Not to get too far off subject here, and I don't want to focus on this point I'm about to make too much.
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Does anyone else find it funny that Delavan has a lot of troubles spelling words correctly and using proper grammar, and was even corrected on it once... but every single poster thus far has FAILED to spell the one difficult word correctly, that Delavan does spell correctly? It's D-E-L-A-V-A-N.
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Not everyone has perfect grammar or spelling, myself included. I'm not trying to hint at anyone's intelligence, or lack there of. I just thought it was a little ironic and humorous is all. By the way, I cheat with my grammar. I use Fire Fox, which has a built in spell checker... but sometimes my thoughts race faster than my fingers, and I have my own grammatical mistakes which make me feel rather dumb.
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One thing about this post that's on topic... as far as that lady who got charged for someone else's groceries... checks would solve the problem, but for the sake of my argument and preference, cash would also solve that problem.

Delevan: HOW is having and using a debit card spending money you don't have. You are confusing. The debit card is tied to your checking account. If you DON'T have money in your checking account, you don't have any money to spend because it will be rejected. It is quite simple. Only the credit card is money you don't have. And the credit card companies DON'T like me because I don't use them.

I have a debit card and use it quite a bit now just to save on buying checks. But debit cards aren't always safe... I was shopping at Walmart one time and the lady in front of me used a debit card. I paid for mine with my credit card. I was never asked to sign anything, which I thought was odd because I always have to sign when I use a credit card. After I loaded up the $357 worth of stuff into my truck I took a look at my reciept and sure enough, it said debit on it and it had the wrong account number. Come to find out, when I told the check out girl to press the credit key she pressed something else and my stuff somehow got charged to the other ladies account. I went back in and tried to explain to the cashier what had happened. I told her that I was never asked for my signature and that the reciept said debit and not credit, even though I used my credit card. She just said that the machine was acting funny and that's why it didn't ask for my signature and that it would still be charged to my account though. Well, she was wrong... That was 5 months ago and that charge never appeared on my card so some poor women got charged an extra $357 that day. The cashier couldn't have been older than 17 and was too busy chatting to one of the other young girls to correct the problem. Now, had we both been using checks, that never would have happened.

Cocktail848.I am probably much older than you,and wiser(74years).It fills good to have no debt.I did it the hard way raising 8 children,sending them to colledge.And did not take the cheap way out of filling bankruptsy.With the hard times ahead for this country.I just hope and pray more will wake up and spend there money more carefull.Do not live like there is no tomorrow..

I can understand the issue with credit cards. I had myself in deep problems but have since dug out and now live without a credit card. However, I wouldn't know what to do without my debit card. The best part about a debit card now is that most merchants treat them like credit cards now. It is nice now that hotels are even accepting them. You can purchase products online. This does show that people can live without a credit card. Just have to make sure you stay up on your checking account, which is easy with online access.

greengina8:

The size of the US economy is a ~$14 trillion. 2/3 of which is driven by consumer spending; 1/3 by gov't spending.

Credit card debt is about personal responsibility. I will for argument sake agree that the US economy is sliding into recession. Its a normal component of the business cycle. With this being true, we are no where near a "depression." Are Janesville banks going out of business? I dont think so.
Unemployement hovers around 5% (near all time lows). 30 year mortgage rates near 6% (about 30% lower than the 1990s-when the economy was roaring). Deficit spending as a percentage of GDP-is about 1.1% This is less than half the yearly average of 2.5 percent since 1970.

There will always be people who cannot or will not curb their own spending, this is the consequence of a free society. The market has a remedy-its called bankruptcy.

To me, it doesn't make sense to purchase anything if you don't have the cash to buy it outright. Credit purchasing is a large contributor to why the US economy went belly up in the late 1920's. History is repeating itself in this aspect. Are we not at the crux of a recession/depression?

Delevan:

If you had been more responsible, you would never have been in debt. I never carry a balance on my credit card. You have to be an idiot carry a balance considering the APR they charge. My only debt is a mortgage and car payment. I have had no issues with my credit or debit cards. You or anyone else with credit card debt is not a victim of the credit card companies. You put yourself there. And with Debit cards, it really isn’t difficult to balance a checking account. Especially today with payments clearing so fast and always having access to your account info via online banking.

For the sake of saving time the debit card is the best, you don't have to wait for some kid that cant count or make change figure out how much you gave them or better yet try to count your change backwards to you.

I deal in cash and money orders and have a Green Dot card. Too many banks make it too easy to spend money you don't have with "Ovedraft Protection". If you spend cash... you can't spend what you don't have. Thanks to this... I don't have credit card debt, the Green Dot card works like a debit card and I don't overspend.

Coffeeman:It is people like you that the credit card companys love.How do you justify spending money you dont have in the first place?

First of all Delevan, it is credit and debit not creit and debt. How does a debit card cause families to go belly up? Credit cards yes, but debit no. A debit is only good IF you have money in your checking account. If I use mine and there is not enough money for the transaction, it is denied. Seems pretty safe for keeping you from spending money you don't have. With a debit card, I can save time by not having to run in to the gas station to stand in line to pay the cashier. I can use the self check out lines much quicker. Just easier to use than carrying a ton of cash with you.

Debt and creit cards are the main reason that the majority of familys are going belly up.Check your statemets each mpnth.They love it when you pay the amount they want you to pay.I after 15+ years am out of debt.Tore up all credut cards,payed off my house.And that was with being scrapped for cash at times.We got to stop spending money we dont have.I am retired now,when working I was making $52.500 a year..So it can be done..................

I think credit and debit cards are the fastest. Especially in self check out lanes, but I am fine with people using cash. It is the inconsiderate individuals writing checks that tick me off. Get out of the dark ages. And if you have a hard time with your debit card (and therefore only use checks) because you keep overdrawing, you need to improve your financial skills.

Cash isn't too difficult to keep track of, though. I just go to an ATM (that doesn't charge a withdrawal fee) and pull out $40 or $60 at a time... then you still know how much you've taken out. Plus, if you don't pay close attention to your debit card transactions, sometimes double charges happen. If you're buying something that's $9.83 with a $20 bill, you can tell right away if you were over charged or given incorrect change.

In God we trust - all others pay cash!

Money is money. What difference does it make?

cash is only good for bars and strip clubs. Debt and credit are by far easer to manage

In MY opinion, I say debit is easier, but risks for fraud are higher. Credit is better protected, but can be risky if you're not responsible or if you don't pay it off right away. Cash is much more simple, but can be a hassle to keep track of.

How can people honestly say that a debit card is the best method of payment? Cash is the quickest and easiest... I'm guilty of almost always using my card, though.