Minor things that bother you

[hotdogPi]

Plus, there is fraud protections that are not available on a debit card.

Frog protection.

[1995hoo]

If you can get the rewards out of it and can pay it off at the end of the month, then yeah, put it on the credit card. Plus, there is fraud protections that are not available on a debit card.

And again, the point I'm making is that if you can't pay it off at the end of the month, you already spent more money than you could have had you paid with a debit card. If you have a handle on your finances, credit cards are the only things that make sense to pay with. My debit card is for the very rare occasions I need cash out of an ATM or that I need to deposit something in person at the bank. I don't think I've paid with it in probably 10 years.

I would consider using my debit card in the rare instance where a business will accept debit but not credit. The place that immediately comes to mind is Peter Luger in Brooklyn. They accept cash, debit cards, or checks drawn on US banks, but they don't accept credit. So if I were to go there, I'd probably use my debit card rather than trying to anticipate in advance how much cash to bring, especially when the online menu doesn't give prices. (The odds of my going there are slim, though. My parents and I went there some years back and we were underwhelmed. It wasn't bad, but it didn't live up to the hype. More recently, the New York Times gave it a zero-star review. So why go again when there are so many other places to try?)

[JayhawkCO]

If you can get the rewards out of it and can pay it off at the end of the month, then yeah, put it on the credit card. Plus, there is fraud protections that are not available on a debit card.

And again, the point I'm making is that if you can't pay it off at the end of the month, you already spent more money than you could have had you paid with a debit card. If you have a handle on your finances, credit cards are the only things that make sense to pay with. My debit card is for the very rare occasions I need cash out of an ATM or that I need to deposit something in person at the bank. I don't think I've paid with it in probably 10 years.

I would consider using my debit card in the rare instance where a business will accept debit but not credit. The place that immediately comes to mind is Peter Luger in Brooklyn. They accept cash, debit cards, or checks drawn on US banks, but they don't accept credit. So if I were to go there, I'd probably use my debit card rather than trying to anticipate in advance how much cash to bring, especially when the online menu doesn't give prices. (The odds of my going there are slim, though. My parents and I went there some years back and we were underwhelmed. It wasn't bad, but it didn't live up to the hype. More recently, the New York Times gave it a zero-star review. So why go again when there are so many other places to try?)

Yeah, I might have lied when I said that I hadn't used my debit card to pay in the previous 10 years. I think I did use it at CostCo once since it's a Visa and my main cards are both MasterCards. But it's definitely the exception instead of the rule.

[Rothman]

My wife is pretty big into using her rewards travel card for all purchases.  I just use it on big stuff like when I made a down payment on my new car and trips to Costco.  I can't be bothered to remember to pay off small shit like cans of Soda.

I put all purchases on credit cards and pay off. Especially with purchase protection, there's no reason not to even if you didn't get points/miles.

Well, as long as one can pay off the card each month.

If you spend $3k in a month on a credit card, then if you have more than $3k in your bank account, you can pay it off. If you don't have $3k in your bank account, you carry a balance forward.

If you spend $3k in a month on a debit card, and you don't have more than $3k in your bank account, you're overdrawing. Not sure why it's better to use a debit card for daily spending.

I'd rather not pay either interest or overdraw fees.

That's my point. Assuming you don't spend any more money than you otherwise would depending on which piece of plastic you pull out of your wallet, there's no reason not to put it all on a credit card. Either you have the money or you don't.

Right, and I was talking about the fact that there are people who don't.

[mgk920]

Neither the 'swipe' fees.

Mike

[JayhawkCO]

My wife is pretty big into using her rewards travel card for all purchases.  I just use it on big stuff like when I made a down payment on my new car and trips to Costco.  I can't be bothered to remember to pay off small shit like cans of Soda.

I put all purchases on credit cards and pay off. Especially with purchase protection, there's no reason not to even if you didn't get points/miles.

Well, as long as one can pay off the card each month.

If you spend $3k in a month on a credit card, then if you have more than $3k in your bank account, you can pay it off. If you don't have $3k in your bank account, you carry a balance forward.

If you spend $3k in a month on a debit card, and you don't have more than $3k in your bank account, you're overdrawing. Not sure why it's better to use a debit card for daily spending.

I'd rather not pay either interest or overdraw fees.

That's my point. Assuming you don't spend any more money than you otherwise would depending on which piece of plastic you pull out of your wallet, there's no reason not to put it all on a credit card. Either you have the money or you don't.

Right, and I was talking about the fact that there are people who don't.

I guess we're saying the same thing. Either way, blindly paying things with a debit card isn't smart for a multitude of reasons.

[GaryV]

A new minor bother: I was going to buy sour cream. I opened the door of the cooler, and the shelves inside are at least 4 feet deep. The only sour cream is way at the back of the shelf. I don't know anyone that has 4 foot long arms that could reach all the way to where the sour cream was stashed.

[JayhawkCO]

They didn't slant forward?

[bm7]

Sometimes you have to get a bit creative and use a nearby product to move what you want closer.

[kkt]

Sometimes you have to get a bit creative and use a nearby product to move what you want closer.

Yep.  I had that problem with the cereal I liked, often.  Stocked on the top shelf, about 6' 6" off the floor, and about halfway back a 4' deep shelf.  Used another cereal box to knock it over and scoot it to the front of the shelf.

[GaryV]

They didn't slant forward?

A little, but not enough for the containers to slide forward.

[formulanone]

Sometimes you have to get a bit creative and use a nearby product to move what you want closer.

