Anything under $20 I pay for in cash regardless of what type of expense it is.

Anything else gets paid with a credit card that gets paid off every month.

I use cash or my bank debit card for everything, but I hardly ever carry around some cash unless I am heading to the farmers market as I would hate to have to bust out my debit card a dozen times.

I only have 2 credit cards hidden away for emergencies only, I dont carry a CC with me except my bank card.

we don't use the CC for anything but airline tickets and emergencies.

The debit card is pretty much dusty too. We pay cash for just about everything. Although DH is at the grocery store this morning and since we didn't have the cash and he doesn't want to pay the fees he'll write a check.

We never use credit cards (now), and use debit for almost everything. TRYING to get into the cash system for groceries, I do think it would help - but I can't seem to do it.

credit cards for everything possible because we pay it off every month and we are gaining miles. I find that the more cash I carry the more I spend! So I limit cash to buying bread or milk but I try and combine grocery shopping so I can use a credit card.

I use my debit card for buying gasoline. Other than that I try to stick to cash. I am still working the kinks out of that system though. I've never been one to carry cash with me so it's taking some time to get used to the idea I actually need to go by the bank and get some.

I was using my credit card to buy postage and then pay off when I received my reimbursement from Half.com but I have enough stuck in my small savings account to take care of that expense now.

Cash for everything. Debit card makes it too easy to spend too much. No need for cc- since I have the cash in hand.
CC is used for things like hotel reservations, airline tickets. online purchases- which all seem to be a very scarce lately- and that's a good thing!
This wasn't always the case.

We don't use debit cards at all. . . .

We only use the credit card for airline tickets or hotel reservations and car rentals.

We pay our mortgage/utilities/etc with a check.

Groceries, clothing, gas, all get paid in cash.

Almost everything I buy is paid with cc, paid in full each month and it earns me cash back.
Bills are paid by check.

Credit cards are used to buy items, like furniture, appliances, etc..when we need them

I tend to use my debit card alot more then cash...will use at grocery stores, wal-mart, online, etc

Use cash at the dollar stores, thrift stores..places like that

First of all, we don't have a debit card. So, nothing is purchased with a debit card.

Small things, under $10 are paid for with cash. But, as we don't really ever buy anything, even under $10, again, this is basically a moot point.

Everything else is charged. We have a reward Amex card for groceries and a reward gas card for gas. Prescriptions also go on the Amex card. We never carry a balance and pay them off each month.

No debit cards here, hubby uses a CC for gas which I pay off monthly and we earn cash back on it. Groceries are paid cash, all bills paid online, grain is purchased with a check.

kj

We don't have a debit card. (Yes, I know... Dave Ramsey fan and we don't have one. Sorry, read too many horror stories.)

DH charges his gas on the cc. His totals vary every week depending on how far from home he is working, so we cannot do a fixed cash amount or he will spend the difference. I also charge fixed expenses like auto insurance (pay online every 6 months).

That's it. Everything else is cash only.

I tried doing the "charge everything to get the cash back/points/whatever and pay the card off every month" thing for a while. Most people do not have the self-control to not charge little extras that add up to way more than whatever you get back. I am one of those people who don't have that control. Cash forces control for me and for DH.

Oops, can't edit my post above. Just wanted to add that WHILE I was doing the "charge everything & pay it all off" method, I THOUGHT that I was handling the money well and not charging extras. It wasn't until we went to cash that I realized how much extra we were really spending. Ack!

We have one credit card that has a 300 dollar limit on it.. Rarely do we use it, and if we do we pay it off by the end of the month... I use only DEBIT or CASH... We have not had any problems with the debit, only when we need to remember when it was used as credit that it will take an extra day or two to be processed... I do not want credit cards, and I have not run into a problem with using my debit as credit, when credit cards are needed..... I pay my motgage in cash and every thing else is by debit...

I use checks for as much as possible when "in-store". I use internet to pay cc's, phone, and sattelite. Don't use credit. Debit card is used for sit-down meals out (pretty rare), gas since I have 3 other kids in the car, very rarely for anything else, like the rare internet purchase.

I pay cash for just about everything. I use the charge cards for reservations or when it's just convenient. They are paid in full every month. We do not have a debit card our checking and savings accounts I have had for years and we just never bothered to get one.

We don't use a debit card, do have one but honestly don't even know how to use it. The big grocery shopping is paid for by cheque and smaller in between purchases are paid for with cash. All bills are paid at the bank on the first of the month and most other purchases are paid for with a credit card and paid off the first of every month and always carry a credit balance so we don't have to pay any interesst.

Me and Dh both have debit cards, he is bad with his, I am great with mine. We use checks or pay bills online...
the credit cards were used forexpenses for out of state real eatate purchase.

Cash for everything. No debit card unless it's close to Christmas and we can't stand the line ups at the bank.

Credit cards are for mail order stuff and airlines.

Jean

Cash for everything but gas.

Debit card for gas and anything else.

Checks occasionally, especially doctors bills and schooling.

Don't have a single credit card, so nothing there. :)

Nearly everything is paid for with my check card (debit card) or a check. I never carry cash and we don't have a credit card.

