You Stole Whose Bank Information?...

I guess in this day and age, everyone will succumb to having their financial information stolen at some point. "They say" it's inevitable.

It was just another Saturday, I was at the gas station buying cigarettes, and the cashier told me my bank card was not authorized. So, I presented the card to my secondary account, and went right home and confirmed, yes, I have my rent money, plus more in the bank. Surely it was a mistake, the cashier was an idiot...

Two days later, I'm at the grocery store...same deal. Luckily I have two bank accounts, so I am able to pay for my food, and go home. I called the bank who says, my card had been "compromised" and that they shut it off, and sent me a letter.

Sidenote: the post office has given me every bit of mail for people in a 4 block radius lately in the way of delivering me their mail. I had lodged a complaint with the post office already about getting random mail. I didn't get my bank card, but they said it had just left a few days ago and I should have it by week's end.

All I could think was, thank the stars they shut my card down, and no one stole my money! 

A week later, I still had no card. You don't realize how much you depend on a bank card, until you don't have one! All of my auto bill pays had been rejected. I had to shuffle money between accounts, but I kept telling myself, I am very lucky, my money is still there, I just have to re-arrange things to make my payments! It could be worse!

A week passed, another call to the bank to report the card never made it to my house. I then had to wait out the weekend, and make an actual trip to the bank branch to order a card to be mailed to the bank instead of my house, since my mail person has been an idiot.

I left the branch with a temporary card, which made me feel so much better!

I asked about where my card was stolen, so I could avoid using it again, and they just said it was a multi-merchant compromise that started with the big Target scam.

This has taught me that I need to start taking cash out of my account vs. using my card so often. Sure, it's an extra trip when you buy gas, but honestly, I think going back to cash will also help me save money for my house down payment!

And, in the myriad of phone calls to the bank, they talked me into opening an actual savings account. I have two checking accounts, but now I have a bonified savings. With no bank card access, so I'll actually save money vs. dividing it between two accounts.

There is always a silver lining!

Through the two week ordeal, and all of the inconvenience, I just kept remembering that I am very lucky no one took money from my account.