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I am wondering more about the psychology of people who pull out their check book in a grocery store and let everyone wait behind them while they slowly start writing a check, expecting everyone to wait peacefully because they are dipshytes.
I want to shake them until their head spins and put them into a head lock. Such selfishness is unbelievable to me and it brings my blood to a boil, when I just have 3 items and need to wait 5 extra minutes because they are aholes.
I'm an inveterate check-writer and even I wouldn't write a check in the grocery store. I generally use my debit card or whatever credit card is giving me extra cash-back points.
I once lobbied our local market to put in a checks-only line to avoid such situations. They said it couldn't be done and I found a new market. They didn't do it either, but at least they said they would present it to corporate. Haven't seen any check-out check-writers in several years.
I sold my car and have a little extra padding from that sale. And no insurance etc and unplugged cable so that's about an extra $100 a month in my pocket. It depends on where we are in our lives.
I spent fun money at Michaels for canvasses and paints, brushes.
Living in Santa Monica, not needing a car, and painting: about as close to heaven as I can imagine on earth.
I'm an inveterate check-writer and even I wouldn't write a check in the grocery store. I generally use my debit card or whatever credit card is giving me extra cash-back points.
Same here about the grocery store. It makes no sense to write checks there. I use our air miles card, the one we use for everything and pay off at month's end. There's a grocery store that's pretty cheap near us, but it doesn't take cards, and that's fine. I don't need to be all cheep cheep cheep just-give-me-the-best-price cheap cheap 100% of the time.
I used to pay my monthly bills by mailing checks, until about three years ago when the postal service slipped badly enough to impact me. That's when I went to online. One nice thing about online is that you can pay vendors the day before it's due, which at least means they get their money later than (in my case) they used to. I don't think most people today even understand the time value of money. That's the other reason to like the credit card: I get to pay later.
I don't remember the last time I used a physical checkbook. Online banking will track all that for you.
I write one check per month for rent, everything else is auto pay and I resisted that route but now the only way to go....and I check my account every other day or so online, I would know if I got ripped off or any discrepancies. I don't worry about pennies and sometimes even if I'm off a dollar or whatever. It all comes out in the wash and I don't have a lot of money but have ENUF and what's left, if any, my daughter will get.
Living in Santa Monica, not needing a car, and painting: about as close to heaven as I can imagine on earth.
It's true my friends and I thank our lucky stars all the same for where we live. I came to CA with ex, screaming and kicking, and that's what it would take to leave, screaming and kicking. Timing and my ex and I didn't have a great deal in common but thank him for moving me here.
It was hard giving up the car, but with my knee issue and the traffic here is horrid and the cost of auto upkeep, I finally took the plunge. Daughter helps me, my grandkids will eventually and my friends and I'm just happy to be able to walk as I do...I questioned that for some months.
I posted about right left brain people and for sure I am right brain.
oh-eve, I completely agree. Who even writes checks anymore? I almost never do. I mean, like, it's a once in a few years kind of thing and I'm like, "What is this, the stone age? A check?"
I usually only write checks for home stuff, like the landscaper or the furnace guy. I've asked if they prefer other payments, and they've told me that most people write checks.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I cannot remember the last time I wrote a check, we pay every bill online, and at stores use a debit card. Even car payments and mortgage are taken automatically out of various accounts that are funded by direct deposit from pay.
With text message alerts, there is warning well before any of the accounts get too low, so we can transfer from savings if needed.
I still use old fashioned paper check registers, it's what I am used to and comfortable with. And yes -- I balance to the penny. I enjoy it.
I also budgeted, and I liked always having the money I needed to pay the very big bills that come up like property tax.
When I was younger, I tried to talk people into my way of doing things, especially when I found they were always in monetary dire straits, but I found they didn't really appreciate my help. Just like I like to balance to the penny, and keep my financial ducks in a row, they preferred living on the edge financially speaking.
I believe, for the most part, we do what we see our parents do. My parents budgeted and kept tight reins on their spending, but still very much enjoyed life. My husband's parents did much the same, and we mirrored that, as did our siblings. My free spending friends learned from their parents spend it when you got it! and it works for them. I've had people ask me how we got where we are, and I will tell them, and I can see the minute I start talking they zone out. It is what it is.
I still use old fashioned paper check registers, it's what I am used to and comfortable with. And yes -- I balance to the penny. I enjoy it.
I also budgeted, and I liked always having the money I needed to pay the very big bills that come up like property tax.
When I was younger, I tried to talk people into my way of doing things, especially when I found they were always in monetary dire straits, but I found they didn't really appreciate my help. Just like I like to balance to the penny, and keep my financial ducks in a row, they preferred living on the edge financially speaking.
I believe, for the most part, we do what we see our parents do. My parents budgeted and kept tight reins on their spending, but still very much enjoyed life. My husband's parents did much the same, and we mirrored that, as did our siblings. My free spending friends learned from their parents spend it when you got it! and it works for them. I've had people ask me how we got where we are, and I will tell them, and I can see the minute I start talking they zone out. It is what it is.
Parents did without until they had cash for everything, back in the low low price of everything days. I was kinda like them for a while and then got smart. See the huge waste that goes on in our country starting with govt and their run away spending and I started to live like: owe them and if I die before it's paid off, then so be it. So many try to take money with them and I don't have big expenses like house taxes etc. Enjoy letting landlord fix stuff.
There are so many areas that I'm so against where our money goes in the world, so I'm not going to worry about any bills or interest etc. I'm not going to stress about that...I have ENUF and so many have ENUF but want more and more.
While in rehabs and not getting better and worrying about bills accumulating as medicare was running out, a therapist said "don't worry about the money". it will all work out, concentrate on healing your body. Easier said than done, but I do think about her words and it does all work out. And I have some piles of bills that won't get paid...and they will go poof in the big universe of debt.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 10-31-2017 at 01:44 PM..
I have NOT done a balancing act for probably 20 yrs. As long as I'm ahead of the game and bank figures I'm good. I can't be bothered. I know those who spend hours tyring to find that penny.
Some people are so precise, is that like an OCD trait. Just wondering.
I've gotten more laid back as I've aged too.
I log into my bank's website every day, so no need to "balance" my checkbook.
But even before the days of the internet, I never balanced my checkbook. Just never interested me. I remember my mother fuming with frustration trying to balance the family checkbook and I didn't see what all the fuss was about (in classic single-earner working class families the wife writes checks on the husband's paycheck).
Not sure what that says about me psychologically!
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