Using checks

They are like newspapers. I do still use them but maybe one per month on miscellaneous stuff. Where is the last place you saw a phone booth??
 
KingsX said:
For younger children, I've successfully sent cash via the mail...
but I mail the birthday card & cash in another type of envelope
so it's not obvious from the outside it's a greeting card.
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What type of envelope do you use to mail the card & money? I ask because I have to mail my grandchildren's cash or check for their birthdays and I'm not comfortable doing it. I can't drive so I'm not able to take it to the post office so that's not an option either. So far I've been lucky mailing them from my mailbox but that doesn't mean it will continue to happen. Any suggestions are welcome.
 

My Gardner, tree trimmer, beautician still only take checks. Drives me crazy. I remind them all the time that we are in Georgia USA, Soviet Georgia.
 
I have not written out a check for longer than I can remember. My wife does use them to pay bills, but has been paying more and more of them directly from our bank account online. Many are auto pay so all we have to do is check that the payment is correct online.
 
AprilSun said:
What type of envelope do you use to mail the card & money? I ask because I have to mail my grandchildren's cash or check for their birthdays and I'm not comfortable doing it. I can't drive so I'm not able to take it to the post office so that's not an option either. So far I've been lucky mailing them from my mailbox but that doesn't mean it will continue to happen. Any suggestions are welcome.
Click to expand...


I use small manilla envelopes. Two of my grand niece/nephew are fraternal twins
so I put the two birthday cards and matching envelopes into one manilla envelope.
At Christmas I put everything for the household in one manilla envelope. Of course,
if I am also sending other gifts, the cards are inside the gift packages. Because
the postage may vary by size and weight I do visit the post office which is nearby.
I have a PO Box, so I go to the post office at least once a week anyway.
 
KingsX said:
I use small manilla envelopes. Two of my grand niece/nephew are fraternal twins
so I put the two birthday cards and matching envelopes into one manilla envelope.
At Christmas I put everything for the household in one manilla envelope. Of course,
if I am also sending other gifts, the cards are inside the gift packages. Because
the postage may vary by size and weight I do visit the post office which is nearby.
I have a PO Box, so I go to the post office at least once a week anyway.
Click to expand...

Thank you for this information. I will certainly keep it in mind. Right now I'm through with birthdays that I have to mail cards until next spring so maybe I can try it then. Thanks again!
 
Gary O' said:
quote_icon.png
Originally Posted by Gary O' I have a checking acct
....and some checks, somewhere





Power grid goes down?
Try cashing yer paper checks then




What ‘local level’?

The two small town stores nearest me has trouble with checks when the grid is up (I’ve seen this happen while in line)
I seriously doubt they just shrug and go ahead when the grid is down

Perhaps one should bring in a dozen range free eggs in trade for a gallon of milk
Did that long before the rubber stamp and ink pad
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Again with the condescending remark I see.


I've never had a-bit of trouble cashing a check at any time.

I still say we are way too dependent on electronic everything.
 
In nyc we have had two times atms and banks were closed in many areas. 9-11 and sandy .

but we also have had accounts locked for fraud for two weeks and not accessible as money was in limbo to new accounts and we needed new checks and cards .
 
I have 3 checking accounts. The main one is at a bank and i've had it for decades. I no longer have checks for that account; only use it for EFT (ACH) bill payments. The second one is at a credit union (CU) and I honestly forgot why I opened it up because I've had that for decades as well. The 3rd one is at TD Ameritrade which took over for Scottrade. They took it upon themselves to send me checks which connect to the money market fund after the transition. I put those in my SD box in the event I inadvertently run out of CU checks. I only use one check a month from the CU account, at most two if I give a monetary gift to someone.
 
The Europeans got rid of checks a long time ago. They would be scratching their heads if you consider paying with a check. Like us, most transactions are done with a credit card or their EC (debit card in the USA) card. Only Germany, of all advanced first world countries, still insist in cash with merchants. Other monetary transactions are done between banks electronically using their IBAN number. The amount of resources it takes to manage cash transactions without considering security, is horrendous. Maybe the government likes the idea that merchants can easily launder money to avoid paying their fair tax. However, I love Germany. When I am there twice a year, the ATMs get a workout. Unlike in the USA, I feel safe carrying large amount of cash in Germany. Yes, I still have a checking account, which is my clearing house. It is with the same credit union for over 33 years. There is no reasons to burden myself with more than one checking account. In the end, nobody cares.
 
I use one check a month to pay the rent.

The rest of the monthly bills are paid through the ATM machine at my credit union.

There are a lot of companies now switching to electronic methods to avoid theft.

Our laundry room cash machines were constantly being broken into which made the appliances useless.

Now you have to have one of their cards which you load and use it to access the wash and dry machines in the laundry room.

There was one couple who didn't have an account and when they complained, the manager said well then you will have to take your laundry to a cash machine somewhere else because the damage and the insurance is costing us too much.

I convinced them to open a small account at a credit union nearby.

Here in Canada now the government is insisting on electronic transfer to your bank account because of the problems with checks being stolen and accounts being accessed fraudulently. You apply for it when you file your tax return.

I like the electronic transfer method.

I don't want to use the computer however because my system is old now and I think it might be vulnerable.

I just don't trust that method anymore although I consider my self computer literate.

In some ways the Europeans are miles ahead of the North Americans. They consider us old fashioned and unwilling to change.

I hardly ever see a Canadian paying for groceries in the supermarket with a check, but when shopping in the U.S. I see that is quite common. It's kind of a pain having to wait for someone to fill out a check.

Mc Donalds, in Canada has refused to take checks. Cash, debit card, or credit card only.
 
I wrote two checks last year and one this year so far. I do everything electronically, including any checks that I receive. I just take a picture of the check and send the picture it to my bank using the app that I downloaded.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
I have 3 checking accounts. The main one is at a bank and i've had it for decades. I no longer have checks for that account; only use it for EFT (ACH) bill payments. The second one is at a credit union (CU) and I honestly forgot why I opened it up because I've had that for decades as well. The 3rd one is at TD Ameritrade which took over for Scottrade. They took it upon themselves to send me checks which connect to the money market fund after the transition. I put those in my SD box in the event I inadvertently run out of CU checks. I only use one check a month from the CU account, at most two if I give a monetary gift to someone.
Click to expand...

You need to consolidate or list the reasons why what you are doing is a good idea.
 
I almost never see a person writing a check in a store. A couple of stores I trade in will no longer accept checks because they have had so much check fraud -- both from NSF checks and counterfeit checks. I can't even remember the last time I wrote a check, but it's been several years.
 
The only thing I don't like about automatic withdrawals is that if you have a dispute or have been charged unfairly, that you get charged and have to try to get it reversed.

Cable companies are notorious for this. I only pay what I have determined that I used.
 
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