I would be the first to admit that I’m a dinosaur when it comes to all this technology flashed in front of us on a daily basis.

Yes, I still write checks to pay a number of my bills. No, I do not have a debit card or use ATM machines. Yes, I avoid the self-checkout lanes at the stores like the plague. No, I do not have GPS in my aging car and I still print out directions if going on a day trip to Los Angeles etc. No, I do not have the latest and greatest cell phone.

That said, I have many friends and family members all up to speed on the latest in technology. That is whether paying for items, banking, taking trips, making sure their homes are secure and so on.

So, why am I such a creature of habit?

I was raised with the idea of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 

While I realize some things must be updated and even replaced over time, I’m perfectly fine sticking to my ways.

Adventures in the Valley of the Sun

One thing that has caught my attention of late is having an issue from time to time with one or more of my credit cards at stores, restaurants etc.

I guess I missed the memo that you can now “tap” your credit card when in a store, restaurant, hotel etc.

Recently, I went to Arizona for my annual spring training baseball weekend. 

While in the Valley of the Sun, I not only went to see the White Sox play the Angels, but I also caught an Arizona State women’s basketball game versus Southern Cal. 

Even though I had fun at both sporting events, some frustration mounted when my credit card would not work on several occasions buying food and souvenirs, respectively. No, it was not an issue with money, there were plenty of funds available. 

The problem was the chip on my card not being read by the machine. As a result, I had to have a cashier help me on several occasions. On one occasion, we tried tapping, putting the chip in the card reader and even sliding the card, all to no avail. Finally, the cashier punched in the numbers on my card on her register and I was able to buy what I wanted.

Ordering fast food should not be a frustrating ordeal

Another pet peeve of mine these days is having to use a kiosk to order food in certain fast food restaurants.

Case in point was a trip to Idaho last year. 

While grabbing breakfast at a McDonald’s before doing some sightseeing, I was having trouble with the machine to order and ring up my breakfast. There were no cashiers out in the section of the restaurant where the kiosks were. In fact, there was not a cashier right behind the regular counter. They were in the back where the food was being cooked.

So, after having issues with the kiosk, one of the cashiers did come out to assist me.

Have you tried using cash to pay for goods or services in countless businesses, at sporting events or concerts etc. in the last couple of years? If you have, there is a good chance you were turned down and told credit or debit card.

I get the concerns in recent years regarding handling money during COVID. That said, while COVID is by no means extinct, the panic over COVID has subsided for many people and rightfully so. 

The cynic in me believes many businesses used COVID as a means to transition over to credit/debit card purchases in the first place. Fortunately, there are still those businesses out there willing to take cash. I always have some amount of cash in my wallet and don’t want to to put everything on credit cards.

Are you someone relying entirely on credit cards, technology at home and when you travel etc. to conduct your daily life? 

In the event you are, that is certainly your right to do so.

For me, I will stick with using cash whenever possible, paying many bills with checks, seeking a cashier when I go to a store or fast food eatery and so on.