Money Under 30

Credit, Debit, or Cash: How Do You Pay?

An informal survey for readers and guests to follow the year’s biggest shopping weekend; please take just a second to respond in a comment. How do you pay for everyday expenses? With a credit card? Debit card? Or cash? Why?

I’m curious because a lot of people have strong opinions about whether to use credit cards for everyday expenses (of course paying the balance in full) to earn rewards. Others say credit cards are simply too dangerous and it’s better to avoid them completely.

I fall somewhere in the middle, I guess. I use a charge card that must be paid off every month for most of my purchases. Recently, however, I’ve begun to dislike even borrowing for such a short time. I usually have enough money in my checking account to cover my charge card balance, but I still feel a bit uneasy.

So what do you do? Make your case in a comment. Cash? Debit cards? Credit cards to earn rewards? What do you think?

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• Debit Card Dangers
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• Why Cash Is Still King of the Monthly Budget
• Consumer Reports Finds Few Rewards Programs Worthwhile; Names Best Three Cash Rewards Credit Cards
• Does Your Debit Card Have a Daily Spending Limit?

What's Next?

Reading this site, you're already ahead of most people when it comes to your finances. Why not keep going? Help secure your financial future. Take action today:

• Get help with your debts
• Check your credit report and score, free
• Open a savings account
• Open an individual retirement account (IRA)
• Budget with Quicken

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