Budget Buster: Debit/Credit card minimums

by Melanie

I looked in the fridge last night and there wasn’t much to eat. I thought to myself, what could I eat that is close by and cheap? Pizza, of course! I walked a few blocks and picked out a nice juicy slice. $2.50 for dinner, not bad! Then I approached the cashier:

$5 minimum when paying with credit or debit cards.

D’oh! I hardly ever have cash and don’t often have to deal with minimums. So I ordered a beer, and paid $3 more than what I originally planned for. The beer helped the situation.

I kept thinking of how that could really add up and be such a waste. I am going to try to be more cognizant of getting cash, especially when I go to smaller, local businesses.

In this particular situation, the minimum wasn’t so extreme that I would walk away from the situation. After all, I was starving and just needed to eat, so paying $3 more wasn’t that bad. But if that were to happen once a week, or several times a week, that could really add up.

How do you combat credit card minimums? Do you always carry cash?

Melanie
Latest posts by Melanie (see all)

12 comments

Budget & the Beach May 22, 2013 - 3:18 pm

Sounds yummy! 🙂 I will would probably go to a nearby ATM and take out cash.

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doordebt May 23, 2013 - 6:28 am

It was yummy! I need to have more cash on hand!

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makingsenseofcents May 22, 2013 - 3:53 pm

I hate when there are minimums! Usually I just don’t buy anything when that happens.

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doordebt May 23, 2013 - 6:29 am

I usually do that too, but I was cranky and hungry, lol. That won over my frugality.

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anna May 22, 2013 - 5:07 pm

We just had pizza last night! In that case, I think I would’ve bought two slices and saved one for another meal. If it was a hot day, though, I would’ve done the pizza and beer combo. 🙂 I usually have cash, though, but only because the super dive-y and delicious places in SD only accept cash.

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doordebt May 23, 2013 - 6:30 am

Haha I guess I am not on my detox anymore….the smart thing would have been to buy another slice and save it! Smart thinking, Anna! Also, the job is going really well! I love it 🙂

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Holly@ClubThrifty May 22, 2013 - 5:29 pm

That has happened to me before because I never carry cash! Oh well, not a big deal to do it a few times. If you did it all the time it could really add up =/

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doordebt May 23, 2013 - 6:30 am

Yeah, got to make sure a problem doesn’t become a pattern!

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Girl Meets Debt (@girlmeetsdebt) May 23, 2013 - 4:29 pm

Here in Vancouver, there are some super cheap places that make you pay 25cents if you use debit or credit. I swear that is illegal…

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The Happy Homeowner May 23, 2013 - 5:20 pm

I’m pretty terrible with remembering to carry cash, so I usually have to deal with the CC minimums. That being said, I hate them so I avoid them as much as possible. But in this situation, passing up a beer with my pizza might cause me to pull out the card…. 🙂

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Edward Antrobus May 27, 2013 - 6:54 pm

I also hate it when there is a minimum delivery charge. A few weeks ago, I was going to use my per-diem card to get some Chinese takeout, but they wouldn’t accept it. So I had to go home and call an order in with another card, but then had to order another meal to reach the minimum delivery charge!

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GirlCountingPennies May 29, 2013 - 6:37 pm

I’ve just come across your blog (I’m very new to the PF community) and I am also trying to pay off my debt as fast as I can! I’ve never used to carry any cash around and would normally use my debit/credit card for purchases but this has now changed. It’s so much easier for me to track my expenses when I pay cash, so I’ve started to give myself an allowance each week and carry a bit of cash around! Here in London, UK, some corner shops charge around £0.50 per transaction if you use your card and it’s extremely upsetting when all you’re buying is a pint of milk!! Having some cash really helps.

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