Question of the Day, June 13th

When I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t want to use cash which is most of the time and not use my credit card, I use my debit card rather than have to write out a personal check, itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s much quicker that way. I always use my debit card for grocery shopping, clothes shopping etc. I will use cash tho at a restaurant. Sooooo my question today is:

Debit Card or Personal Check What do you use.

I use a credit card. I never use checks, that takes too long, heck I don't even own a check book...
And since I use a credit card, I just pay that off with my debit account so I see no need to make purchases with my debit card...
I rarely carry cash either which can be a problem sometimes, but I'm too lazy to go to an ATM or bank lol...

Debit card for everyday use, bank draft for bills, and check for a few things.

Originally Posted by ut0pia

I use a credit card. I never use checks, that takes too long, heck I don't even own a check book...
And since I use a credit card, I just pay that off with my debit account so I see no need to make purchases with my debit card...
I rarely carry cash either which can be a problem sometimes, but I'm too lazy to go to an ATM or bank lol...

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The reason I use my debit card is because using my credit card puts interest and finance charges on it. I just paid off my Master Card and won't use it unless it's an absolute emergency. If you're paying the total balance of your credit card each month, then you won't get those finance charges so I guess that's what you're doing.

If I'm out shopping and don't use cash, I use my debit card and have it run as credit.

I only ever use checks if I'm paying bills in the mail (I have a ton of checks and we want to switch banks but not waste the $$ we spent ordering the checks!), paying for bowling, and I also used a check to put some money down to "reserve" our new car.

cash mostly...but for shopping I will use debit for some bills i have to still write a check. So it really depends on the situation.

Debit cards mostly. I only write checks for Church and my hair cuts. I also use cash sometimes.

Mostly use a credit card. It is the rewards kind that gives some cash back

After having i.d. theft about 15 years ago with my debit card (which was never lost, stolen, nor loaned out. They cleared out my checking account of 1000's of dollars, and sent it into overdraft), I only use it sparingly at certain places in order to get cash back (I have direct deposit with my paycheck). I use credit cards for nearly everything else; I usually use one that I get cash back rewards (in actually money, not the option to buy over-priced pen sets!). I have always, no exceptions, paid my credit card bills in full every month. I set this rule for myself 15 years ago, when I obtained my first credit card, and I'd hate to have to answer to someone as mean as myself if I violate the rule! I use checks to pay my bills; I rarely write a check for anything else.

I did get the debit card problem resolved, but only after months of problems with my bank. What a headache! If you ever have this happen, make sure you notify your bank within 48 hours, so you don't get slapped with the fee (was $50 back then). Also, make them write individual letters to each place your check bounced, saying it wasn't your fault, and there is a fraud investigation into the account, etc., and make the bank cover any fees/penalties you get charged. Also keep a copy of each letter for yourself. This is what I did.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Debit card for everyday use, bank draft for bills, and check for a few things.

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same feelings here!...

Originally Posted by LaRussa

The reason I use my debit card is because using my credit card puts interest and finance charges on it. I just paid off my Master Card and won't use it unless it's an absolute emergency. If you're paying the total balance of your credit card each month, then you won't get those finance charges so I guess that's what you're doing.

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yup I just pay the whole balance...kinda makes it meaningless to have a credit card that way, but it's nice to know if something comes up (like a very large vet bill) I can use up my whole credit limit and then pay it off with interest, but I'd only do that as a very last resort and have never had to do it in the 5 years I've had a credit card.

Debit card. I realized I very rarely carry cash around these days. I never use my credit cards. We got a divorce. I hate the exorbitant interest charges. I would rather use money I know I have in my checking account.

For bills, I write a check.

I mostly use a credit card. I do pay it off every month; I HATE paying interest on anything. I worry about using my debit card, because, although supposedly, on paper, debit cards have the same protections as credit cards, in reality the protections just aren't as good.

Lately I've been listening to Dave Ramsey, and I'm trying to use cash (because even if you pay off your credit card every month, there's still a tendency to buy more junk when using a card. You think more about purchases when using cash). But I worry about losing the cash. I don't worry about being mugged (not around here!), but I do have a tendency to lose things.

I only write a check for paying the credit card bill, LOL. And for certain other things. Like my vet....I know that businesses pay about 3% on credit card transactions, and this can really cut into a small business's profits. So for small, privately owned businesses I try to use cash or a check, if possible. Wal-Mart can afford to pay the credit card fees .

I use cash for almost everything. Otherwise it's debit.

I use either cash or debit card. I'm quite good at budgeting and rarely impulse buy. I have an emergency credit card in case of vet bills, etc.
I don't have cheque book anymore as I never used it.

I take out $20 a week for incidentals, otherwise all of my spending is on credit cards. I pay them off monthly so I never pay interest and I earn about $500 - $600 in rewards every year. I had enough rewards saved on my Disney Visa to pay for our resort stay next month.

I write checks for my HOA dues and school fees for my son. Everything else is paid online.

I pay debit for basically everything. The only time I have cash is when I have to pay for something somewhere that doesn't take debit. I don't really ever use cheques, I just have them incase I need them.

Cash for random things like coffees, lunches out. Credit card for groceries (for the points!) and check for rent.

We don't have alot of bills so we write checks for them. For my business some of my vendors except cc or dc's but I write them checks because of the fee they have to pay.
I did order a bunch of checks so I want to try to use them up.

Debit for everything except rent. Rent is done by cashier's check or money order. I don't use checks anymore because my landlord left like three of checks and then cashed them all three months later and we went into overdraft. He's rich enough he can just wait to cash stuff like that. We're not rich enough for him to behave like that! LOL