Although the economy seems to gradually recover, money-saving ideas are still prevalent. Recently, I found that by paying cash, some stores provide 10% discount and some stands are tax-free. Since the CA tax rate is greater than 8%, both means more than 8% of saving in that purchase. In contrast, if I pay by credit card, the best cashback I can get is probably 3% (maybe 5% when using Discover card). Therefore, going for cash payment is the top choice.
Of course, for tax-free states such as Oregon or for tax-free online purchases from Amazon.com, using credit card for an 1%+ cash back would make a lot of sense.
It seems that instead of paying with plastic bill, I should carry more cash around now.
