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New Credit Card Fraud again.
Got an email from BofA this morning. A little earlier in the morning someone had tried to buy something from Best Buy on-line. One attempt denied, one attempt pending at $1750. Card locked.

This card is used only on-line, so I have a whole list of canceled numbers for it.
New It's a pain in the butt!
I keep a list of places that automatically get paid with charge cards.
Alex

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

-- Isaac Asimov
New Re: Credit Card Fraud again.
For all personal expenses (that aren't performed online), I've pretty much switched to cash. I got a new debit card out of the Target thing th'other year, and that pain enticed me to switch back. At first, it was just for Target, but gradually, it's become "everything gets paid in cash."

Sure, at this point, I'm traveling 5 days a week, and for all business expenses, I have a single card dedicated to that task.

While that does help ease the "cash for everything burden", I've really found that I've come to like using cash. It makes me feel, more viscerally, when I'm spending money. It also has a knock-on effect of making me less traceable since I'm not using cards everywhere and dropping little bits of data around. (Loyalty cards? What loyalty?)
-Mike

@MikeVitale42

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Historical Review of Pennsylvania
New On cash.
I went out to dinner with a group from work along with a Nobel prize winner who was visiting on Thursday. There were 11 of us. Cash was handy then, but it was a bit shocking to me that the total was close to $500! That used to be a big stack of cash money.

I generally hate "loyalty cards" but some places do them right IMO (e.g. we get a $10-$20 coupon and 10% off coupons from Balducci's in the mail every month).

Cheers,
Scott.
(Who remembers when Coca-Cola was $0.10 so please get off his lawn.)
New Youngster!
I remember when 6 1/2 oz Coca Cola bottle was 5 cents! (circa 1950) But, you had to drink it there and leave the empty bottle.

I use a Discover credit card pretty much for everything I can. I get 1% cash back automatically accessible on Amazon or when it's time to pay it off. Also use it for buying gas during the time (3 months) it's 5% kickback. There is a limit on that.

I use my Costco American Express card for buying gas to eventually (once a year) get 3% back. There's a $4K limit on purchases of gas with the 3% back. Card also gives 2% back on restaurants and travel, and 1% on all else.

There is never a remaining credit card balance, so I think of it as a discount on my purchases.

Just recently, SC insisted on giving me the income tax refund as a Visa value card. I hate paying full price with it! :)
Alex

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

-- Isaac Asimov
New Costco and AMEX
are parting ways in March of 2016. Your Costco membership will no longer waive the AMEX annual fee.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/02/costco-strikes-credit-car_n_6783042.html
New Yep, parting of ways is a sad event.
You can't beat AmEx service if and when you need it.

But, I'm not going to pay an annual fee. So, I'll be parting ways with AmEx as well.

It will be interesting to see what kind of kick-back scheme, if any, Citi will have.
Alex

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

-- Isaac Asimov
New I get free bags on delta, evens the fee
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free American and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 59 years. meep
New Speaking of which...
You're out in the DC-ish area, if I recall. I'm presently working in Herndon/Reston. If you're up for dinner some Mon-Wed night, let me know. :)
-Mike

@MikeVitale42

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Historical Review of Pennsylvania
New I'd get lost going out there...
Hi Mike,

I'm not a very social person person in real life, believe it or not. I keep weird hours too, so I'll have to pass. Thanks though!

The A&S museum annex out at Dulles is supposed to be good, if you've got time to get out there (I still haven't seen it yet).

Enjoy your time in NoVA!

Cheers,
Scott.
New No worries.
Enjoy your weird hours. I'll wave in your direction flying into Dulles next week, at least. :)
-Mike

@MikeVitale42

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Historical Review of Pennsylvania
New Yep - some places do them right.
I have a Starbucks stored-value card that functions a bit like a loyalty card. That works well and is usually faster than cash. I have one for a pet-supplied chain. They do a discount on everything if you have one.

I won't use the one for the local supermarket, though. Big duopoly and it's known they want to get into _everything_. And I only get petrol discounts with it which is more hassle to redeem than they're worth.

Wade.
New huge difference around here
The supermarkets discount seriously if you are willing to use their card. They give you one in person while you are filling out the registration, and don't check anything. So give fake info.
New Different market.
Each of our two biggest supermarket chains have more market share in Aus than any chain anywhere else in the world. The only incentives they really have are competing with each other.

Wade.
     Credit Card Fraud again. - (Andrew Grygus) - (13)
         It's a pain in the butt! - (a6l6e6x)
         Re: Credit Card Fraud again. - (mvitale) - (11)
             On cash. - (Another Scott) - (10)
                 Youngster! - (a6l6e6x) - (3)
                     Costco and AMEX - (gcareaga) - (2)
                         Yep, parting of ways is a sad event. - (a6l6e6x)
                         I get free bags on delta, evens the fee -NT - (boxley)
                 Speaking of which... - (mvitale) - (2)
                     I'd get lost going out there... - (Another Scott) - (1)
                         No worries. - (mvitale)
                 Yep - some places do them right. - (static) - (2)
                     huge difference around here - (crazy) - (1)
                         Different market. - (static)

Damn thing ate it's way out of the box it was in and lived in my closet for a month.
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