Friday, January 12, 2024

Cheques.......



(Image credit)

When was the last time you wrote a cheque?  I had to send a void cheque for hubby to get paid one of his pensions from the UK.  Otherwise I have no idea when I last wrote a cheque.  In fact our book of cheques has our old address on it, and I refuse point blank to order more, especially when the bank tells me it's fine as is, as it has all our correct info on it for our account details.

I think cheques are going the same way as cash, by the wayside.  I personally use cash.  I take out a certain amount of cash every week to pay for everything.  I still put cash in my pots every week. $20 in the birthday pot, $20 in the Christmas pot and $50 in the other pot.  It's automatic, been doing it for years.  I never have to worry about affording a Christmas or birthday present that way.

The $50 other pot is for spending money on our vacation, or things that come up.  For example it's our son's 40th coming up, so I will use some of that to give him something extra for his birthday.  That $50 pot has come in handy time and time again.

Do you use cheques?  Do you use cash?  Do you put money away every week for various things?



12 comments:

Terra said...

I still write checks, often to send money to groups I support, and like you I use cash. It is good to use cash because that isn't tracked by big business, hackers and the government, it is private.

Angela said...

We last RECEIVED a cheque in December. It was badly written, so we needed to find somewhere to pay it in in person. Our paying in book has hardly been used, dates back years. There are two banks left in the nearby town - the one we use and one other announced yesterday it is closing. I do Not want a cashless society

Linda said...

When my bank was bought out by a new bank, the checks were good for several years. Then, I got new checks, free because I am a senior. Then, I was told all new checks had a charge, regardless of my age. But, they said the old checks were good as long as I had them. I write so few checks, less than five per year, that I will have these checks for at least ten years.

I use a debit card mostly but have a bank cc and two store CCs.

We both save change and I have an amount transferred each month to a savings account. It is not much, but works for me.

I had never used my debit card until covid. Now, I love a debit card!

Maggie said...

Checks haven't been a thing here in the UK for quite a while. I do the same as you, I draw cash out for my spending and put money away for birthdays, Christmas etc, I use a cash wallet for mine rather than pots though. We need to use cash more not less otherwise 'they' will try and get rid of it.

Boud said...

Around here small tradesmen, plumbers, handyman, contractor, chimney sweep, all refuse to use credit cards so it's a check. No way of knowing ahead how much cash exactly the job will be, and they won't carry cash anyway. I pay my cleaners with a check. And was required to use a check to prepay my funeral recently. You couldn't operate in a small community with independent contractors, my faves without checks.

A friend from another town brags about no checks and is stuck with franchised contractors doing shoddy work, but accepting credit cards.

Joy said...

Good point - I can't remember the last time I needed my cheque book for anything although it is always in my handbag - in case! Mind you, if there were a problem with my debit card, I couldn't pay by cheque anyway!
xx

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I still write cheques, mainly for birthday gifts for our boys and our daughters-in-love, and sometimes if I'm paying for something like a magazine subscription (which is rare these days). We have pretty much all our bills set up for automatic debit from our account and we use the debit card for pretty much everything else. I rarely use cash and really don't feel comfortable carrying it anymore. We are, however, planning to change how we pay for our occasional breakfasts out and will be using cash, mainly because we know how fine profit lines are for them and when they have to cough up something like 3% every time you use a credit card it sure cuts into the little bit they make. Another reason why restaurants are going out of business.

Jackie McGuinness said...

BMO has a feature in online banking that allows you to download a void cheque image.

Jackie McGuinness said...

BMO has a feature in online banking that allows you to download a void cheque image.

jj said...

My boss writes and receives cheques all the time! I don't anymoe. Even a void cheque now - my bank has the information online and I can access it and print it off. NO cheque needed!

Jackie said...

I write cheques to the church, and always give out cheques to the sons for birthday and Christmas. Perhaps a couple at other times as well. Still they do last a long time.

God bless.

Chris said...

I use cheques fairly frequently. As far as cash goes, I withdraw $200 a month for discretionary spending which is stuff other than groceries which go on my credit card. The discretionary money mostly goes on eating out, haircuts, birthday cards or gifts, that sort of thing. If I have money left in my chequeing account at the end of the month after paying off my credit card (I only have one, safer that way) I transfer it over to my TFSA.

{{{SIGH}}}

Tuesday was a mixed bag type of day. Had the appliance repair guy come again to install another circuit board in the fridge.  When hubby got...