough gas to get me home, the truck was bobbin on empty and I was about 20 miles from home.

[ConstantChange]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

Credit cards are not free, almost always a fee buried in there somewhere, there is a reason cc companies are so rich.

I pay nothing to use my credit card. The places where I use the card pay a 3+% fee. I also get cash back on certain purchases. I probably get $200+ back each year.

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

Credit cards promote spending money you do not have, it promotes living beyond your means, and violating your budget.

Not for me it doesn't. I track everything I spend each month. Using a credit card just makes it A LOT easier.

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by NeedSpeed

If you're financially responsible, there is much gain to be had from credit cards. Problem is, one or two slip ups and they got ya by the balls.

I no longer have credit cards (because I was a dumb ass), but rarely carry cash. All check/debit card. Same as having cash for the most part.

Ive seen too many people, well intentioned good people, get raped by CC companies. Greed was too great, they couldnt resist just swiping it and worrying about it at the end of the month, etc...Im not saying id be one to slip up like that, but why put myself in the situation.

My autozone rewards card, to me, is more valuable than a CC...haha

[NeedSpeed]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

You really want a low life to have a gun at your head..and all you have on you is useless cards?

Debit is unreliable...I got into a situation last year, I had 2 gas cans for the shop, one I fill with 93 100% fuel for 2 strokes, one I fill with 87 E10 for riders, and then On a 3rd transaction, I was going to fill up my truck. Unfortunately, my bank decided to shut off my card due to "suspicious activity"....which was me buying gas 2 times. So the card, as it sat, was worthless, as an ATM card, or as a debit card. Thankfully I had 10 bucks cash in the ashtray and was able to get enough gas to get me home, the truck was bobbin on empty and I was about 20 miles from home.

I think all you had to do is call the 800 # on the card.

[RED-85-Z51]

Originally Posted by NeedSpeed

I think all you had to do is call the 800 # on the card.

Nope, when I got home I had a call on the machine, a recording..telling me to call this number, and input this pass code when the rep gets on the line....without that pass code, which is unique to that person that called me when the card was "killed"...is the only way to get it unlocked.

Thats one reason why I left that credit union, and went to Navy Federal.

[NeedSpeed]

Originally Posted by RED-85-Z51

Ive seen too many people, well intentioned good people, get raped by CC companies. Greed was too great, they couldnt resist just swiping it and worrying about it at the end of the month, etc...Im not saying id be one to slip up like that, but why put myself in the situation.

My autozone rewards card, to me, is more valuable than a CC...haha

But if you're smart, you can take advantage of them. I'm not one of them (well I was for awhile) but you can.

A friend of mine is in upper level IT. He buys all the company IT equipment on his card and is reimbursed by the company. That adds up to all the benefits, like miles, he can get on the card. Not that the average joe can do that, but it can be done.