# Credit cards good/bad



## whisteria (Jun 15, 2015)

Good morning to you all,
I was talking to my wife this morning and the subject came up about credit,
Now im from the old school ref credit and as soon as i was able to look after my own finances i made it a mission not to think i owned something because i used a credit card to buy it and so ive steered clear of them and the use of them.
My grand parents never had the credit cards because they just hadn't been invented when they first started off in their married life etc And so it was thanks to them i was told if you cant pay upfront then save and if by the time you've saved enough and you still want the goods!!! (then you'll own it at the correct price and not at the added interest price)
All very good advice and ive never found any thing wrong with it "it's worked for me".

Whats your thoughts on how we live today and how we spend spend spend "on credit" Are these cards and credit in general a good thing for every day items ,????

Or are they the road to ruin

Lets have your thoughts on this one.


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## Kadee (Jun 15, 2015)

I have never had a credit card , I hate debt and if I don't have the money I don't buy as simple as that !! 
The only debt I  only debt I ever had was the house mortgage ...Been debt free since 2004


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## Warrigal (Jun 15, 2015)

No credit cards now. We use our own money with debit cards.

In years gone by we had a mortgage with a building society and when necessary a small second mortgage with the bank to buy a second hand car, or a piece of white goods. When the first credit cards appeared in OZ we had one but paid it off every month. The interest rates were, and still are, usurious. 

We've been debt free since 1985.


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## Ralphy1 (Jun 15, 2015)

Fortunately, I no longer need credit, but I love the convenience of debit...


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## QuickSilver (Jun 15, 2015)

Never have, and never will use a debit card... Ithink it would be too easy to screw up..   I prefer using my credit card and paying the balance in full each month.  I don't want anyone or anything dipping into my checking account but me..


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## oakapple (Jun 15, 2015)

We use both credit and debit cards. with the credit cards we make sure we pay it off every month, but it is so useful. we use it to buy things online, and don't forget, your money is  protected by buying with a credit card, should anything go wrong.
I do understand why some people don't want to use them, in the past there was the ' live now, pay later' lure of hire purchase, but things have moved on a bit since then. yes, some people do get themselves into debt with credit cards through buying without thought and using store cards, I suppose that some people have always been irresponsible with money.I have often thought it would be useful to have a class in school dedicated to financial living for 14 year olds upwards.


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## oldman (Jun 15, 2015)

My wife and I both use credit cards as much as possible and we pay them off when they come in every month. We use them to accumulate mileage for air travel. Even though I get free air travel, I use the miles to purchase upgrades to business or first class. It makes the flying experience that much more pleasant. I don't consider it debt, since we do pay them off every month. Our new home was bought and paid for at settlement 15 years ago, (wow, I can't believe that it's been that long already), and we never make car payments. I have a great pension and so does my wife, so we have no credit or debt worries whatsoever.


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## LinuxFan (Jun 15, 2015)

Money is obviously no problem for the wealthy folk on here - but if life is a hand-to-mouth existence, the lure of instant credit is very strong when the kids need new shoes, or the next meal. That´s where the greedy banks make their money from - the poorest people pay the highest rates for credit. And we call that civilisation. With our adequate pensions and paid-for housing, we can all afford to be smug about credit cards - lucky us!


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## Ralphy1 (Jun 15, 2015)

It seems that our social service safety net is available rather than relying on credit cards...


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

We use credit cards for everything.  We earn airmiles with them.  The previous cards gave us cash back annually.  Debit cards earn us nothing.  We always pay off the balance every month.  We do not pay interest!

I got in trouble with credit cards way back in the 80's and learned my lesson.  I've had A1 credit ever since.


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## Warrigal (Jun 15, 2015)

I think all of us here might have experienced having days left over after the purse is empty and before the next pay cheque arrives. That's when you dig deep into the cupboards to make up something filling to feed the family. Pasta, rice, bread and butter pudding, soup made from dried soup mix and whatever vegetables you have in the bottom of the fridge and so on. They did it during the Great Depression without the aid of credit cards.


My mother in law raised 4 children on her husband's quite small wage and they never went hungry. They had nothing in the bank and no source of easy credit. 