Sometimes getting small packages of water (like a 12-pack) can be the most demanding part of my day. There's usually just one left on a shelf and it's awkwardly placed at the top or 3-4 feet away from my grasp. This former foodstuffs requisition engineer stocker will not be outfoxed and is quietly prepared to nearly lose a finger in the process of obtaining goods without assistance.

[ZLoth]

If you can get the rewards out of it and can pay it off at the end of the month, then yeah, put it on the credit card. Plus, there is fraud protections that are not available on a debit card.

And again, the point I'm making is that if you can't pay it off at the end of the month, you already spent more money than you could have had you paid with a debit card. If you have a handle on your finances, credit cards are the only things that make sense to pay with. My debit card is for the very rare occasions I need cash out of an ATM or that I need to deposit something in person at the bank. I don't think I've paid with it in probably 10 years.

Exactly my point. My payment preferences are as follows:

• Credit card with rewards
• Debit card
• Cash
• Zelle transfers
• ACH Transfers
• Check

I place checks as dead last because of how insecure a financial instrument it is and some experience where I provided someone with a check and they took forever to deposit it. I now explicitly state when I give someone a check to deposit it immediately please as I intentionally keep a low balance in my checking account. Practically the only time I write a check is when I deal with a government entity because the surcharge with going with the third party provider is just too much.

[JayhawkCO]

I'd put cash over a debit card. Cash can't get skimmed by an illegal card reader.

[1995hoo]

Sometimes you have to get a bit creative and use a nearby product to move what you want closer.

On occasion when I've been at the grocery store I've been asked by shorter women if I could get something from the top shelf that they can't reach. My wife (who is around 5'1") says she has occasionally made that request of other men when she's been at the store.

I, in turn, am occasionally tempted to ask someone who is accompanied by a little kid whether the kid can get an item off the bottom shelf for me, especially if the item is pushed fairly far back.

[wanderer2575]

Sometimes you have to get a bit creative and use a nearby product to move what you want closer.

Even more fun with a deep shelf that's taller than my head to begin with.  More than once I've walked over to the household cleaning aisle, borrowed a mop or broom, and used that to pull the item I want.

[JayhawkCO]

Maybe, at 6'4", I don't suffer from the same afflictions. I don't remember the last time I had to even stretch for an item.

[webny99]

I place checks as dead last because of how insecure a financial instrument it is and some experience where I provided someone with a check and they took forever to deposit it. I now explicitly state when I give someone a check to deposit it immediately please as I intentionally keep a low balance in my checking account. Practically the only time I write a check is when I deal with a government entity because the surcharge with going with the third party provider is just too much.

Exactly, I am extremely baffled by people who think that electronic means of funds transfers are less secure than checks. Checks literally put all of your financial information out there for pretty much anyone to see.

[wanderer2575]

I place checks as dead last because of how insecure a financial instrument it is and some experience where I provided someone with a check and they took forever to deposit it. I now explicitly state when I give someone a check to deposit it immediately please as I intentionally keep a low balance in my checking account. Practically the only time I write a check is when I deal with a government entity because the surcharge with going with the third party provider is just too much.

Exactly, I am extremely baffled by people who think that electronic means of funds transfers are less secure than checks. Checks literally put all of your financial information out there for pretty much anyone to see.

A lot of people don't understand how funds transfers are done.  I'm in Payroll and more than once an employee has asked me to look up what is his/her bank account balance.

[Plutonic Panda]

I'd put cash over a debit card. Cash can't get skimmed by an illegal card reader.

In a few times that I've had my credit card information taken, which I'm assuming was from a skimmer. It wasn't hard to call my bank and get the money put back on my account. Plus, I would hope and investigation would be open and they would look at the footage and see who did it, but I'm not sure how far they go with that.

[SSOWorld]

I'd put cash over a debit card. Cash can't get skimmed by an illegal card reader.

Cash can't be tracked though

[Rothman]

Maybe, at 6'4", I don't suffer from the same afflictions. I don't remember the last time I had to even stretch for an item.

I'm under six feet.  Had to stretch to reach something a few weeks ago, but that only happens once a year or so.

Been asked to grab something for other customers, but that's also rare.

Been mistaken for an employee at Target or Walmart just by wearing a collared shirt.  Wasn't even red.

[jeffandnicole]

Maybe, at 6'4", I don't suffer from the same afflictions. I don't remember the last time I had to even stretch for an item.

I'm under six feet.  Had to stretch to reach something a few weeks ago, but that only happens once a year or so.

Been asked to grab something for other customers, but that's also rare.

Been mistaken for an employee at Target or Walmart just by wearing a collared shirt.  Wasn't even red.

When I was younger I used to be mistaken for an employee at Lowes. A lot. Maybe I should've just directed people to the other side of the store for no reason.

[roadman65]

Just now the Classic Rock in Bradenton, FL played Layla by Derek and The Dominoes and ended the song before the Coda.  In other words they played half the song before the DJ spoke and went into Ozzy Osborne Crazy Train.

The first time I heard that on any Rock Station.  I've heard them leave off Foreplay on Boston's Foreplay/ Long Time or The Load Out on Jackson Browne's Load Out/ Stay and even the first part of The Who's Were Not Gonna Take It, but never this.

[kkt]

I place checks as dead last because of how insecure a financial instrument it is and some experience where I provided someone with a check and they took forever to deposit it. I now explicitly state when I give someone a check to deposit it immediately please as I intentionally keep a low balance in my checking account. Practically the only time I write a check is when I deal with a government entity because the surcharge with going with the third party provider is just too much.

Exactly, I am extremely baffled by people who think that electronic means of funds transfers are less secure than checks. Checks literally put all of your financial information out there for pretty much anyone to see.

After a check clears, at least you can look at it later and see the stamp of who deposited it and see that it's your handwriting on the check.