Writing checks

[Nutria]

Knowing that I'm going to write a check tomorrow for some roof repair made me look back to the last time that my wife or I hand wrote a check: six months ago (02-May-2017).

[Fishindude77]

I'm old school. still pay many bills with checks.
Something about the hands on effort of writing out and mailing a check makes me feel more in touch with my finances. Probably silly, but it works for me.

[Nutria]

I'm old school. still pay many bills with checks.
Something about the hands on effort of writing out and mailing a check makes me feel more in touch with my finances. Probably silly, but it works for me.

I'm glad it works for you, but I despise writing checks.

Without web bill pay and a spreadsheet, I'd let my finances go to pot in a month...

[kork13]

I don't use checks often (normally less than 1-2x per month), but it does occasionally happen. Almost anytime we hire a contractor for something (most recently, cleaning out our gutters), we'll use a check to pay the invoice. We use small, local service providers normally, so they don't have a website, and normally don't/can't accept credit cards. However, I have recently shifted more toward using my bank's bill pay service & let them cut the check & mail it to whoever, vs. me doing the same. Probably adds an extra step & delay in them getting paid, but I like being able to save their information for a future payment if/when I use them again. Also, I'm lazy & cheap -- let the bank use their stamp & envelope & get it into the mail.

[Nutria]

We use small, local service providers normally, so they don't have a website, and normally don't/can't accept credit cards.

The repairmen from A/C company I use have tablets (don't remember whether or not they're iPads) with CC readers. The two-man computer repair company which I occasionally use have a CC reader attachment for their iPhones.

[scfr]

I wrote 39 checks in the past year for:

• Gifts
• Charitable donations
• Estimated taxes
• Setting up new savings accounts
• Expenses that are one-off, once-a-year, or otherwise irregular (making bill pay not an attractive alternative)
• Cash infusion to DH's business
• And even 2 payable to "cash" (I don't use ATMs)

[disneysteve]

I just looked. We've written 8 checks in the past 3 months.
6 were to our synagogue.
1 was for a Bat Mitzvah gift.
1 was for our 4th quarter sewer bill.

The synagogue could be paid by credit card but there's a 3% fee for that.

Same for the sewer bill. They take credit cards for a fee.

We could have given cash for the gift but chose to write a check, which is safer just in case any envelopes go missing.

As long as there is a fee to pay by credit, we will write a check.

[Nutria]

I just looked. We've written 8 checks in the past 3 months.
6 were to our synagogue.
1 was for a Bat Mitzvah gift.
1 was for our 4th quarter sewer bill.

The synagogue could be paid by credit card but there's a 3% fee for that.

Same for the sewer bill. They take credit cards for a fee.

We could have given cash for the gift but chose to write a check, which is safer just in case any envelopes go missing.

As long as there is a fee to pay by credit, we will write a check.

For charitable donations (monthly), club dues (quarterly) and the sewer bill (bimonthly), we rely on a web bill pay service which decides whether the recipient can receive EDI or whether it must cut and mail a check.

Soooo handy!

[msomnipotent]

My daughter's school prefers checks. I wrote 4 to them just this month.

[Nutria]

My daughter's school prefers checks. I wrote 4 to them just this month.

Yeah. Club dues, functions, tickets, etc. The last check we wrote before today was for a Senior Prom ticket...

[disneysteve]

For charitable donations (monthly), club dues (quarterly) and the sewer bill (bimonthly), we rely on a web bill pay service which decides whether the recipient can receive EDI or whether it must cut and mail a check.

Soooo handy!

I could use our bill pay service for synagogue quarterly dues. That was one of the 6 checks. The other 5 were for one-off things that got sent back with a form of some sort. Had they just gotten a random check without the form, they wouldn't have known what to do with it.

I could use bill pay for the sewer bill I suppose. It's only 4 times a year so I never bothered to set that up.

[Nutria]

I could use bill pay for the sewer bill I suppose. It's only 4 times a year so I never bothered to set that up.

That's exactly why Nutria the forgetful procrastinator set it up... when the bill comes in, I log into the bill pay service and type in the amount and date, secure in the knowledge that it's going to get paid when it's due even though I'll have forgotten about it!

[disneysteve]

That's exactly why Nutria the forgetful procrastinator set it up... when the bill comes in, I log into the bill pay service and type in the amount and date, secure in the knowledge that it's going to get paid when it's due even though I'll have forgotten about it!

When the bill comes, I write a check and mail it out. I may not do it immediately, but I have one spot on my desk where I keep bills. At least once a week, I sit down and take care of them. I can't say I've ever forgotten to pay a bill.

[Drake3287]

As one of those people that charge everything on a credit card for cash rewards, (and pay in full each month) I only write 2 checks each year, both are for Property Taxes and that's only because I can't charge it.

Between credit cards and online Banking there's almost no reason for checks anymore. Everyone once in awhile I'll get stuck behind a LOL (little of lady) at Safeway writing a check and it takes forever! Another thing that I'll never understand is how people can pay cash for large items when it's so easy to earn free cash back rewards. It's almost like throwing money away.

[Nutria]

Another thing that I'll never understand is how people can pay cash for large items when it's so easy to earn free cash back rewards. It's almost like throwing money away.

Maybe they:

1. don't want Big Corporate Brother tracking everything they spend their money on.
2. are dug dealers.
3. don't trust banks.
4. don't trust themselves.