It can be done, as it was in the past.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

Traveling without credit cards is impossible.  Airline tickets are purchased with credit cards, hotels booked, you can't rent a car with debit card.


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## Warrigal (Jun 15, 2015)

Ameriscot, we've used our overseas to make purchases, pay for hotels and cruises. Never a problem. It is a VISA and can be used as a credit card if we wish but we always use the savings option.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

Dame Warrigal said:


> Ameriscot, we've used our overseas to make purchases, pay for hotels and cruises. Never a problem. It is a VISA and can be used as a credit card if we wish but we always use the savings option.



Our debit cards are also Visas but we earn airmiles on our credit cards.  In Thailand we use cash only, so hit the ATM's frequently. My US debit card reimburses the ATM fees so we use that one the most.


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## Warrigal (Jun 15, 2015)

Yes, I understand about the flyby cards but we don't worry about them. We aren't frequent flyers and by booking well ahead of time we manage to get good discounts. Our cards attract minimal fees which I prefer to an accumulation of points.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

Dame Warrigal said:


> Yes, I understand about the flyby cards but we don't worry about them. We aren't frequent flyers and by booking well ahead of time we manage to get good discounts. Our cards attract minimal fees which I prefer to an accumulation of points.



We don't use our airmiles to get airline tickets, we use them to upgrade to business class.  And on very long flights it's well worth it.  We don't pay any fees on our cards, but we should switch to the one with an annual fee as we earn twice as many miles. We finally got an American Express a few years ago with Emirates which is the airline we use for long haul flights. 

My sister buys everything with her American Express and she pays the annual fee.  She earns enough miles to pay for her airline tickets when she visits us for a month every 2 or 3 years. She just loves a bargain!


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## Bullie76 (Jun 15, 2015)

I use credit cards not because I need credit, just for convenience. I don't care to carry around a lot of cash. I pay the cards off completely when due so never have any interest. Plus I get a 5% cash discount applied to my card on all gas purchases, less for other purchases. Cash applied monthly, not incentive points.


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## AprilSun (Jun 15, 2015)

I use credit cards also because they are quicker and more convenient. I don't like carrying around a lot of cash either. When I get the bill, I pay it in full so I don't have to pay interest. I have used my debit card before but I wasn't confortable with people standing behind me while I was using it. There's too many crooks out there.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

AprilSun said:


> I use credit cards also because they are quicker and more convenient. I don't like carrying around a lot of cash either. When I get the bill, I pay it in full so I don't have to pay interest. I have used my debit card before but I wasn't confortable with people standing behind me while I was using it. There's too many crooks out there.



We have to put in our pin whether credit or debit.  I thought the US had chip and pin now?  We've also got the cards where you just tap them on the shop's card terminal but is only on purchases under £20.


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## AprilSun (Jun 15, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> We have to put in our pin whether credit or debit.  I thought the US had chip and pin now?  We've also got the cards where you just tap them on the shop's card terminal but is only on purchases under £20.



I don't know about the rest of the US but here, we don't have to enter pin numbers unless we're using debit cards. I have heard them talking about switching over to that type but I haven't shopped where they've done it yet or heard of anywhere close by that has.  I think we're a little slow about upgrading.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

AprilSun said:


> I don't know about the rest of the US but here, we don't have to enter pin numbers unless we're using debit cards. I have heard them talking about switching over to that type but I haven't shopped where they've done it yet or heard of anywhere close by that has.  I think we're a little slow about upgrading.



I've been hearing the US is supposed to get them.  We've had it for years.  I have seen tourists here before who had to say to the clerks that they needed to sign for a purchase, not use a pin.


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## QuickSilver (Jun 15, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> We have to put in our pin whether credit or debit.  I thought the US had chip and pin now?  We've also got the cards where you just tap them on the shop's card terminal but is only on purchases under £20.




I have never needed to use a PIN number when using my credit cards.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I have never needed to use a PIN number when using my credit cards.



Chip and pin is supposed to be used in the US, or so I've been hearing for a few years.


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## QuickSilver (Jun 15, 2015)

I have heard of the Chip.. and a few of my cards have it..  However, people here are very Leary of it as we have concerns that it will make it very easy for high tech thieves  to use a pocket scanner to lift your credit card information right through your purse or wallet.  Many have started carrying their cards in a lead lined case to prevent this.  Has that been a problem in Europe?


