a friend told me that everytime you use debit the bank takes out a few cents out of your account. but the bank never told me this. is it true?
I have Wachovia bank

Some banks do, most don't. If they do they did tell you...in the account agreement that you didn't read.

You mean as a fee? No, not true. A debit transaction hits your bank account for the amount charged,

They do charge fees for ATM withdrawals in some cases -- most often when you use a machine or bank other than theirs.

Some banks do charge a fee for debit transactions in some accounts. The best way to be sure in your case is to ask Wachovia directly.

Just to be clear, using a debit card is like writing a check, so the bank will take the amount that you are paying for out of your checking account.

Whether or not they charge a few cents for a service charge varies from bank to bank - my bank does not.