How do you prefer to pay for things?

[disneysteve]

I deliver pizzas for my second job...gas station is right next to the pizza shop, so I ain't going out of my way. Yep, I have been to NJ several times for my first job...the gas is cheaper, but I can't stand having someone else pump my gas. There's one other state that is like NJ...is it CT? Or maybe its Oregon...

I think it is Oregon but they may have gotten rid of that law leaving just us poor NJ folks. Drives me nuts. I grew up in PA so it was really weird when we moved here. My wife always jokes that part of the reason I like vacation so much is because I get to pump my own gas when we drive out of state.

[GREENBACK]

I use cc's almost exclusively but sometimes use cash for real small purchases. I think those who use cc's wisely tend to be a bit better in control of their finances. I used to do the cash thing exclusively but it's a pain trying to track spending and those dollar bills that I tend to just stuff in my pocket rather than neatly organize back into my wallet.

[disneysteve]

I think those who use cc's wisely tend to be a bit better in control of their finances.

Thank you for saying that. I get so tired of hearing "credit card users spend 18% more when shopping" and other nonsense that lumps all CC users together. The fact is that a lot of people shouldn't be using CCs because they don't know how to handle them. Those of us who do, however, find them to be valuable tools for managing and tracking our spending in ways that cash can never be. The Federal Reserve is not going to send me a monthly list of my cash spending and an annual summary each year broken down by category, but Chase does for both of our Visa cards. The Fed is not going to send me a rebate of up to 5% of my cash spending, but my Discover card does.

The only place where I routinely spend hundreds of dollars in cash is the casino but credit isn't an option there.

[GREENBACK]

The Federal Reserve is not going to send me a monthly list of my cash spending and an annual summary each year broken down by category, but Chase does for both of our Visa cards.

I really like to view this summary every year. It's interesting to see how you categorically spend your money. I already keep track of it but it's nice that a company sends a breakdown of this. Of course they have their own reasons for tracking your spending but that's for another thread.

[graceful]

Thank you for saying that. I get so tired of hearing "credit card users spend 18% more when shopping" and other nonsense that lumps all CC users together. The fact is that a lot of people shouldn't be using CCs because they don't know how to handle them. Those of us who do, however, find them to be valuable tools for managing and tracking our spending in ways that cash can never be. The Federal Reserve is not going to send me a monthly list of my cash spending and an annual summary each year broken down by category, but Chase does for both of our Visa cards. The Fed is not going to send me a rebate of up to 5% of my cash spending, but my Discover card does.

The only place where I routinely spend hundreds of dollars in cash is the casino but credit isn't an option there.

I actually think I tend to spend MORE with cash than credit. With credit, when my bill for that month seems to be larger than normal, I cut back dramatically until the billing cycle is over. Don't want to be paying that LARGE a lump sum at bill payment time.

But when I carry cash, I have no idea how much I've spent that month already, only have much is left in my wallet. And since I always try to keep $20-40 in it at all times, it seems an endless supply? Lol. I never have the time to go through all those receipts and add them all up.

When I use only the credit cards, I look at my balance on-line and I know what I've spent and what I spent it on. With only cash, as long as I have some, I'll keep spending and not know EXACTLY how much I've spent already.

[disneysteve]

graceful, I'm the same way. I generally think of how much money I have in terms of how much is in my account. Once the money leaves my account, it leaves my mind pretty much, so the cash in my wallet never enters into the calculation. I spend it more freely since it is already accounted for. When I use a credit card, I know I'm accumulating stuff that will need to be paid within the month so I'm much more aware of what I'm spending.

I've said before that I will never understand how anyone can walk into a store and buy something with a credit card knowing that they don't have enough money in their account to pay for it. I just can not comprehend that behavior.

[Snodog]

Pay everything with credit cards because of their many benifits.

[kork13]

I think it is Oregon but they may have gotten rid of that law leaving just us poor NJ folks. Drives me nuts. I grew up in PA so it was really weird when we moved here. My wife always jokes that part of the reason I like vacation so much is because I get to pump my own gas when we drive out of state.

Yes, Oregon still has that stupid law... I hate it. My parents own a home in SW Oregon, so every time I went up there to see them during college, I had to deal with some random person pumping my gas.

Funniest time, though, was driving from CO to OR, I was almost home and had to stop for gas (my last gas stop of 3 or 4), and it was really late (10PM or later). I pull into the station, hop out, and start unscrewing my gas cap. The attendant flies out of the store, trying to say "Back away from the hose" as politely as possible. I just got into my car laughing, having totally forgotten about that crazy law.

[fruitbowlk]

I pay for mostly everything with debit card if not then it's cash. My only two options.

[ActYourWage]

Of course, here in NJ, we aren't allowed to pump our own gas so getting gas isn't a pleasant experience having to sit and wait for someone to do what I could do myself in a fraction of the time.

Wow, I had never that before. So every gas station in NJ has someone pump your gas? What is the reasoning behind that law?

[Beppington]

Cash, Check, Debit, Credit?

I ask because one of my elderly clients (I am a caregiver) refuses to use debt they think it's dangerous and only pay by check or credit card.

So what about you?

For what must be over a decade I used my debit card to pay for anything & everything ... but I've gone back to cash for almost everything.

Why??

Because ... I had two ATM withdrawals listed on my account on the same day. I know I did make one withdrawal that day, at my bank's own ATM, & I have the receipt for it. But I did not make a 2nd withdrawal for the exact same amount on the same day. I think their ATM machine screwed up & somehow debitted me twice. Of course I can't prove it. How do you prove it?? I tried to fight it & got nowhere. They couldn't (or wouldn't?) prove I DID debit 80 bucks twice, & how in the world can I prove I didn't? Other than by just saying I didn't? I tried that, & it didn't work. And, I'm not willing to waste time in court over 80 bucks when I have no proof anyway.

So, since they can't play fair, I quit playing their game, as much as possible anyway ... I don't usually carry enough cash around to buy $60 worth of gas, but I might start ... & then get rid of the debit card altogether.

I'm also against credit cards because I had a Discover Card for about a decade, & then all of the sudden these odd charges started showing up, I couldn't make sense of my bill anymore, etc., so I said, "You know what, the easiest & fastest way for me to clear up this whole thing is to cancel the card/ account altogether & we'll just go our separate ways.

It almost seems like banks these days know you won't be willing to fight them in court over "small things" here & there, so they take advantage of it like I described above. Sure, a few people will cancel & leave like me, but others will just take it, & the banks get their free blood money.

[disneysteve]

Wow, I had never that before. So every gas station in NJ has someone pump your gas? What is the reasoning behind that law?

Yes. Self-service is not permitted anywhere in NJ (or Oregon). I have no idea what the reasoning is behind it. I just know that it drives me nuts. Of course, we do have the cheapest gas around, so that's a plus, but it would be even cheaper if we could pump it ourselves.

[Ima saver]

I mostly spend cash unless I am ordering something out of a catalog, then I use a credit card. We have a rewards card that pays cash back, so I use that for large purchases. I pay off my credit cards in full every month.

[GREENBACK]

I assume older members here remember when it was standard practice to have your gas pumped for you. I thought it was a waste back then and can't imagine it now. The governor of NJ must own a few gas stations or something

[disneysteve]

The governor of NJ must own a few gas stations or something

Actually it isn't the governor's fault. Governor Corzine actually proposed changing the law and the outroar was tremendous and he backed off. I think the problem is the powerful lobby of the station owners/oil companies. They say many people would lose their jobs since instead of needing 4 or more employees, a station would only need one to sit inside and collect money.