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## Lon (Jun 15, 2015)

Credit Cards are excellent if used properly. Using  card that has no annual fee makes it convenient to not having to carry cash around. Avoiding interest charges by paying the bill as you receive it is the only way to go. Cash discounts for some items is another plus that you don't get by paying with cash.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I have heard of the Chip.. and a few of my cards have it..  However, people here are very Leary of it as we have concerns that it will make it very easy for high tech thieves  to use a pocket scanner to lift your credit card information right through your purse or wallet.  Many have started carrying their cards in a lead lined case to prevent this.  Has that been a problem in Europe?



I haven't heard of it being a problem in Europe and I've never heard anyone complain about chip and pin instead of signatures. I know it is possible for the card to be scanned by thieves but don't know how that works. We got chip and pin in 2004(?).  
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4779314.stm

This article asks why the US is a decade behind Europe in chip and pin cards.
http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...credit-card-breach-chip-pin-technology-europe


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## Warrigal (Jun 15, 2015)

Chip and pin here, although I expect my next new card will also be tap and go.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

Dame Warrigal said:


> Chip and pin here, although I expect my next new card will also be tap and go.



We have two cards we can tap now and it looks like as they replace cards they are also tap.  What is your limit with a tap?  Ours is £20.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

The US will be getting chip and pin very soon:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/01/06/chip-and-pin-credit-cards-computer-security/21008389/


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## Warrigal (Jun 15, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> We have two cards we can tap now and it looks like as they replace cards they are also tap.  What is your limit with a tap?  Ours is £20.



The limit is $100.


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## AprilT (Jun 15, 2015)

I no longer use credit cards, my debit card affords me many of the same benefits except the interest of credit cards, I earn reward points from airlines, and many other such places, not problems with renting cars, hotels and anything else as long as I have the funds in the bank to back my purchases and if I go over I can buy into a program with my bank to cover that.  I've not had any issues.  If ever I feel the need to make a huge purchase I can't afford out of pocket on the spot, I may consider a small loan or credit, thus far, I don't feel the need.  I like the convenience of my debit card, I also have the option of not using a pin, I can just hit credit instead of debit on the check out pad and sign for the purchase, sometimes the clerk will ask credit or debit, I'm allowed to use my card that way at checkout, the funds will just be a few days delayed from coming out of my account.  But over all, I prefer carrying the debit card to cash.  I am also covered for fraud and other issues, at least with my bank.  Another thing, my picture is on my card of which I need to get updated as the picture is now some 9+ years old, boy have I aged.


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## Davey Jones (Jun 15, 2015)

With all the problems lately with debit/credit cards by hackers, my card numbers are changed every 3-6 months at my request by the bank.I NEVER give out my card numbers on the internet.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

I order online all the time.  No problem.


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## Davey Jones (Jun 15, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> I order online all the time.  No problem.



I order too but do NOT give out my FULL credit card numbers, talk to your bank official how to do this.
Once you order on line just about anybody can find out all about you and where you live. Hackers do it all the time and sell this information for the right bucks. If you shopped at Target and use that card they know all about you from last November.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

Davey Jones said:


> I order too but do NOT give out my FULL credit card numbers, talk to your bank official how to do this.
> Once you order on line just about anybody can find out all about you and where you live. Hackers do it all the time and sell this information for the right bucks. If you shopped at Target and use that card they know all about you from last November.



Good hackers can find out anything.  Hasn't happened to me.  I don't shop at Target.


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## AZ Jim (Jun 15, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> Never have, and never will use a debit card... Ithink it would be too easy to screw up..   I prefer using my credit card and paying the balance in full each month.  I don't want anyone or anything dipping into my checking account but me..



I am the same.  I pay up each month, no fee.


