I generally use credit cards for most everything over $20 so I get $ back-pay it off in full monthly. Still carry about $200 in cash especially if we're traveling like now. Don't trust debit cards at all. Maybe I'm an old fogey, but at least with a cc my losses are covered if it's stolen and there is some warranty protection!

Just the other day, my order totaled $3.88. I handed the clerk a 5 dollar bill and before I could say that I had the 88¢ change, he had entered the amount tendered into the register.
I wanted to give him the 88¢ to lighten the load in my purse, so I did.
He gave me that "deer in the headlights" look, and stammered, Uh, so that would be like $2 in change, right?

I just winked and said yes. Alex, wherever you are...bless your little heart.

Amen!

Societies change. Unfortunately some of the "modern good", push the old ways out. I agree it's terrible kids can't read clocks. Then again I deliberately raised my kids with the old fashioned clocks in order to teach them to read and understand time. They only were allowed digital watchs and clocks once they knew how to read the old fashioned way. I worked full time but still managed to teach my kids the basics they weren't going to learn at school. Teach your children how to write cursively. Somehow we blame the schools for everything our children and grandchildren don't know. Aren't parents responsible for teaching their children things anymore? Ok, you may shoot me now.

Good for you, Cheryl! Your post speaks volumes about the educational system in the US today. I was at a small hole-in-the wall fabric shop the other day. The owners daughter was measuring out a few hundred yards of lace trim for me when a customer came in to ask for some rhinestone trim. One of the young women who was stuffing dolls behind the counter was asked to measure one yard for her. She asked, how much is a yard. The daughter responded, $15. The other girl said, no ... how much is a yard. Without a blink she said, oh, 36 inches. I almost fell over.

I was in mcmakingmetoofatdonalds drive through yesterday and gave the girl a $50 for my $6.89 order and she handed me a wad of money back thank goodness I counted it because it was only $13! I said I gave you a 50 and she looked at me and said oh I must of typed in a 5 instead ~ what? that makes no sense? anyway she opened her drawer and gave me a 20 and said there you go and shut the window! I had to knock on the window and tell her she was still wrong! Finally she figured out I needed another 10 and I was on my way but not before learning a good lesson to always count your change no matter how long the line is behind you ~ its your money dont lose it on a slow minded person!

I was a small business owner for 15+ years and we never took debit or credit cards. Our average sale was under $5.00 with very low margins. Most people were very understanding and we only lost one sale over that policy. That one sale certainly would not have made up for all those proccessing fees.
I tend to pay cash for my quilting "needs", but credit card for other things because of the cash rewards.
I hate that cursive is going away, but schools should be teaching for the present and future worlds, not our nostalgia. Sadly.

What a concept!!! Parents taking responsibility for their children's education.

Last week the electricity went off in the newspaper office where I work. A lady came in to renew her subscription. She had her renewal card with her, and was writing a check, so there was no problem, it could be rung up when the electricity came back on.

The young lady at the counter actually told her that she could not give her a receipt because the electricity was off. Of course we have printed receipt forms, which we used for many years until we got the new cash register that prints a receipt a few years ago. I handed her a receipt pad, and she looked at me like she thought I'd lost my mind.

Yes merchants pay a fee to processors for credit card/debit card transactions. They receive the benefit of more sales as some customers don't carry cash and they would lose those sales to other merchants. Merchants have to include this cost in their cost of doing business just like including the power bill or the rent or their employee's pay when pricing their goods and services.

What really irks me as a cash payer is that merchants pay a higher fee when a customer uses a card that has a premium on it. (you know, skymiles or some other such reward) so if you aren't also using a reward card you are subsidizing someone else.