I feel your pain, Qazz. In the past couple of months, I’ve “spent” close to $300 in overdraft fees. It all started when my bank changed their policy about crediting deposits and debiting checks/debit purchases. They used to credit deposits first and then deduct your purchases for the day. I just recently found out that they changed their policy (guess I should learn to read all that “junk” mail I get, as the bank claims to have mailed out a notice a few months ago explaining the change). Apparently, my bank was the last one in the area to make this change. I used to be able to make a deposit on my way home from work and then go to the grocery store and spend part of that money and everything was fine. Now the bank debits the money I spent before they credit the money I deposited, so I have had MANY MANY overdraft charges lately. Until I finally called the bank to find out what the fuck was going on. I kept accusing my teen-ager of sneaking off with my ATM card and using it to fill his gas tank, since I KNEW I had money in my account to cover my purchases. Poor kid. Guess I should apologize.
I use online banking too. My checks are the carbon copy kind so that I have a copy of the check in my checkbook. I haven’t balanced a checkbook in 15 years. I am the world’s worst, and I know it so I use the alternative. I check my account every day. I know how much money is coming out and how much I have in my account. I have direct deposit on my payroll check so I know that it goes in the bank every other Thursday night and I check that as soon as I get to work on Friday morning to make sure it’s posted in my account.
I have a pretty good bank. Back in the winter when we had one of our worst ice storms and people couldn’t get to work for a couple of days, the bank sent out a letter to all it’s customers and told them that because they had been closed for a couple of days due to weather if any checks were returned during that time because of the bank being closed (like direct deposits not being posted, etc.) the bank would waiver all overdraft fees and even send a letter to the creditor explaining why the check was returned. Nice place to do business.
Y’all need some lessons in paranoia. I balance my checkbook every freaking day! That’s because I’m not about to bounce a check and then end up with the two hefty “overdraft” charges–one from my bank and the other from the other bank.
To the OP: have you considered just buying travelers checks? That way you get the convenience of a check but the money’s already carried in the check, so to speak.
When I was 18 and first had a checking account and debit, I too found balancing my checkbook to be a PITA. It was a lot quicker and easier if I simply rounded everything up to the nearest $5 mark, and I always had a little extra in the bank for emergencies. I’d do it right there at the cashier or ATM so I wouldn’t forget.
Now, I’m really good about keeping track to the penny, but my husband is horrible about telling me what he’s spent. Especially little things like at the gas station. We’ve gone over a couple times a year. I’ve tried asking him every day when he comes home to give me his receipts, but then I forget after awhile.