When was the last time you wrote out a physical, personal check?

[IronWing]

For all the technology US creates, it always amazes me how little it is used in US to improve efficiency in the public sector.

We, just this week, stopped minting pennies, a coin that hasn't been able to buy anything since the 1980s.

 

[Charmonium]

That's going to be weird. Think of all of the cash register software that's going to have to be updated. And if it's almost subliminal for you to do math in your head, you're going to have to deal with that getting screwed up.

 

[lxskllr]

And if it's almost subliminal for you to do math in your head, you're going to have to deal with that getting screwed up.

That happens anyway. Dunno if I don't fully understand the tax law, or they've screwed up the computers, but a lot of time the tax is weird, and my exact change doesn't work out. I usually count what I think it'll be in one hand, and keep some extra change in the other in case I'm wrong.

 

[Brainonska511]

I've gotten a surprising amount of unsolicited advice from "smart" people that told me I should have financed the vehicle and invested the money.

Sometimes, you can take advantage of dealer financing incentives and immediately pay off the loan; or if you snagged a 0-2% loan, you can just keep the rest sitting in a 4% account while you slowly pay it down. But that all requires discipline and adds friction to the process, so I can see the benefits of just cutting a check to buy a vehicle. That's the approach I took when I bought my car 3 years ago - I just didn't feel like dealing with the extra paperwork and hassle that would come from the process of financing.

 

[pete6032]

Quite frequently. Mostly to contractors, sometimes to city services that charge a 2-3% service fee for paying with credit card. In the last month I paid a contactor their down payment, renewed my license tabs, and paid water bill. All 3 would have been 2-3% more expensive if I had used a credit card.

 

[lxskllr]

It seems to me that going to get a money order or a cashiers check is a heck of a lot of trouble as opposed to writing a check.

For my part, it's easier mentally. It's very similar to cash. I go to my local PO, which is very easy, and never crowded, give them cash, and get my money order. I'm done. No accounting, no questions. My piece of paper I got is guaranteed good as cash. If I had to write pieces of paper every week or something it might be different, but for the very few times cash or electronic won't work, money orders do.

 

[RossMAN]

It seems to me that going to get a money order or a cashiers check is a heck of a lot of trouble as opposed to writing a check.

Agreed but I do it so seldomly that it doesn't really matter.

 

[nakedfrog]

I write a check quarterly to pay HOA dues, costs twelve dollars to pay online with a credit card.

 

[WelshBloke]

Quite frequently. Mostly to contractors, sometimes to city services that charge a 2-3% service fee for paying with credit card. In the last month I paid a contactor their down payment, renewed my license tabs, and paid water bill. All 3 would have been 2-3% more expensive if I had used a credit card.

Most of those if just pay them directly with a transfer. If it was a contractor I'd rather use a CC just for the ability to charge back if they don't do the work.