Question of the Day, Friday, November 6

Good morning!   And Happy Friday!

I hope this is an interesting question for us to discuss today:  How do you pay for things?

By that, I mean, do you still carry money and are you primarily a pay cash for everything person? Do you still write a lot of checks? Or do you put it all on a charge card, then pay the card?  

For the most part, we either pay in cash (groceries, gas, restaurants, etc.) or if we do put something on the card, the card has to be paid in full every month.

I still keep a Christmas Club every year. But I keep a portion set aside.....anything we buy for Christmas presents with the card will be completely paid in January with the money that I've set aside for Christmas. (I also use part of the Christmas club for something for the house; last year we bought our shed. This year, we're using it to do the bedroom over (new windows, new doors, new floor, etc.)

We write a few checks every month: cable, electricity, insurances. We're starting to pay more things online as we go.

Rick's pay checks have been direct-deposited now for quite a while now; however, I still receive an actual pay check. That will change at the beginning of the year when I go to direct-deposit.

I pay for very little with cash.  I use cash for my once a week Starbucks latte and that is about it on a regular basis.

I use my debit card for most other purchases.

I only write one check a month for my rent.  I pay everything else online.  A lot of complexes around here have started online bill pay for rent.  If they do that then I won't be writing any checks anymore.  I have lived here for over 10 years now and am still crossing out my old address and writing in my current address on rent checks.

I use my debit card about 95% of the time. It's rare I have cash anymore. My rent is paid by cheque.

Same here.. Debit or Credit card for everything except for small amounts.

E-banking has become my best buddie, also.. I pay my rent through it and all of my bills.

It's funny how the phone company stopped making claims of "unpaid bills" once I started paying them via ebanking 

 

I pay all my bills online either through my online bank account or through the company's site. Everything else is with my debit card. It's exceptionally rare that I have any cash on me.

Debit is used for mostly everything but travel and online purchases. Most monthly bills are paid directly from the account. Since we are doing home improvements, we write checks for contractors and tradespeople, but use a credit card when possible since we get cash back on it.

I use cash, debit or credit depending on what it's for.  Large purchases are always credit.  Smaller purchases cash or debit.

I hardly ever use cash. I stick a $20 in my wallet and it'll last a few months. I mostly use my credit card because it has cash back rewards. I write checks for the mortgage, electric, gas, and water bills, and the credit card, which I pay off every month. I try to use checks for paying small businesses (like the local vet) because they have to pay a fee on credit card transactions. Otherwise it's credit all the way.

I rarely have cash.  I bought Girl Scout cookies with quarters from the loose change in my van last year.  I charge everything and get travel rewards on my card.  I am even able to charge my son's tuition.  For bills, quite a few are on autopay and most of the rest are paid on-line.  I have to write checks for the pool and lawn guys.  When I have cash I give it to homeless people and cat rescues.

I use both cash and credit.. I never use my debit card. I try to keep that safer by not using it.

A week ago, I had one of my credit cards hacked. The bank found it immediately! Because I do not use that card very often, two $49.xx online, charges back to back, alerted them. 

I was so grateful they caught it. 

I do use other cards for on line purchases. The one which was hacked, was not used very often. Last time was 3 weeks ago at Pet360.

I am not saying their site was responsible for this, but it was a strange coincidence. I did report it to them.

I try to use cash as much as I can, but I am finding that the credit card is so much easier. 

I feel a bit better now that all the cards are being replaced with chip technology; however that does not put an end to the breech of cc's.

Yeah, my cc has been "compromised" twice. They're very good at catching it quickly, I guess their computer algorithms know my spending habits, LOL. They've only flagged me once for my own charges, when I charged at the same store twice in a day (they had a good sale so I went back to get some more). I'm glad they're on top of that, I wouldn't have any credit cards if I were held responsible for unauthorized charges.

Mainly visa but also cash. Cheques to my cleaner and the building committee. All my bills are paid from my account by my bank. Debit order? My visa gets paid on the 2nd of the month straight out of my account. I don't have to worry about it.

I usually use my credit card when I order pizza online.  I just would rather that a credit card get hijacked than to have someone doing a number on my bank acct.  When it's just me and the order is small I give more than a 20 percent tip, I know the drivers main income is from tips.  I have gotten emails from the credit card company about the excessive tip.  It always says that if the service was just really good and the amount is legitimate than I don't have to do anything, if it is fraudulent contact them.  Credit card companies have done a lot to try to stop fraudulent charges.

I pay everything online except for rent.  I use a money order for rent, fill out the receipt portion, and have my landlord sign that.  Groceries are paid via debit card.  I only shop monthly.  At that time, I get a few dollars cash back, "just in case."  

I'm told that we will soon be able to pay rent either online or via debit/credit card.  Hope that's right.

My plan, post-divorce, is to rebuild credit, then do everything with a credit card, which will be paid in full monthly.  Requires budgeting and keeping track, but I've been living on so low an income for so long that keeping a strict budget is now second nature.

i make my monthly mortgage payment by phone (and my homeowners insurance and property/school taxes are rolled into my monthly payments, they get put into an escrow account and then the taxes and insurance get paid at the appropriate times), the gas/electric bill gets paid online/paid directly from my checking account, the water bill is the only bill that needs a check written, and the rest get charged to either my credit card (cash back rewards - yay!) or i use my debit card. i pay my credit card bill in full each month, so no interest is charged.

I pay all my household expenses and my house payment by check and use my credit card for almost everything else. Except for restaurant and small items which I use cash. I'm lucky I can pay off my credit card each month. I don't own a debit card. 

I write one or two checks a month, otherwise I use the bank's bill pay to send the mortgage and the debit card to pay everything else. That way I have everything I need for budget tracking with the online bank access. I download it all into Quicken and it's very easy.