MONEY MANAGEMENT

[Duchess]

Are you good at it? Are you a spender or a saver? Is your checkbook balanced?

[ramseycat]

Yes. Both. Yes. To the penny at all times.

[crash]

Who has a chequebook anymore?

[Duchess]

Who has a chequebook anymore?

I do, the stable does as well, so does my boss & her business.

[username]

I don't balance the checkbook anymore. I don't even keep one. Most of my checks are issued online, most of our purchases are on a credit card (for points) and I don't care about keeping track of atm withdrawals.

I usually review statements and stuff though to make sure there's nothing unusual on there.

We spend and save. My husband maxes out his 401(k) every year and we recently started putting $500 a month aside for each kid for college. He's a financial manager so he's pretty damn conscious about what he needs to save to retire comfortably.

[crash]

Who has a chequebook anymore?

I do, the stable does as well, so does my boss & her business.

Really?

Banks over here don't even issue them any more unless you specifically request them. Then they charge you for the privelege.

Just about everyone does everything by EFT here nowadays. Just about everyone's wages are paid electronically. All my clients pay me by funds transfer. I submit all my invoices via email. My utilities all come out of my everyday banking account via direct debit so I don't have to worry about paying the fuckers. Same with all of the insurances.

I couldn't tell you to the cent what's in my account at any one time, but I'd know within a grand or two. They still send me a paper statement at the end of the month and I flick through it. Never had a real problem with it.

[Duchess]

Really?

Banks over here don't even issue them any more unless you specifically request them. Then they charge you for the privelege.

Just about everyone does everything by EFT here nowadays. Just about everyone's wages are paid electronically. All my clients pay me by funds transfer. I submit all my invoices via email. My utilities all come out of my everyday banking account via direct debit so I don't have to worry about paying the fuckers. Same with all of the insurances.

I couldn't tell you to the cent what's in my account at any one time, but I'd know within a grand or two. They still send me a paper statement at the end of the month and I flick through it. Never had a real problem with it.

Really. I don't use my checks but I deposit my paycheck into my checking account and I pay my own personal bills electronically, I keep track of my money in my check register. The stable bills are paid by check, for example the blacksmith, the feed delivery, the hay guy, and racing fees, you get the idea and my boss is old school all the way, she even pays a fee to have her checks returned to her. She goes through more checks in a month than I'll go through the rest of my life. Even Mock has her own account. Ha!

[ramseycat]

I pay everything online unless I have to write a check for something. But I keep track in all transactions. I plan out my budget and pay everything around my paychecks. Well I did when I got a paycheck. Now I just put a saw a few days before the due date since I'm living off a severance settlement. It's too easy for banks to charge fees or some incorrect charge so I keep a close eye on my money.