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## AprilT (Jun 15, 2015)

There are usually hidden fees with credit cards unless stated otherwise, such as cash withdrawal fees whether you pay it off in full or not, yearly usage fees and the like.  Credit cards have risk just as debit cards do, In the 20+ years of having my debit card, I've had less issues than I ever had with my past usage of credit cards.  There will always be risk regardless of which you use, hackers want you, they'll find a way.  People just have to stay diligent and look over their statements and accounts on a regular basis, keep track of where their money goes.  If I see even the smallest dime going out that I don't recognize I call for clarification.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

When we stay in Thailand we have no choice but to use cash so that means debit cards at ATM's.  Most places don't take credit cards and I wouldn't trust the security anyway.  We are picky about what ATM we use as well and normally go to one inside a bank.  We do bring some cash with us when we go but not enough to live on for months.  We even pay our housing and car rental in cash.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

AprilT said:


> There are usually hidden fees with credit cards unless stated otherwise, such as cash withdrawal fees whether you pay it off in full or not, yearly usage fees and the like.  Credit cards have risk just as debit cards do, In the 20+ years of having my debit card, I've had less issues than I ever had with my past usage of credit cards.  There will always be risk regardless of which you use, hackers want you, they'll find a way.  People just have to stay diligent and look over their statements and accounts on a regular basis, keep track of where their money goes.  If I see even the smallest dime going out that I don't recognize I call for clarification.



We look over our statements online frequently.  We don't pay any fees on our cards and would never ever do a cash advance on a credit card - they charge outrageous fees!  We always pay off the balances each month.


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## AprilT (Jun 15, 2015)

.double post


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## AprilT (Jun 15, 2015)

Sounds very smart to me Annie.    But not everyone is as wise as you.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

AprilT said:


> Sounds very smart to me Annie.    But not everyone is as wise as you.




  How true that is!  I have some family members that don't understand the word budget and wisdom with credit.


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## AZ Jim (Jun 15, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> I order online all the time.  No problem.



I spend lot's on the net too Annie, when possible I use my PayPal account then I don't have to give the vendor my card info.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 15, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> I spend lot's on the net too Annie, when possible I use my PayPal account then I don't have to give the vendor my card info.



I only use vendors I feel I can trust that have a secure site.  Emirates, Amazon, where I bought my bicycle, appliance shops.  I use Paypal for donations for charities, etc.


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## whisteria (Jun 15, 2015)

Hello Linuxfan,
It's the first time ive spoken to you One to one,
What i wanted to say is i didnt put this thread up to make anyone feel that anyone on here (the retired or better known as the old farts) is trying to rub anyones face in the fact that most have no debts and a good everyday living,

If you think about it 'we all have less time in front of us than we've already had and in the 1960's etc wages in the uk were crap to what people get today right from the school lever to the lower paid wages,

The problems are that everyone wanted higher wages and this results in higher tax paid on wages and on what you buy and so the wheel keeps turning,
But the people such as a lot on this forum who have retired and bought their own homes bought them at a lot lower price than people are paying today and these people buying today will proberly never see the deeds to their property as they'll never have them fully paid "not as long as interest creapes up year after year, 

So what im saying is I for one bought our first home and spent years doing it up "but when i sold it" after living in it for 27yrs we got a hell of a lot more than we ever thought we'd get, 

Now as far as greedy banks etc are concerned,
Its like following sheep, if you use them you pay the interest, If you find a way of earning your own interest then you'll be better off and saving at the same time,

I worked for three blue chip companies and felt i was worth more but it did mean working long hours and taking the chances anyone self employed takes,

It gave me a really good look into what business is all about and if i was to return to work i would only work for myself because i dont just want a wage i also want the profit,
So when the retired have managed to own their own homes etc and have good pensions "It's because they bought the property over years and they worked for years to get the pensions
And not everyone had a nice work place to spend those years in earning the pension after they'd ended their working life.

So good luck to these sorts of people who are now feeling warmth inside because of the past efforts and the rewards those efforts have given them.


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## Bullie76 (Jun 15, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> I spend lot's on the net too Annie, when possible I use my PayPal account then I don't have to give the vendor my card info.



Same here. I feel as though its an extra layer of protection, but I have read of hacked Paypal accts. So hard to have 100% security. I try to be careful as most when buying online and hope for the best.


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## QuickSilver (Jun 15, 2015)

I use paypal.   I change my password every few months.


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## SeaBreeze (Jun 15, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> Never have, and never will use a debit card... Ithink it would be too easy to screw up..   I prefer using my credit card and paying the balance in full each month.  I don't want anyone or anything dipping into my checking account but me..



