How did you learn to fill in your checkbook?

[sourceninja]

I use software that is hooked into my bank account.

I pay off a credit card each month and use it for all purchases. I double check receipts at the end of the month to compare. I basically have a 1200 a month budget for food, gas, whatever else the fuck I want. My wife has a similar budget. The rest goes to bills and investments.

I tend to spend about 800 a month on average in food, toys, clothes, gas, etc. So I never break my budget.

The end result is very little book keeping.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I got a checking account when I went to college.

I balanced it exactly once. I dutifully filled out the sheet and did the math and was pretty proud when it came out perfect.

From that point on it seemed like a waste of time. I figured out pretty quickly that a buffer is easier than balancing. My first buffer was $100, and it steadily grew from there.

My current buffer is $2000.

Yeah I had even setup software on my local web server to do it but found it was a pain in the butt.

On the other hand it did allow me to be more disciplined with my spending. I'd setup different "budgets" and when I got paid a percentage would go to each one. So like, one for home related stuff like renovations, one for play money, bills etc.

Then it got more complicated if I'd decide to use my credit card for something. Do I still put it in that system, or do I only put it in when I do the cc payment. Then everything got out of order and realized I was wasting too much time with it and just stopped doing it.

I try to keep a buffer and worse case scenario the credit line works as a buffer till I get paid. I like how it's setup with my new bank, since my credit line is basically the overdraft. I try not to rely on credit though. Really I should have a much larger buffer but I don't. I always end up spending it on something.

 

[Aikouka]

Coupons are awesome Last week at Kroger my wife got $80 off our $190 grocery bill. She loves doing that stuff (and I love her for it :wub: )

In my experience, a good deal of Kroger's coupons are digital. It's pretty handy because you can literally load up a coupon on your phone, add it to your card, check out, and the coupon takes effect. They do still use normal coupons as well as I've had a few over time.

LOL, I love it. :awe: Hilarious that people get pissed off because they had to wait an extra 30 seconds in the checkout line.

I shop at Target quite a bit, and I've been held up for numerous reasons other than people writing checks. Most people aren't even digging out their cards until their order has already been rung up. I have my card(s) out prior to even getting in line, and unless I'm using coupons or have a small order, I have everything already paid for prior to everything being rung up.

There's no reason to be inefficient about things.

on a related topic, i can't stand it when i get my rebate back and it's in a form of a visa prepaid card. those are such a pain in the ass to use in alot of places, including the internets. just write a check out to me so i can deposit the damn thing.

I just redeem them for Amazon gift cards.

From that point on it seemed like a waste of time. I figured out pretty quickly that a buffer is easier than balancing. My first buffer was $100, and it steadily grew from there.

My current buffer is $2000.

That's what I do as well, and I even gave it the cute name "Buffer Banking" (quite elegant, eh? ). I still keep track of what I spend each month even if it goes on a various card, so the surplus isn't an excuse for crazy spending. Although, not everyone lives their life with surpluses like that and can do buffer banking.

 

[Thump553]

I amazed at the number of people posting in this thread that apparently make no effort at all to track their disbursements. I also write maybe a check at month at most, but every election payment, deposit, etc. gets logged into my checkbook register.

I guess that explains why overdraft fees are one of the largest moneymakers for banks.

 

[sourceninja]

I amazed at the number of people posting in this thread that apparently make no effort at all to track their disbursements. I also write maybe a check at month at most, but every election payment, deposit, etc. gets logged into my checkbook register.

I guess that explains why overdraft fees are one of the largest moneymakers for banks.

I know exactly how much money I have at all times, yet I don't manually keep bank book.

 

[lxskllr]

I amazed at the number of people posting in this thread that apparently make no effort at all to track their disbursements. I also write maybe a check at month at most, but every election payment, deposit, etc. gets logged into my checkbook register.

I guess that explains why overdraft fees are one of the largest moneymakers for banks.

I quit booking checks after a couple years. My usual method was not keeping money in my checking account. I'd put money in when I needed to use a check. No bounced checks.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I married a bookkeeper. Well, actually a scientist that is as good as a bookkeeper. She's fantastic at it. Kudos for my wife!

 

[Remobz]

I married a bookkeeper. Well, actually a scientist that is as good as a bookkeeper. She's fantastic at it. Kudos for my wife!

My gf is an accountant and good with budgeting and figures among other things too scandalous to mention (haha!).

Anyway, where I live checking accounts are common as dirt (I have one as well) and I use checks all the time for my business. Many customers pay me in checks as well.

 

[Remobz]

I amazed at the number of people posting in this thread that apparently make no effort at all to track their disbursements. I also write maybe a check at month at most, but every election payment, deposit, etc. gets logged into my checkbook register.

I guess that explains why overdraft fees are one of the largest moneymakers for banks.

Our local bank use to have manual check books but now they discontinued it and force us to go online and check our accounts.

 

[pcgeek11]

They sure slow down the line. Hate it when they whip out that checkbook.

About three months ago I was in a checkout line and I had cash in my Checkbook I was going to use. Some young kid behind me said " Oh no grandpa is using a check ". At that point I decided I was going to use a check... I looked at him and said " I also write really slow ". he then moved to another line.

