shopping and debit vs. credit

Ok first of all, I would like everyone to note how many times in the last month Andy has said, "I bought..." today. I think it is very unfair that he can find all these great clothes, and I can only find a few t-shirts that actually fit me (which I didn't buy because I, quite frankly, have a lot of t-shirts). I think there is something seriously wrong with the world when the men are buying more clothes than the women when the women aren't actually forcing the men to buy the clothes. Granted, Andy has needed all these clothes, and I need quite a few less things than he does, thanks to my shopping prowess in college, but is it asking too much to find something that fits me that isn't knit? I know that I am a little oddly proportioned, but you'd think I'd find something... oh well, I guess I'll just have to keep trying :) On a happier note, I bought some fleece at JoAnn to make a bed for my kitty. They were having a huge sale - so if anyone needs fleece, head on over to JoAnn.

Now on to the debit vs. credit debate. Andy and I were discussing this in the car yesterday, and I noted that your bank, or at least my old bank, actually wants you to use the credit instead of the debit because they are charged more by someone (the store? I have no idea who charges) when I use the debit (which is why the bank usually charges you a fee to use it as a debit card). Anyway, this led me to an epiphany this morning when I was driving to work: perhaps the store doesn't have to pay the 3 or whatever percent fee that they are charged by the credit card company when you use the card as a debit card. Instead, the bank pays the fee. I don't know this for sure, but it would make sense. That's why my dad pays cash whenever he shops locally - that way the local business gets all your money instead of paying a fee because you used a credit card. With a chain, who cares - they sell at such a big profit margin (yes, even WalMart, except for their "loss leader" items - if you don't know what those are, ask), that a few extra dollars lost because of a credit card doesn't matter. Trust me, I used to work retail, and I know the profit margin of the big stores. Let's just say that B&N was still making a huge profit whenever I purchased a book, even with the 30% employee discount.