Same here QS, if I can't afford to pay my credit card balance in full, then I can't afford to make the purchase.  I still use checks, but will avoid ever using a debit card.


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## Davey Jones (Jun 15, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> How true that is!  I have some family members that don't understand the word budget and wisdom with credit.



That's the big problem with the younger generation  , the only time they hear the word "BUDGET "is from Washington,D.C.,the White House and Congress.


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## Kitties (Jun 15, 2015)

I think a major credit card is a good necessity. As mentioned for traveling, renting a car. Some shopping on the internet (I prefer to use Paypal) I have two major credit cards. One I've had about 20 years. I got a second one when I got a notice from my credit card company that they were cancelling my credit card and issuing me a new one due to some kind of breach. Not sure what it was but they seemed to be right on it. I got the second one after that because I thought 'what if I were planning to leave on a trip and that happened. I'd be without a card.' So I got a second one through my bank which I think I have used once. Both cards have zero balance right now.

My mother was European and didn't believe in buying on credit. I agree with that.


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## jujube (Jun 15, 2015)

Kitties said:


> I think a major credit card is a good necessity. As mentioned for traveling, renting a car. Some shopping on the internet (I prefer to use Paypal) I have two major credit cards. One I've had about 20 years. I got a second one when I got a notice from my credit card company that they were cancelling my credit card and issuing me a new one due to some kind of breach. Not sure what it was but they seemed to be right on it. I got the second one after that because I thought 'what if I were planning to leave on a trip and that happened. I'd be without a card.' So I got a second one through my bank which I think I have used once. Both cards have zero balance right now.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## Butterfly (Jun 16, 2015)

I use both a debit card and credit cards.  I pay off the credit cards every month if I use them, and I keep one with a large available balance that I can use in case of major disaster (like if my roof fell in or something).  I can't even remember the last time I wrote a check.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 16, 2015)

Butterfly said:


> I use both a debit card and credit cards.  I pay off the credit cards every month if I use them, and I keep one with a large available balance that I can use in case of major disaster (like if my roof fell in or something).  I can't even remember the last time I wrote a check.



I write a check about once a year.  Last one was to send to my son in the US for a family xmas gift.


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## AprilSun (Jun 16, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> I write a check about once a year.  Last one was to send to my son in the US for a family xmas gift.



I write so few checks, when I do, I realize I'm out of practice. I pay bills online and when I shop, I pay by credit card so I rarely write a check.


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## QuickSilver (Jun 16, 2015)

Call me an old timer, but I absolutely refuse to have anyone dipping into my accounts..  that includes debit transactions or direct withdrawals for anything.  No One gets that ability  only myself and my husband.   I tell vendors, if you don't want my check, you don't want my business.   I like the ability to control what comes out.  All it would take would be one computer glitch to empty an account..


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## Ameriscot (Jun 16, 2015)

AprilSun said:


> I write so few checks, when I do, I realize I'm out of practice. I pay bills online and when I shop, I pay by credit card so I rarely write a check.



I have to hunt for my checks.  I have some for £ and some for $ and obviously I had to write one for $ to my son.  Occasionally we have to send a check to make a deposit on a B & B here for those who aren't yet in this century.  So we average about one check per year.  

All our bills are paid online as well and have been for about 15 years.  The banks are talking about phasing out checks here, but some of the elderly who don't use computers are objecting.


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## QuickSilver (Jun 16, 2015)

I have a fear of having all my business out there online..  for anyone to hack.  Does that not cause you concern?


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## Warrigal (Jun 16, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> Call me an old timer, but I absolutely refuse to have anyone dipping into my accounts..  that includes debit transactions or direct withdrawals for anything.  No One gets that ability  only myself and my husband.   I tell vendors, if you don't want my check, you don't want my business.   I like the ability to control what comes out.  All it would take would be one computer glitch to empty an account..



You old timer, you.

I reckon direct debits and automatic periodic payments are the best thing since sliced bread. Initially I set them up for my mum and auntie when I was acting as  their  POA. Since then I've done the same thing for the church accounts and for my own personal finances. I even contribute to the church by means of periodic payments that I have set up myself. 