Great fun!

 

[OverVolt]

My dad said the best speech in highschool in speech class for a demonstration speech was the guy who showed people how to fill out simple banking forms. How to write a check, how to endorse a check, how to fill out a deposit slip etc.

My mom worked as a teller for awhile so I was properly schooled in such things. Some people TRULY have no clue how to do pen and paper banking.

 

[SSSnail]

About three months ago I was in a checkout line and I had cash in my Checkbook I was going to use. Some young kid behind me said " Oh no grandpa is using a check ". At that point I decided I was going to use a check... I looked at him and said " I also write really slow ". he then moved to another line.

Great fun!

If I were you, I'd use my time more constructively. Let's face it, you don't have a lot of time left. Or, being a dick all your life is what you're striving for?

Once you die, none of this matters, enjoy what's left of it.

 

[Chaotic42]

I had to take a business class in 8th grade where we managed various businesses throughout the economy. We had to write checks, keep books, create invoices, stuff like that. I think I ran a steel mill.

 

[Dumac]

Go to grocery store since I need to buy some steaks
Go to checkout
Grandma in front of me whips out her checkbook
I tell myself to be patient
She realizes she has no pen, asks cashier for one
Start getting impatient
Cashier doesn't have one, has to leave post to get one
I am annoyed now
A few minutes later, cashier comes back with pen
Grandma starts to write her check
Her old lady hand breaks under the stress of writing a check
She tries to apologies for the hold up
My steak is defrosted by now, sitting in a pool of steak water
Just when I'm about to tell her not to worry about it, her dentures fall out
Her dentures fall on top of my steak
I'm disgusted, can't help but vomit
Old lady slips and fallson vomit, breaks hip, can't move
Manager has to come and mop her away to the old people disposal
Steak is rancid by now, maggots are growing out of it
I step up in line
Cashier says "will you be paying with cash or credit?"
This whole process has taken so long that I am now an old man
I whip out my checkbook

 

[Fritzo]

Go to grocery store since I need to buy some steaks
Go to checkout
Grandma in front of me whips out her checkbook
I tell myself to be patient
She realizes she has no pen, asks cashier for one
Start getting impatient
Cashier doesn't have one, has to leave post to get one
I am annoyed now
A few minutes later, cashier comes back with pen
Grandma starts to write her check
Her old lady hand breaks under the stress of writing a check
She tries to apologies for the hold up
My steak is defrosted by now, sitting in a pool of steak water
Just when I'm about to tell her not to worry about it, her dentures fall out
Her dentures fall on top of my steak
I'm disgusted, can't help but vomit
Old lady slips and fallson vomit, breaks hip, can't move
Manager has to come and mop her away to the old people disposal
Steak is rancid by now, maggots are growing out of it
I step up in line
Cashier says "will you be paying with cash or credit?"
This whole process has taken so long that I am now an old man
I whip out my checkbook

It's the circle of liiiiiiffe................

 

[kranky]

I amazed at the number of people posting in this thread that apparently make no effort at all to track their disbursements. I also write maybe a check at month at most, but every election payment, deposit, etc. gets logged into my checkbook register.

I guess that explains why overdraft fees are one of the largest moneymakers for banks.

I probably mentioned this before, but a good friend who is a VP at a local bank has told me banks love debit cards and online banking not just because it cuts their processing costs, but because of the reason you mentioned - overdrafts skyrocket, especially with younger customers who are generally not very profitable anyway.

No checkbook means no place to record your balance. Transactions are not processed in real time, so if a frequent debit user checks his balance online or with the phone, it might not include all recent transactions.

And the icing on the cake for the banks is that many younger customers immediately adopt online billpay and auto debits, which makes customers more "sticky" - in other words, it's a big pain to change banks when you have automatic transactions going on all the time. So more fee income from customers less likely to move to another bank.

 

[techs]

Go to grocery store since I need to buy some steaks
Go to checkout
Grandma in front of me whips out her checkbook
I tell myself to be patient
She realizes she has no pen, asks cashier for one
Start getting impatient
Cashier doesn't have one, has to leave post to get one
I am annoyed now
A few minutes later, cashier comes back with pen
Grandma starts to write her check
Her old lady hand breaks under the stress of writing a check
She tries to apologies for the hold up
My steak is defrosted by now, sitting in a pool of steak water
Just when I'm about to tell her not to worry about it, her dentures fall out
Her dentures fall on top of my steak
I'm disgusted, can't help but vomit
Old lady slips and fallson vomit, breaks hip, can't move
Manager has to come and mop her away to the old people disposal
Steak is rancid by now, maggots are growing out of it
I step up in line
Cashier says "will you be paying with cash or credit?"
This whole process has taken so long that I am now an old man
I whip out my checkbook

Totally awesome.

 

[SheHateMe]

My mother taught me most things.

 

[Remobz]

I still write invoices, fill out GST forms, write cash sales receipts, fill out checks and so on as part of my daily routine here. My dad is still old school but I learnt a lot of the valuable basics that many young teenagers have no clue about.

Pros and Cons to everything in life.