Do you carry cash?

[B2L]

I use both, since you can't really pay bills with cash anymore. But I definitely prefer cash, I don't trust banks at all. I typically always have my paychecks direct deposited into my account, after I pay my bills I take the rest of my money out of the bank.

If I could completely get rid of my debit card I would.

 

[ArmageddonX]

I never carry cash anymore. I debit everything! I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe & money is ICKY! Eww! Eww! lol...

~ ArmyX

 

[IOWA]

I use both, since you can't really pay bills with cash anymore. But I definitely prefer cash, I don't trust banks at all. I typically always have my paychecks direct deposited into my account, after I pay my bills I take the rest of my money out of the bank.

If I could completely get rid of my debit card I would.

I feel the same way!

 

[Roze]

i pay cash because i don't much care for leaving an electronic trail of how/where i spend my money.

I'm the opposite. When I go shopping and take substantial cash with me...by the end of the day I'll spend everything and the next day if you ask me what I bought...I wouldn't be able to tell you how much I spent in each store. With a credit card, I will know how much I spent and where by simply logging into my bank account.

I never carry more than $20-30 in cash tops. I keep cash for emergencies as there are some emergencies where you need cash and plastic doesn't work. I like plastic because it leaves a nice electronic paper trail that I can track much easier. And it's more convenient. The only time you'll see me with large amounts of cash is if I'm hunting a particular bargain and want to wave it under someone's nose as a bargaining tool.

+1 I like looking back to see what I spent, how much and where.

I keep about $40 cash on me. Sufficient enough to go to a restaurant that doesn't take cash.

 

[sleedeane]

I use my debit card almost all the time. The main reason started when I counted my coins and discovered I had $80 in coins.

I carry about 40 to 50 cash for those rare occasions when debit is down, and because I always leave cash tips at restaurants.

1). I saved coins for 4 years once. $700, or 30lbs it was (80% 2-bit pieces)
2) Hate coins in my pocket too.
3) I could care less about a paper trail. From my debit card to my utility bill? Don't see it being a problem.
4) Going to China would be so scary, I'de forget all my cash at home anyways.

And earlier, I made light of my bad credit, like I'm proud to have sh!tty credit.
I had excellent credit till about 25 years old.
A student loan , a cruel girlfriend, and my "best friend" (who built the scaffold for me. The scaffold that collapsed, putting me in my wheelchair. Then stole my other girlfriend, awesome Rhonda)(help me Rhonda, help, help me Rhonda)who decided to screw up my AT&T credit by not paying his portion of the bill (don't ever let a friend get a phone on your account. Sure way to become enemies) Since I was on my back (the broken one) in the hospital for 3 months, why would he pay his part of MY bill. Who needs credit when I might die anyway, I guess.

From then on, my credit just got worse and worse.

 

[DaSchmarotzer]

It's cheaper for me to use a credit card: no annual fee, no transaction fees, plus I get points that I can trade for free gift cards. It takes a month before I actually need to pay, I get the paper trail and I hate carrying money. I usually carry about $20 just in case.

I have never been late on a payment.

 

[rui-no-onna]

100 min? What max?

Well, $100 minimum since I find it's usually enough to cover "emergencies" that might crop up before I can get to an ATM. Maximum, well, whatever I have with me. Normally only happens when someone re-imburses or pays me cash for something but I usually deposit that to my savings account sooner or later.

And what do you mean, only for emergency?

Not all places accept credit/debit cards (e.g. a lot of restaurants in Chinatown). Also experienced some cases when credit/debit card processing is down (their machine breaks down or is offline). It's just easier to always carry cash with me in those circumstances.

I prefer debit (avoid my cc as much as possible). I dont "see" any charges for using my debit, other than being forced to keep $100 minimum balance in my checking account, so if I'm being charged somewhere down the line ... so be it. I'll pay that small fee for convenience. My wife usually has cash, so it works out.

I never use my debit card (unless it's for ATM withdrawal).

Safer to use the credit card plus I get cash back for my purchases (just always pay in full every month to avoid interest). If someone from, say, a restaurant steals my credit card number, I'm not liable for the charges incurred. Someone steals my debit card number and it's possible they may drain my account and cause overdraft fees when checks I have issued bounce. It's more of a hassle getting your money back with debit cards. With credit cards, it wasn't your money to begin with.