One thing I haven't bothered to do yet is use Bpay over the computer. I prefer to do what I did today when I wanted to pay two car insurance bills as annual payments. I had been paying them monthly by direct debit. I simply phoned the company, talked to a nice young man called Warrick and he made the necessary changes for me. I saved $286 in the process and won't have to worry about it again until next year. By then I may decide to use Bpay.

I do withdraw cash to carry in my purse but when tap and go becomes available on my card I will probably carry less cash.


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## QuickSilver (Jun 16, 2015)

you certainly are brave...    Not me..  I prefer to not have everything floating in a cloud..  But good for you for being so trusting.


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## Warrigal (Jun 16, 2015)

I am trusting, that is true, but my trust is founded on a lifetime of experiences that show me that most people/institutions are actually trustworthy.
I believe that trust is the grease that oils the machinery of a truly civil society.


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## NancyNGA (Jun 16, 2015)

Three times in my life I simply forgot to pay my credit card bill by the due date.  First time it resulted in a hefty fee plus interest.  The last two times were more recent and one was a whole month late.   I have a card that has accident forgiveness (no wait, that's Allstate insurance), anyway whatever they call it there was no penalty. After that I put them on autopay because I don't trust myself anymore.  In fact all my monthy bills are on autopay now.


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## Ameriscot (Jun 16, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I have a fear of having all my business out there online..  for anyone to hack.  Does that not cause you concern?



No.  Sometimes we've paid plumbers and other workers by transferring the money directly to their bank account - so they have to give us their account number.  Not a problem.  It's not like we can access their bank account and take money.  All our normal bills are direct debit. Never had an issue and don't know anybody who has had an issue.


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## applecruncher (Jun 16, 2015)

Dame Warrigal said:


> I think all of us here might have experienced having days left over after the purse is empty and before the next pay cheque arrives. That's when you dig deep into the cupboards to make up something filling to feed the family. Pasta, rice, bread and butter pudding, soup made from dried soup mix and whatever vegetables you have in the bottom of the fridge and so on. They did it during the Great Depression without the aid of credit cards.
> 
> 
> My mother in law raised 4 children on her husband's quite small wage and they never went hungry. They had nothing in the bank and no source of easy credit.
> ...



True.  And my mother and grandmother used "layaway" - something I rarely hear about anymore.  Essentially, you chose items, paid a deposit, and paid something every week.  The items were set aside then given to you after you paid them off.


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## jujube (Jun 16, 2015)

applecruncher said:


> True.  And my mother and grandmother used "layaway" - something I rarely hear about anymore.  Essentially, you chose items, paid a deposit, and paid something every week.  The items were set aside then given to you after you paid them off.



My grandmother was the Layaway Queen.  She would start buying Christmas presents in January and keep everything in layaway all year.  Come the first week of December, we'd go downtown and get everything out.  She always had more than she thought she did.  Once I remember five clerks having to help carry the bags out of the store and we ended up having to have two cabs to get home.


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## applecruncher (Jun 16, 2015)

jujube said:


> My grandmother was the Layaway Queen. She would start buying Christmas presents in January and keep everything in layaway all year. Come the first week of December, we'd go downtown and get everything out. She always had more than she thought she did. Once I remember five clerks having to help carry the bags out of the store and we ended up having to have two cabs to get home.



aaawww, such a sweet story jujube. 

Amazing how in those days moms/grandmas were so excited to get their things out of layaway!  (and so were us kids)  At atheir things were PAID for in full before they took them home.
Now people just swipe a credit card, whether they can afford to or not.


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## RadishRose (Jun 16, 2015)

Christmas and some birthday times were the only times I paid off my credit card using 2 or 3 installments for many, many years. I lived carefully yet had all I needed.  The past 2 years after some illness (with recovery) I went hog wild! Now I owe over 5,000.00. The heck with it, I had a great time, got things that were not really frivolous and mostly needed to make my home nicer, helped out family and went out to lunch alot!


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## QuickSilver (Jun 16, 2015)

My grandmother used layaway... but she called it Will Call..


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## Warrigal (Jun 16, 2015)

Called layby over here and my daughter used it to buy Christmas presents for her four children. She shopped when the specials were available mid year.


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