Mostly cash, as I find I can keep myself more accountable this way :)

The rate that I've been going, I forget if I have cash on hand and just debit everything from $2 to $400 so long as I have the $$$ in my account. (my bank doesnt charge fees for interact/bank machine use) If I dont and its something I've been saving for or really need I'll whip out the credit card. However when I get the $$$ I put it right onto the credit card even if its before the monthly payment so I know that purchase has been covered. I pay my bills online. In either event, Im trying NOT to spend :laugh:

We have been using the debit card lately but today we are getting back on track with going on a cash only basis :clap: . Except for things like the mortgage, insurance, house alarm, cable/internet which are automatically debited from our bank account. Hydro and phone we pay by doing online banking.

I use my debit card for almost everything. When I have cash, once I break a $20, it may as well be gone because it's going to flow through my fingers.

DH & I don't have any real CC! I use the bank VISA CHECK CARD as a CC instead of a DEBIT CARD!

I was going to Washington Mutal ATM drive-thru when I needed some cash for DH instead of driving to our bank which is alot further down that busy road & why waste gas if you don't have to! I didn't get charged any fees @ this ATM until they changed. King Kullen is my grocery store & the ATM is fee free also according to the bank! Now they have added 7-11 to there listing of no fees ATMS so this is even closer to me before there was a fee there over $2.00. I know DH made me use some ATM machine & on my statement it said FOREIGN ATM & charged me $5 FEE!

Which has caused me a bit of problems since January!

My other post about the bank cheating me!http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70995

I don't like carrying too much cash on me since it could get lost or stolen!

Another one of my problems w/cash is getting back the right amount of change especially if I'm in a hurry, I never count it & just put in in my purse along w/the receipt wrapped around it! I always feel like I'm being rushed to get outta the cashiers way to help the next customer.

Usually I go shopping when I have a headache sometimes even migraines so my thinking is not that clear :confused:

I like having all my purchases listed on my online account so I can see all the amounts, instead of ruffling through all my receipts!

I pay just about all the bills online, not through my bank's website though I go to each individual company's website & get a confirmation email letting me know it's paid!

I do not like sending checks out in the mail since many have gotten lost even the bank checks I sent to STATE FARM which took me forever to straigten this problem out w/the bank since SF never received them from back in 2003 I had to fill out a form @ the bank, then bring it to my Insurance Agent @ State Farm to fill out saying they never got those 2 checks & also the form had to be nortorized. SF had problems locating info about one of those checks, I had paid for it over the phone using my Visa Check Card since they now take them & also have a bank which I may open up an account there not sure yet! I know they sent me something about earning $$$ to pay my insurance. The bank needed proof they were never cashed!

I mean now if you have a check over a year old it's not cashable & this was from 2003 why sooo many problems :confused: the agent couldn't believe the info the bank wanted.

I finally got those 2 checks put back into my account in January! Just in time for my taxes check which I had no choice but to write since they charge a % of fees for using a CC & usually I'd just get a bank check to pay this w/o a problem worrying if the check bounces!

If the bank just gave me back the money from those 2 checks I would of had more than enough in the bank & just got a bank check written out for the taxes. Luckily everything worked out fine it wasn't until 2 days later they put the money back in my account, also gave me the reversed fees from using the Visa Check Card!

DH is the only one with a debit card, but he's not allowed to use it. We've had previous problems with the number being stolen and our account drained.

We use the CC for gas. It's more convenient to pay at the pump, and it also means no one is ever caught without cash when needing to fill up. This is budgeted in every month. Sometimes DH will also use the CC if he goes out to lunch. I usually make sure he has some cash each week, but sometimes he doesn't. Thankfully, he doesn't do this much. The CC is also used for online purchases and anything I need to buy, but want to be able to return easily if need be. (For example, I needed new software for my laptop, so I purchased it on the CC. I transferred the money from the checking account to the CC after I did this.)

I use cash or checks for everything else.

We use the debit card because I lose cash

I pay all bills online or with automatic debit. I have never used my debit/Visa check card. I keep very little extra in the checking account so forgetting to record something would be fatal. I use a CC for gas and at other stores where I get 5% cash back, and pay it off monthly. I go months without writing a check, except occasionally for cash. We are not charged for teller transactions, and I rarely carry an ATM card with me. I've probably only used an ATM machine 3 or 4 times in the last year.

For places where I would only get 1% cash back on the CC, like Walmart, I am trying to use cash more often, to see if I do spend less, which is the common wisdom. But I'm not really much of an impulse shopper (except for the occasional lapse like the napkins I confessed to in an another post today!) so I don't know if it will make much difference over time. It will be interesting to see how it comes out. My gut feeling is that it will have more to do with whether the month is one where I feel I have to budget tightly or can have a little breathing room, more than with the method of payment. But I may be wrong. With cash, I do miss having the itemized list on the CC statement, and I will definitely continue to put large items on the CC for the buyer protections it offers.

I generally pay cash for everything. I don't have a debit or ATM card. I use my Macy's/Visa for day-to-day items; 2 days ago I bought new hair curlers for $19. I use my "My Points" Visa for more costly items because I get points for every dollar spent. I try not to charge more than I can pay off at the end of the month. I seldom use checks since I pay most of my bills online. Oh. I pay rent by check.

I use my AMEX for large ticket stuff like appliances because I really like their customer polices.

i pay alot online with debit card. i shop online with a prepaid cc,,, i like having a paper trail and having the cc company have the info saved there too.