I made a phone payment on one of our accounts the other day because I’d lost the statement so didn’t have an address to set it up for online banking, and was surprised because I needed my actual checkbook to complete the transaction.
Please understand. I know my entire checking account number by heart. I know the routing number too. I write one paper check a month, and that’s to pay my lawn guy. I’m so used to companies not needing check numbers, or being able to make up check numbers, when doing electronic funds transfers of this sort, that I literally was struck dumb for a few seconds when I was asked to provide one.
I realized after the call just how spoiled I am. While I like to have cash on hand for emergencies, with the exception of sticking a dollar in the tip jar at Starbucks every so often, I almost never need it. Even our pizza, which I ordered online this afternoon because it was cold and gray, we were both in the middle of work, and we had nothing but peanut butter in the house because we haven’t been to a grocery store in forever (too busy), was paid for electronically, though they did ask to see the credit card (debit card) I used for the transaction, when they delivered it.
So, here’s the question of the day:
Do you still write paper checks on a regular basis? If so, is it a choice, or a necessity?
We write lots of checks still — mostly the Tour Manager. I think he likes to; it keeps him better organized that way. And since he’s currently running the finances, what he wants, he gets.
As for me, I rarely use cash anymore. I like my plastic, although I realized that it’s hard to teach kids about money when all they see is plastic! Oops…
Have a great weekend. Michele sent me.
The only checks I’ve written are for rent, because they accept only that or money orders. I’m thankful, because after that “YOU HAVE NO CHECK YOU MUST GO” fiasco, I’ll be damned if I don’t write a check so that my bank has a handy dandy copy of it, front and back, that I can print and plop on their desk. ;P
The only checks I write every month are for the rent and the utilities, which is two checks. Every other transaction is made via the internet or debit card. Sometimes I have a little cash on me (for trips to the local coffeehouse), but the checkbook is always at home.
I rarely write checks anymore, and only when I absolutely have to. But I’m old enough to have used one of those wallets with the built in check holder, because (in the olden days!) we wrote checks for everything that we now use credit cards for.
I only use checks once a month and that is when I pay my rent cause they don’t take cash & I don’t feel like paying for a money order plus with the check I can see it so they cant say I never paid it everything else I pretty much use the debit cad for
All our bills are paid by the old fashioned paper check. I don’t trust online banking or banking by phone. I just don’t.
VERY RARELY!!!! I do so much with the debit card and pay the bills online, so I hardly ever write a check anymore…..
Hello, Michele sent me. And I came back…
Jerry in Tampa
I still use paper check..(same like pussreboots)..I dun really trust internet / online / telephone banking..but my husband uses internet banking all the time..