 

[OfTheDamned]

I never use my debit card (unless it's for ATM withdrawal).

Safer to use the credit card plus I get cash back for my purchases (just always pay in full every month to avoid interest). If someone from, say, a restaurant steals my credit card number, I'm not liable for the charges incurred. Someone steals my debit card number and it's possible they may drain my account and cause overdraft fees when checks I have issued bounce. It's more of a hassle getting your money back with debit cards. With credit cards, it wasn't your money to begin with.

Depending on your bank obviously, but many of them treat check cards just like credit cards now. As long as you report the card lost or stolen they will help you out with transactions that are fraudulent. I had my card number stolen once and about $300 worth of porn and farmville stuff was purchased on the internet with it. The bank shut the card down and refunded me the $300 right away while they investigated.

It was also pretty easy to prove that I wasn't the one doing it. I have 4 accounts with the bank. Since one is used for daily purchases and another is used only for online purchases it was easy for them to see that this was the everyday account being used online. Also, the CSR I was dealing with said it was pretty easy for a woman to dispute porn purchases.

 

[mpw]

Normally have about

 

[Loota]

Yeah man that's what I call wam... walking around money

 

[lunatic59]

Right now I have $128.00 in my wallet and that should be just fine for the week, normally. Purchases over $20 are almost always made with a card. I can't say that I prefer the one over the other because on one hand a finite amount of cash will keep you within your budget, but a credit card permits those self-indulgent impulse purchases.

For those places that don't take credit cards or cash, I always have a few ounces of gold bullion and a live chicken in the car.

 

[SUroot]

I cant vote. I always like to have a reserve of cash on me. Its usually

 

[sleedeane]

Well, $100 minimum since I find it's usually enough to cover "emergencies" that might crop up before I can get to an ATM. Maximum, well, whatever I have with me. Normally only happens when someone re-imburses or pays me cash for something but I usually deposit that to my savings account sooner or later.


Not all places accept credit/debit cards (e.g. a lot of restaurants in Chinatown). Also experienced some cases when credit/debit card processing is down (their machine breaks down or is offline). It's just easier to always carry cash with me in those circumstances.


I never use my debit card (unless it's for ATM withdrawal).

Safer to use the credit card plus I get cash back for my purchases (just always pay in full every month to avoid interest). If someone from, say, a restaurant steals my credit card number, I'm not liable for the charges incurred. Someone steals my debit card number and it's possible they may drain my account and cause overdraft fees when checks I have issued bounce. It's more of a hassle getting your money back with debit cards. With credit cards, it wasn't your money to begin with.

Minor subject change: How do I quote just the paragraph with "Chinatown" in it (from a phone?
I just want to know of you mean San Francisco's
Chinatown.
Wait. I think that's little China instead.

 

[rui-no-onna]

Minor subject change: How do I quote just the paragraph with "Chinatown" in it (from a phone?
I just want to know of you mean San Francisco's
Chinatown.
Wait. I think that's little China instead.

You delete the rest of the post inside the QUOTE tags. I just use the web browser on my phone though and get the full site. Not sure how you can do that on apps such as Tapatalk.

I was referring to Chinatown in Los Angeles.

 

[FJR1300]

Always use a rewards credit card, for any bill I can use it on; every $10K worth of purchases I get $100 back, it's not much but it's better than zero.

Some companies offer a discount for cash, then I might use cash, depends on whether I need the purchase protection offered by the credit card company. Some companies such as my auto insurance offer a discount for paying in full, so even if you can't swing that entire policy premium in one lump sum, use a credit card and make 6 (or 12 as the case may be) equal payments to your credit card (there's a little interest but not enough to offset the full payment discount you got), unless you're stuck with one of those outrageous interest rate cards in which case they probably aren't offering you reward points either. Gotta do the math to see if it's worthwhile.

When I return home after a purchase I use my bank's online bill pay and immediately pay the credit card charge...no interest, no horrendous, surprising bill at the end of the month and I rack up reward points like crazy.

Some banks offer reward points for using their debit cards as a credit card at the POS as well.

 

[bruno19]

I used to deal in cash only, but now it's debit card usually. I find if I draw out a set amount from an ATM, I will more than likely max it out and spend it all as opposed to getting just the things I want and paying at the counter with my card.

