Just wondering

[Bobberineyes]

I was asked by my deer old pops recently when he passes if I would help ma with balancing there check book. They both are in their 80's but still are mixed in with the current technology,  he does good with a computer,  moving stocks and money around. At first I'm like sure, but we havnt used a check book register in yrs  told him, it's all apps a finger tip away of scrolling back as far as you want looking up what you want or transfering money from one account to the other .He's pretty old school,  no banking or any accounts on his phone,  just computer, I get that. Us, pretty much all phone with apps, so far so good. Anywho,  since most of you guys on here are retired or close to it, who here still balances a check book the old fashion way???

[mike89]

nothing on line for me.. so I guess I'm doing it the old fashioned way.. 

[roony]

I do

[glenn57]

Here we are about half and half. Get statements online  direct deposit that kinda thing. But i insist on paying bills by check. Some my  wife pays via the phone but I friggin hate it.

Kinda old school,  mail me the bill I'll mail ya the payment  I need proof and documentation.

Really not that hard to balance the checkbook with the ledger.

[LPS]

We each have a checking acct.  We do a lot online too.  I try to write checks so it is a done deal after the transaction.  BUT I do have my accounts around town so it is like the stuff is free.  LOLOL  The wife keeps reminding me we still have to pay for it. Cards are easier. 

[Bobberineyes]

I'm totally wihcya Glenn as far as writing a check for several things,  if your card is on file say for Xm radio they jack it without you knowing.  Paper bill is way better. But with the banking apps, setting withdrawal alarm and deposit alarm work real nice, and email is sent as soon as the transaction is done. Trying to tell pops to take the leap has been a tough one...

[Gunner55]

No smart phone here, so I pay all my bills, which isn't many, online except for my life insurance. That my bank pays automatically for me every month. No autopay on my credit card either, when I get an email that my statement is available that email stays in my inbox until I schedule the payment. I don't write many checks though, maybe 2 or 3 a month, usually for cash. Brother is the same way, no smart phone but we both have Tracfones. I usually look at my checking account online at least once a week so it's easy to keep balanced. I get email notifications when certain things happen on both my credit card & checking account though too. One I really like is unsuccessful attempts to login.

[mike89]

I'm totally wihcya Glenn as far as writing a check for several things,  if your card is on file say for Xm radio they jack it without you knowing.  Paper bill is way better. But with the banking apps, setting withdrawal amounts and deposit amounts work real nice, and email is sent as soon as the transaction is done. Trying to tell pops to take the leap has been a tough one...

yup me too... 

[Bobberineyes]

Atta boy gunner,  I'll like it!

[LPS]

Whenever I go to the grocery store I write out a check and write it for extra to keep me in cash.  They know I am going to do it too so no big deal.  It's like I pay myself to go grocery shopping. 

[Gunner55]

I'll do that over at the Bstore too, I'll get gas for the mowers or the boat & write out a check for $10-20 extra quite often. Many of the small businesses up here would rather have a check because they can't afford to pay the 4% fee on plastic. So, if you use plastic, they'll add that fee on to your tab & they all have a sign up in plain view that tells you that too. A lot of 'em will have ATM's too but I refuse to pay a fee to use my own money.

[Bobberineyes]

I guess I was curious who sat at the kitchen table going thru statements and filling out the checkbook register vs just watching it thru an app or your bank online.

[mike89]

I'll do that over at the Bstore too, I'll get gas for the mowers or the boat & write out a check for $10-20 extra quite often. Many of the small businesses up here would rather have a check because they can't afford to pay the 4% fee on plastic. So, if you use plastic, they'll add that fee on to your tab & they all have a sign up in plain view that tells you that too. A lot of 'em will have ATM's too but I refuse to pay a fee to use my own money.

2nd that!! and I carry cash too!!

[fishwidow]

I write about 5-6 checks per year.  All bills, electric, internet provider, heat, doctors, dentists, car and DNR licenses, are paid on line. Some are paid by ACH transfer from my checking account, but most are paid by credit card. Same credit card is used for restaurants, gas, groceries and any miscellaneous stuff. At the end of the month, the credit card company goes into my checking account and pays the whole thing off. I do make it a point to carry cash because there are a few places that won’t accept a card—-Sportsman’s giant omelets.
I do look at my bank app every couple days and record all the charges against the card in a regular check register to make sure I don’t have any bogus or erroneous charges. I don’t need to balance the account, because the charges usually happen right away, so there’s no outstanding checks.
That’s the only automatic payment I make. I like to be in control of the timing of other payments.

[Gunner55]

Maybe not every couple days like fw, but I usually check the charges on my card once a week or so too. Just to make sure that nobody has slipped a device into a card reader to try to steal everyone's info.