JustDave
Well-known Member
When I moved to rural Virginia I've encountered several small but vital businesses that do not accept credit cards. So I've usually got a wad of cash in my wallet. Checkbook? Hmmm, not sure where I put it last.
McDonald's rounding cash transactions as some locations run short of pennies
- Thread starter Trade
- Start date
BJintheUK
New Member
- Location
- Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, UK
I remember a neighbour of mine many years ago saying, "Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you'll have good luck!"
I try to carry some cash around with me for the supermarket trolley (£1) and some small change for any purchases of less than £1 or so. Other than that I tend to use the credit card.
I try to carry some cash around with me for the supermarket trolley (£1) and some small change for any purchases of less than £1 or so. Other than that I tend to use the credit card.
Oldeagle66
Senior Member
Same here and every payday I stash about $10-$20 in my wallet and forget about it. It comes in handy and adds up.
I heard somewhere that copper repels ants so I asked Google.
AI Overview
Copper is often cited as an ant deterrent, as it is believed to interfere with ants' scent trails. Applying copper tape around garden beds or pots can create a barrier that ants are reluctant to cross, although some sources suggest it can be ineffective and ants may still cross it.
How it's thought to work
AI Overview
Copper is often cited as an ant deterrent, as it is believed to interfere with ants' scent trails. Applying copper tape around garden beds or pots can create a barrier that ants are reluctant to cross, although some sources suggest it can be ineffective and ants may still cross it.
How it's thought to work
- Interfering with scent trails:
Ants rely on scent trails to navigate. Copper is believed to disrupt or mask these pheromones, which confuses them and makes them avoid the area.
- Creating a physical barrier:
Copper tape can be used to create a physical barrier that ants are hesitant to cross.
- Wrap it around pots and garden beds:
Apply copper tape around the base of pots or the edges of garden beds to keep ants from climbing up.
- Use copper mesh to seal entry points:
Use copper mesh and caulk to seal cracks and crevices around your home to prevent ants from getting inside.
- Combine with other methods:
For feeders, you can use copper along with a moat filled with water or a paste to further deter ants.
- Wrap it around pots and garden beds:
- Some studies suggest it's ineffective:
Despite its common use, some non-scientific experiments have shown that ants will cross copper to get to food sources.
- Ants may still find a way:
Some anecdotal evidence suggests that copper may not be a complete solution, especially when it comes to things like hummingbird feeders, according to a user on Reddit.
I may try dumping some in a flower pot. I am not sure how much copper is actually in pennies now but it would be interesting to see if it works.
- Some studies suggest it's ineffective:
Been There
Well-known Member
- Location
- Florida
I wrote 3 checks last year. I do keep cash in my truck, but I don’t understand why some places refuse to accept $50 &$100 bills. There is a way to check for counterfeit bills, but employers don’t teach their cashiers.
I used to live in Northern Virginia, Fairfax County. After the vendors that I frequent learned that I was a regular, they now will accept my big bills. I don’t give them a $50 or a $100 bill for a cup of coffee, but if I sometimes spend $20 or more, I will.
Trade
Well-known Member
I use cash almost exclusively. The only times I don't is when ordering off the internet or when buying gas at the pump rather than going inside and having to wait in line to pay.
When I get cash out of the credit union I use their ATM and always get the maximum daily amount of $500 in 5 $100 Bills. That way I keep my transactions at a minimum. The way I get smaller bills is when I buy groceries at Walmart. I use the self check out machines because the machines don't eyeball you funny like the cashiers do when you hand them a $100 bill.
Another thing that's nice about using the self checkout machine is that the machines understand basic arithmetic while a lot of the younger cashiers don't. Like if my total bill comes to $9.80 and I happen to have a nickel in my pocket I'll put the nickel into the machine along with a $10 bill so I'll get a quarter back. You hand some of these young kid cashiers a 10 dollar bill and a nickel to pay a $9.80 bill and they will look at you like a deer in the headlights. I've actually had them do things like hand me two dimes and my nickel back.
When I get cash out of the credit union I use their ATM and always get the maximum daily amount of $500 in 5 $100 Bills. That way I keep my transactions at a minimum. The way I get smaller bills is when I buy groceries at Walmart. I use the self check out machines because the machines don't eyeball you funny like the cashiers do when you hand them a $100 bill.
Another thing that's nice about using the self checkout machine is that the machines understand basic arithmetic while a lot of the younger cashiers don't. Like if my total bill comes to $9.80 and I happen to have a nickel in my pocket I'll put the nickel into the machine along with a $10 bill so I'll get a quarter back. You hand some of these young kid cashiers a 10 dollar bill and a nickel to pay a $9.80 bill and they will look at you like a deer in the headlights. I've actually had them do things like hand me two dimes and my nickel back.
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MACKTEXAS
Well-known Member
Looking back, I posted something yesterday that wasn't clear. I have cash in my wallet and use it for small purchases under $5, or when a store won't accept cards, or when a restaurant charges extra for using a card. For everything else, I pay with a credit card because I want the "bonus dividend dollars" that get credited back to my credit card account. Right now, I have accumulated $107 in dividend dollars. All I have to do is call them and they'll send me a check. It's like free money.