I also remember when I ran a Computer store, people would try and barter on price by asking for a discount if paying in cash.. thing is, doing things cash wise means I have to pay to secure it on the premises (safe/security etc.) as well as take time out to actually put it into my Business account so it made life harder rather than easier.

It's also why (in the UK at least) many shops will offer you free cashback deals so you can use your card to not only pay for your items, but have some cash out the till, saves them having to count and bag it etc.

 

[KENNECTED]

How many people still carry cash? What's your reasoning?

For me, cash is king. Paying via debit does nothing but raise prices of everything. I've never been a fan of being charged to use my own money. (Even if you don't see the charges, I assure you they are getting passed on to you in the long run. )

I rarely carry more than 100 a week on me. I put everything on my AMEX. I'm a points whore!

 

[argedion]

I pay everything online from my house payment to my car payment. the only thing i pay in person is the water bill and thats cuz i work for the city so i do it during business hours . Light bill, Cellphone bill. I use debit when I go to grocery store. Its easier than doing the whole check thing which i suck at never did add and substract very well. well I could add good it was the taking away that i had issues with this way its automatic and i can just check the account nothing to remember if it cleared or not. I even pay my tithe online. The little bit of cash I do carry is my mad money that I do my best to keep the wife from knowing about that is for little snacks and drinks while at work or an occasional breakfast. Sometimes it gets used for those emergency's like putting gas in the truck.

 

[Stuntman]

i pay cash because i don't much care for leaving an electronic trail of how/where i spend my money.

This is one thing I am somewhat concerned about with any type of electronic payment.

I generally use cash for all of my transactions less than a couple of hundred dollars. Anything above that, I would likely use a cheque or credit card. I don't use debit, but my wife does. I generally get $200CDN from the ATM and when the amount of cash I have on me gets low, I pull out another 200.

The types of small purchases that I use credit for would be parking when I don't have or the meter does not accept change, gas (pay at the pump) or when my wife takes all of the cash out of my wallet without telling me (happened last month).

 

[sleedeane]

1 check a year for me. Still on the first pad of checks from when I opened my checking account in 2004.

I use cash for almost everything. Pay bills by debit or sometimes cash, depends on if there is a fee for online payments (electric bill $3.95 fee) and then I use a payment kiosk at the Exxon station where I get my cigs at anyway for a $2 fee. I'm cheap.

Don't read (boring and dumb) unless you're considering a payday loan...

I have a checkbook from 2002 (account closed long ago) that I use for the collateral for the payday loans that have been controlling my life for years.
Every time you make a payment on the loan, you must write a new check for the new balance for new collaterol.
Since I'm writing a check against a closed account, I am forced to always make my payment, as I will be arrested and charged with a felony if they ever have to "turn it in" because I didn't make my payment.
These bastard legal loan sharks charge 475% quarter annual interest. Basically, a $500 loan costs $600 if paid off in 2 weeks.
As I never nor ever will have the total payment for the whole balance, I make minimal payments, and payoff-and-reborrow when it matures, since I must recuperate the balloon payment to apply to the other bills that that money was originally intended for.
In other words, I pay $100 every two weeks in interest, times infinity, on a $500 loan I took out over a year ago, with no end in sight.

The lesson here?
Stay away from those f

 

[sleedeane]

You delete the rest of the post inside the QUOTE tags. I just use the web browser on my phone though and get the full site. Not sure how you can do that on apps such as Tapatalk.

I was referring to Chinatown in Los Angeles.

Oh. I've been lost in the one in SF. Scary stuff.

How do you do it from the full-site?
The same as what you just said?
I've looked at all the different icons and symbols etc but don't see this answer.
I'll go look around again...

Edit: Must have something to do with those stupid blue arrow things that have annoyed me since I got this phone 8 months ago.
I'm guessing you need a pc to use them...?

Much appreciated.

 

[olbriar]

I prefer cash for my transactions. I have yet to have anyone refuse to take my money, I don't have to swipe and wait... and wait.. and reswipe.. and wait and hand my card to the cashier so they can swipe.. and wait. By the time I wait in line behind three or four of these transactions, I'm ready to just slap down a couple of Jacksons and move on. I use my debit card for the gas pumps and that's about it.