RE: How do you pay for things??

[Tim5055]

 I have to admit when I am shopping I really get frustrated when the person in front of me in line pulls out a checkbook.  I know I am in for a wait.  With additional " authorization"  necessary for a check, plus the fact that most store employees have problems dealing with checks I wondered how may people still pay with checks and how many have moved electronic.
 
 I must admit I use plastic for everything.  Either a credit card or a check card, anywhere I can out comes the plastic.
 
 At teh end of the month I don t even write checks.  Log into my banks web site and tell them who to pay and how much.
 
 In the past I would write 30 - 40 checks a month, now 3 or 4 is a lot.
 
 Obviously lots of people are doing the same thing because there was an article in the paper this week that the Federal Reserve bank was going to stop processing checks at 13 of its 45 sites due to the lower number of checks processed.  That s a big drop in processing sites!
 
 The Washington Post has a great article today:
 
 [link=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43307-2003Feb8.html]The Check s Last Writes - Some Can t Tear Themselves Away, but Electronic Payments Are Gaining Fast [/link]
 
 So, how do you pay for things??

[ckkevin]

 tim5055
I have almost forgot how to write a check.  My wife still pays our bills by check, but I haven t carried a check book for three years.  Plastic just seems to be easier (as long as it is paid off every month!)

[got woody?]

 tim5055
I m a big debit card fan.  EZPass is the best thing to happen in years.  Rarely have more than $30 in my wallet.  Only check I write is preschool tuition.  All other transactions are automated by bankofamerica.com.
 
 However, the wife and I were just talking about the media hyped Terror Alerts! and what could possibly cause us harm.  
 
 Tim, you and I live in the DC area so we have seen life in the post 9/11 era, plus sniper central here in Silver Spring, and we know there are a lot of whackos with agendas out there.
 
 So, what would happen if the ability to do e-commerce was interrupted for even two or three days.  Some destructive hack or e-virus and I can t get online to move money around or use my debit card to buy gas and I m on empty?
 
 Please note - I am not an alarmist, or pessimist, or someone who runs and crawls under a rock when the the idiots on CNN try to scare me for ratings.  
 
 That being said, I have decided to stash a few dollars somewhere I can get to if the ATM stops working for a day or three.
 
 Still loving my Speedpass,

[kathybrj]

 tim5055
Debit card or check. I refuse to pay interest on a credit card. We currently have 2 small balances on 0% cards and will pay them off before the terms expire.

[forestwalker]

 got woody?
Although we use a debit card for everyday transactions,it is a good idea to keep some cash on hand,and a check,too ! Electronic problems do happen occasionally,and,more than once,we have had power outages that have lasted longer than a week.Beside that,not everybody accepts plastic.

[marin]

 tim5055
Well, I m one of the customers you get frustrated with! I usually pay by check. I remember a very wise professor telling me once never charge, what you can eat, drive, or drink! Two weeks ago we were at Friendly s and I about died when a man pulled out his credit card to pay for a 5 dollar sundae! To each his own, but I ll continue with my checkbook, thank you...[8D]

[GeneF]

 tim5055
Depends on where I am at or what I am doing.
 
 If I am on the road travelling on a trip, then the old credit card comes out.
 
 It it is local, then most likely cash like for gas or groceries.
 
 If it is to pay a bill, then it is by check.
 
 Don t have a debit card but do use the ATM if needed.
 
 Guess I am just one of those people that are still not ready to pay my bills over the internet.
 
 Here is an added question:  When was the last time you cashed your check just to see what it would look like in real money instead of the figures on a piece of paper?
 
 I can remember when my first earnings came in cash in an envelope.

[Tim5055]

 GeneF

ORIGINAL:  GeneF
 
 Here is an added question:  When was the last time you cashed your check just to see what it would look like in real money instead of the figures on a piece of paper?
 
 I can remember when my first earnings came in cash in an envelope.
 

 
 Gene,
 
 I can remember cash in an envelope also[]
 
 I have not cashed a check in years, as a matter of fact I have not received a check in years - Direct Deposit!
 
 I can remember working for one employer that at times had financial problems.  When checks were given out many of us went directly to the bank to cash them.

[barbjeff]

 tim5055
I hate to even mention it given the contents of tne previous posts, but when we are at home I pay for everything with cash! I figure if I can t put out the cash at the moment then I can t aford it. We pay the bills at the bank directly from our account. When we travel we will use plastic, just for the convience of making reservations and the security factor and travllers cheques.

[cooncreekers]

 tim5055
sorry if my writing a check holds you up in the line, dude. but, i`m from the old school. i want to be a little " closer"  to my money than plastic makes me feel. we never charge anything, what i have, i own. but, to each his own i guess. i wouldn`t ever get annoyed with someone for writing a check for their purchases, but i have been known to get a little ticked watching someone purchase steaks with food stamps while wearing beautiful gold jewelry, new nikes and designer clothes. yeah, that kinda gets me ticked. but, paying with cash or a check, nope.

[garym053]

 tim5055
I wouldn t get annoyed at the check writers! I d get annoyed at the store that was too cheap to install check readers at the point of sale terminals! You can write a check and be on your way just as fast as with plastic!
 These readers cost about $300.00 and dail in just like the credit card or check card readers do! Just watch next time you are in Staples! Every Staples I ve been in has them!

[Mahaffey-Family]

 tim5055
I am working on going back to writing checks.  I forget to write in the debits sometime.  I was afraid oneday this might catch up with me.

[Tim5055]

 tim5055
cooncreekers, I think garym053 is close to the problem.  I think my aggrevation is more at the store for lack of training (or lack of equipment) to support the employees.
 
 It is just interesting to see how people feel about this.

[ShirleyT]

 tim5055
I pay for anything I can online, credit cards, electric, phone...write checks for other bills, or pay cash. I use ATM at walmart most of the time.

[Camperroo]

 tim5055
we use checks or cash.  Credit card is for an emergency or reservations.  We also keep a small amount set aside in the house just in case we don t get access to our bank or ATM.