My leukemia's back.

[oldrooster]

Sour, please tell me you pay inside using credit cards, I am always hearing in my area (100 mile radius) that gas stations are getting people that figure out how to physically hack the machine on the pump to get card #'s and pins for debit cards. Inside card readers are being hacked also but at a MUCH lower rate. like 1 in 80 or so of the outside card readers.

 

[wyoDreamer]

In our area, most of the gas pumps have little red security tapes on them where they open up. Looks like a red scotch tape. Breaking the tape makes it change color, so when someone opens the door to install one of those readers that steal your credit card info you can tell. I have reported 2 "tape breaks" at gas stations that I use, neither one had a reader - but the store manager at one said that sometimes the thief will break the tape to see if anyone is really watching - if it isn't replaced right away, then they will install a reader. They had already had 2 readers found in their pumps. I guess the readers are kinda spendy on the black market and thieves really don't like to have them confiscated by the cops. Just his opinion.
I pay inside whenever possible.

 

[bruceha2000]

It's best to learn to live within your means.

No question. It is sad when someone can't do that because of medical issues. Everyone else - if you can't afford to pay for it, don't buy it. About the only things that doesn't necessarily apply to is housing ... and maybe transportation. It doesn't matter how much fancy stuff your neighbors are showing in their yard. Either they have the money to pay for it or they don't but as you noted those that don't are walking a thin line. No sympathy for people with toys and no money.

Dh lost a credit card. He's VERY upset. I'm sooooo glad it wasn't me, or I'd never hear the end of it. To be honest, I'm glad he lost it. He got 2 of them, that I didn't know about. We've had a chat about his credit card situation. I want the "secret" ones he got, paid off, and shredded.

I was going to suggest you monitor the mail but then I remembered that many companies try their hardest to get people to get their statements online and people can easily hide extra cards from their spouses. I hope the revelation of his peer's drowning in debt turns on that lightbulb for him. And have the current "extra"/"secret" cards shredded RIGHT now, you don't have to have the physical card in hand to pay it off It is the rare person who has credit card debt (ie not able to pay off monthly) that can retire and not cut back severely. Best to learn how to do that before there is no paycheck.

The last time my credit card was stolen it was in a restaurant. Server took the card out back. By the time we got home there was already a stop on the card, email and phone messages from the bank's security group asking that I call and verify purchases made on the card that day. The first 4 were legit, the last of those was the restaurant. Two other charges after that.

 

[oldrooster]

Dreamer, you mean there are stations without card readers in their pumps in your area? It's been close to 20 years since I saw one that way (with the soul exceptions of one where they had 1 reader for all the pumps at one station, and private pumps for city/county/private company pumps visible from the street) the only exceptions is the pump for Kerosene were your expected to pre pay inside no matter what since they don't sell much of it.

 

[wyoDreamer]

No, all the pumps have card readers - except for some of the diesel ones where the big trucks go. Where the card reader is, the front panel is usually locked, but swings out so they can service/test the machinery inside. The thieves will open that panel and place a recorder on the card reader to copy the card info as you use it. The security tape is placed across the edge of the panel to span the crack where it closes.

 

[drumstick diva]

I've never had a credit card and never wanted one. My grandfather always said if you don't have the money to buy something, DON'T BUY IT!

 

[sourland]

It's best to learn to live within your means.

I've been asked how the Princess and I do some of the things that we do - mostly travel. My reply is , "Because we didn't when we couldn't." I started working and saving towards 'goals' when I was very young. Worked every bit of overtime possible, had side jobs, paid bills, then invested - now I can do/get basically anything I want. Good thing is I don't want a lot. The Gypsy Princess on the other hand .

 

[wyoDreamer]

Unfortunately, in today's world you basically need to use credit to get credit. My niece had to buy the hosue when she and her (now) husband were looking to buy. He never had a credit card and therefore, the bank would not give him a loan to buy a house.
We have credit cards, but make sure we only buy what we can afford to pay off every month.

 

[N F C]

Unfortunately, in today's world you basically need to use credit to get credit. My niece had to buy the hosue when she and her (now) husband were looking to buy. He never had a credit card and therefore, the bank would not give him a loan to buy a house.
We have credit cards, but make sure we only buy what we can afford to pay off every month.

Yep, I agree with you! If you don't have any credit history, banks won't want to loan you any money for something like a house loan.

I got my first credit card when I needed to buy a ticket from an airline. Without a cc, couldn't buy a ticket. Also couldn't rent a car without a cc.

Credit cards aren't evil, they're a tool and like any other tool... some good sense and caution must be used when operating them.

 

[Blooie]

Ken has 2 cards, his American Express which is only used for hotels when we travel, and his Visa. The AmEx card gets paid off in full every month, and the Visa hasn’t been used for anything but token purchases, to keep it active, in about two years. It’s also paid off if we use it. I have none, and that’s fine with me. I am the most irresponsible person on the planet when it comes to money. I did pretty well when he was active duty Navy, but after he retired our financial situation was a mess, mostly because he continued to leave bill paying and such in my incapable hands. I got so far behind on everything it was obscene....getting the mail first and stashing bills, staring at the ceiling at night wondering how to rob Peter to pay Paul without Ken finding out, and catching the phone before he could. Then we had a major financial crisis, I ended up spending a night in jail for 2 bad checks, and we had a huge, ugly blowup. It was all out on the table. He borrowed from his folks, made restitution, and charges were dismissed. He took over. It took three years to get back in the black, and those were hard, hard years. Our credit was so bad most places wouldn’t take our cash!

“They” say that if you grow up dirt poor, in adulthood if you’re making a decent living you’ll either keep living as if the wolves were at the door or buy, buy, buy because you think you can. Ken lives in the first camp, I live in the second. But I gotta say, it’s nice to be “normal”....able to do the things we do without hurting ourselves, planning ahead for big things, discussing finances like grownups, and having room in my sock drawer for socks instead of it being full of hidden late notices, covered by a thin layer of socks. If the phone rings, I don’t break my neck to get there first, and we each have a key to the PO Box, so either of us can pick up mail when we’re out and about.

I told my kids, “Better a ten minute argument over a bill than 10 years of sleepless nights.” Tam is like her Dad....frugal, responsible, and living well within her means. Kenny is more like me, and so is Jenny. We’ve offered to help them gat a financial system and plan going so they can stop living paycheck to paycheck, and often not making it between checks, but I guess it’s just so intimidating they can’t wrap their heads around it. At least they are open with each other, not like I was, but they just have less than nothing for day to day, let alone emergencies - Kenny’s old car is sitting in Powell right now because it broke down there Christmas Eve and they can’t do a thing about it. We had to close our checkbook a few years ago, unless the girls need something that they can’t afford. About three years ago we paid all of their past due bills just to catch them up - over $900 worth - and told them then that that was it....they were either going to figure things out or flounder. It’s hard sometimes, but we’ve stuck to it for the most part. The exception was buying the hot water heater and having it put in last month, but they’d been without hot water for almost 2 months until Dad said “enough”. In fairness, they do repay us first thing with their tax refund checks, but if they aren’t going to do anything to fix their situation, we aren’t responsible for fixing it either. Jenny is out of work for 3 months every summer, day care for Kendra with her needs is impossible to find, unless it’s me, and I can’t do it with our schedule. They need to be able to set some aside for that three months.

Oh, crud! TMI again.