Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Small purchases, like under a hundred bucks or so, cash.
Gas? Always CC, since this is the most convenient option.
You might be a little ahead using a credit card for every purchase given the rewards but you need to review your statements very carefully for fraudulent charges and the more transactions you have the harder this is to do.
You're absolutely right. If I wait more than a week to review my credit card purchases, I have to spend extra time thinking about whether they're all legit or not. This isn't because I purchase a ton of things, but because not every purchase shows up with readily identifiable nomenclature. "BEST BUY" or "Walmart" or "Shell" are all no-brainers, but sometimes an address is what's listed or some weird name for the store attached to the gas station, instead of "Shell" or something. It's similar for online purchases, for which multiple purchases are sometimes lumped together as one total amount. For Amazon purchases, for instance, I typically double-check the amount by logging on to Amazon to ensure things like Subscribe-and-save discounts are appropriately applied.
Sometimes, pending charges will be erroneously high. I need to check a day or two later to ensure the final credit amount is as expected.
I typically check my recent purchases online every few days, which makes things a lot easier. I use my credit card for nearly everything, but even I don't purchase so many things that reviewing all purchases every few days isn't incredibly easy. A fraudulent or unusual charge would stand out.