I ran out of checks several months ago. You know...the personal paper things that you physically tear from a tangible checkbook.
I haven't replaced them since.
Why, you ask? Two reasons, really.
1. I'm hypothosizing that they are unnecessary and, thus, are a deletable expense.
2. I wanted to see if I could really survive without them (gotta put a little spice in my life).
So far so good. Sure, there have been times when I really wished I'd had some checks...like at Christmas time, when I wanted to send my out-of-state nieces and nephews a gift. I knew sending cash was not smart and, to me, sending gift cards seemed equally risky. I wound up ordering them books from Barnes & Noble, because, hey, books are always good gifts and they were shipped free.
When the Girls Scouts came around seeking payment for their cookies, I cursed myself for not being better prepared. In one case, I put off the delivery, because I had no cash on hand. (Oh, why don't they take credit and debit cards, I found myself wishing, along with, why doesn't my family stay away from the cash in my wallet?) In another case, my husband accepted the baked goods with a promise that I'd run to the bank for cash and deliver to the girls later (which I did, by the way...you can't cheat good little samaritans, especially when they live next door).
So, how have I been handling all my other payments? On-line banking. It really is so convenient...the bank writes the checks for you, stuffs them in envelopes, and picks up the expense to mail them. My service is free, but I can imagine it would still be cost effective, even paying a small monthly charge.
For all other transactions, I pay cash or use my debit or credit card. It isn't all that bad being checkless. I have a friend who finds herself in the same situation and she's doing fine, too.
My banker just let me know that I am entitled to free checks with my account, but, you know, I think I'm going to pass. I'll let you know how things turn out....
How about you? Do you write many checks nowadays? Could you survive without them?
Saturday, February 27, 2010
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I do almost everything via the computer now. It is so much easier, cheaper, and you don't have to worry about the mail service losing it in the process.
ReplyDeleteKerensa,
ReplyDeleteI agree...long ago I used to mail our house payment and no matter when I sent it, it always seemed to get there late...I can't tell you how much in late payments I paid, not to mention all the phone calls to try to rectify the situation. Either the mail was very unreliable and slow or the mortgage company was trying to earn a little extra money in late fees. Never had a problem with paying online.