Paladin1950
Still love 50's & 60's music!
- Location
- Mohawk Valley, NY
People should always carry cash. Using cards at dollar stores when you are buying a few items, it so silly. I use cash always when I go to stores like Ollie's. They always ask you, "Cash or credit?". I use checks at Walmart and grocery stores. Credit cards are used when I order something from Amazon, or to pay some bills.
Oldeagle66
Senior Member
Agreed, I never bought into the cashless society brainwashing.
Same here. I have a very small amount of cash I carry on me. I don't even use a debit card. I use my Sams club credit card because I accumulate money that can be spent at Sam's or build up. Right now I have over $500 built up. When it gets to $1000, I will put it in a cd. That system only works if you pay it off at the end of the month, otherwise the interest is 19%!!!! I've never paid an interest fee, thank goodness. I only put on it what I can afford to pay off at the end of the month.
The self pay machines at a local supermarket will round up if it's out of change. Others ask to use exact change implying a round up.
If one uses cash a lot the round ups could add up. If they round down that might be a different story. Unless a big ticket or physical item I always use cash.
Today it's pennies, then nickels, quarters etc. Never found a problem paying in cash. Even go through periods where I purposely try to pay exact change with accumulated change and I'm stunned how much more paper money I have in pocket for a week or so. It adds up
If one uses cash a lot the round ups could add up. If they round down that might be a different story. Unless a big ticket or physical item I always use cash.
Today it's pennies, then nickels, quarters etc. Never found a problem paying in cash. Even go through periods where I purposely try to pay exact change with accumulated change and I'm stunned how much more paper money I have in pocket for a week or so. It adds up
Lilac
Well-known Member
- Location
- Flyover Country
Has anyone else ever gone to a store & seen the sign that the credit machine is out of service & it's cash only? Usually the sign has been in the front door where you walk in. I've seen this over the years at various places that I shop at. The phone line, usually not a traditional hard-line, but a VOIP is the culprite.
Been There
Well-known Member
- Location
- Florida
It’s not silly. At my bank, Wells Fargo, each time I use my card, the bank subtracts another dollar from my account and puts it into a separate savings account. At the end of the year, like last year, I saved a total of $1217. I let it carryover year after year. This started at least 15 years ago, so as of now, I have a nice windfall sitting in the bank by saving a dollar for each time I used my card.
I keep some cash in my truck for emergencies, but only ever had to touch it once.
Been There
Well-known Member
- Location
- Florida
That’s true. Walmart self-checkouts still take $50 and $100 bills. I have also witnessed a lot of people stealing at the checkouts and when I mentioned it to the attendant, they don’t do or say anything, so I gave up saying anything myself.
JustDave
Well-known Member
I get 4% back on my credit card for groceries and 4% on gas. 1% on all else, but gas and groceries are usually my biggest monthly expenses. I can get cash, but alternatively, I can funnel that into my Verizon bill each month. The total monthly cash back probably averages somewhere in the 20 to 30 dollar range, and that amount I transfer on the first of the month from checking to savings. I don't know exactly how long I've been doing it, but I started it when I bought my last phone.
That was three years ago, I think. I now have $1200+ in my savings and the only money that goes in there is from cash back. I only did it to see how much value was actually in the cash back program.
Of course, restaurants seem to think the cash back should go back to them, on the grounds that the credit card companies are taking the cash back out of the restaurant costs to recognize credit cards, so I don't go to restaurants anymore, well maybe 3 times a year. I don't know if the 4% I would get back from restaurants would cover the cost of their extra surcharges, but I'm guessing probably not. So I'm just punishing restaurants, as if they cared anyway. It's still kind of satisfying though.
Been There
Well-known Member
- Location
- Florida
I never got a surcharge from a restaurant for using a credit card, at least not that I am aware of. I do look at the check (tab) very quickly at the table before putting my bank card into the folder and I have caught a few mistakes on their part, usually on the cocktails or wine.
I saved $1217 last year, which means that I used my bank card for purchases 1217 times. The bank takes $1 from my checking account each time I use the bank card and puts it into a savings account, no matter the amount I paid. It’s not a charge card or a debit card, although it can be used as a debit card, but I would have to give up my PIN and that won’t happen.
I saved $1217 last year, which means that I used my bank card for purchases 1217 times. The bank takes $1 from my checking account each time I use the bank card and puts it into a savings account, no matter the amount I paid. It’s not a charge card or a debit card, although it can be used as a debit card, but I would have to give up my PIN and that won’t happen.
Oldeagle66
Senior Member
I'm not a big user of credit cards. At least not for every day purchases. I use them mainly for important things or emergencies. I bought something for $5-$24 in months just so they would stop bothering me.
Been There
Well-known Member
- Location
- Florida
Credit cards is a whole different bird. This thread has already gone astray. If you want to duscuss credit cards, I suggest you begin a new thread. Credit cards are the necessary evil in life.
I personally use cash much more than most people these days - but many people manage without carrying cash or using it at all now.
Isn't silly either way - is just personal choice.