How do you pay cash when shopping online?
Wow 100-150% return on your investment. Please share your secret with the rest of us.
So do I, but they are one of the few places that let me actually poke, prod, and tinker around with with display models on my own before I buy something. I just tell the salesman what I am there to buy, but that I need to look it over first and I will find him if I have questions and when I am ready, and they happily leave me alone and go help another person knowing their commission on my sale is coming basically for free.
I buy nothing from Best Buys, Lowes, or Mennards....I don't have time to play games on how much something costs.
And if the answer is "Use a debit card" you lose. Compromised debit cards are not as protected as credit cards.
Somebody steals your credit card number and charges $2000 fraudulently? You get the charges reversed and are not on the hook.
Somebody steals your debit card number and spends $2000 of the money in your checking account fraudulently? You can be on the hook between $49 per transaction or the whole $2000. (depending on your bank's rules and, states banking laws, etc)
And if the answer is "Use a debit card" you lose. Compromised debit cards are not as protected as credit cards.
Somebody steals your credit card number and charges $2000 fraudulently? You get the charges reversed and are not on the hook.
I buy nothing from Best Buys, Lowes, or Mennards....I don't have time to play games on how much something costs.
Credit cards=playing their game and their rules. You may save a few dollars in the short term, but will almost certainly end up losing. I have had them, but never again. Even if you do make all the payments etc., you open yourself to much more risk that I'd personally prefer to avoid.
Fair enough. I sense that we won't agree on the merits vs. risk of credit cards.
How do you pay cash when shopping online?
This the reason some debit cards like Local Bank Visa Debit cards have a credit function added to them, where you can either chose debit or credit. It still comes directly out of your checking, but has Visa protection added to it, including the extended original warranty feature like the standard Visa card has.
Let's agree to disagree. I don't use credit cards. Fraud isn't the only risk. You could lose a job. Or there be some issues with payroll and your paycheck comes late. Or an unexpected bill comes up and the credit card can't be paid off. Or you get injured and can't work for a period of time. Or...
It just isn't a game I play. My opinion is that it is unwise. See Proverbs 22:7
Let's agree to disagree. I don't use credit cards. Fraud isn't the only risk. You could lose a job. Or there be some issues with payroll and your paycheck comes late. Or an unexpected bill comes up and the credit card can't be paid off. Or you get injured and can't work for a period of time. Or...
It just isn't a game I play. My opinion is that it is unwise. See Proverbs 22:7
How do you pay cash when shopping online?
Isn't that how all of these work? You have to pay the non-promotional items first as they will accrue interest charges each month. If you're paying off a large ticket item over time and then add something else to the card balance you will need to pay not only your budgeted amount but also the extra purchase for that month.I discovered that Best Buy's credit people (and likely other's) are playing games with the "no interest for XX months" (i/f) purchases.
You would think the first thing you bought would get paid off first... i.e. buy a $800 dryer w/18 months "no interest", have it paid off after 16 mo with $50 payments (or 8mo with $100 monthly payments in my case)... NOPE.
Turns out that, unlike a Bank CC, ANY "regular" non-promotional purchase, even an $9 SD card or $30 mouse, jumps to the front of the payment schedule.
So, if you are like me and you use their credit card for occasional big purchases, but also for medium purchases here and there, and make pre-set automatic payments to maintain a good credit history (761 fico last I checked, and yes I know who Dave Ramsey is)... then your occasional big purchases get shoved back further and further down the payment schedule. UNLESS YOU MANUALLY CALL IN and state you want the promotional balance paid FIRST, all payments go to non-promotional balance. Even if you do state the payment goes to the promotional balance, the payment will be split evenly between ALL promotional balances unless you AGAIN state specifically which they are to go to.
Turns out that of the current $650 balance (which I thought was almost all from a $500 TV plus a $200 microwave and $300 convection toaster oven that I bought THIS summer as part of a kitchen refresh) is actually $350 of LAST YEAR'S $800 dryer (18mo i/f), $200 of the TV (6mo i/f) and $100 of "regular purchases" (the oven and microwave were not on promotion)... and that NONE of last several month's $100 payments went to the dryer... I'll call in and MANUALLY pay $130 towards the dryer instead of $100 in "regular" payments for the next 3 months and avoid the addition $190 in interest they would have tacked on Jan 21st if I hadn't caught on, but shame on them for playing those games.
When paid in full each month a CC is essentially a bank card with benefits. The money simply comes out of the bank account once/month instead of continually. A credit card doesn't require anyone to make purchases they can't afford which is the root of most people's "problem" with credit cards.I do budget and have an emergency fund and don't live paycheck to paycheck. I just don't use credit cards. I understand that I miss out on incentive programs through them. Different strokes I guess.
That sounds like a lot of work. Plus it sounds like money laundering.Use cash to buy gift cards or prepaid cards.
They always do...Lol who else new how this thread would turn out??