Alan & Brenda Leonard

1/14/03 05:06:

> Should I quit doing the checkbook?
>
> The checking account BORES ME TO TEARS!!!!!!!!! I HATE it! I never
> want to do it, and never once have I balanced it. Not once. But in
> our family, I am the bookkeeper, because my husband has short term
> memory loss and Severe Procrastinitis

This is not going to answer your question, because several other folks have
done that quite nicely. But a couple things to consider....

First, I read an article somewhere (who knows where, now!) about a guy who
retired and discovered that his wife had always done the checkbook by
rounding to the nearest dollar, up or down, as needed. He was an accountant
type, and had a fit. He went through old checks and bank records for
several years to straighten out the mess. Total amount checkbook was off:
34 cents. That gave me pause for thought.

Second, I have been able to balance my checkbook easily since we came to
Europe. That's because I can't write checks here. Not writing checks means
I pay either by cash or credit cards, or things are automatically deducted
from my checking account (like car insurance and stuff). Cash comes from
the ATM and appears on the bank's records the next day. I use one credit
card only and pay it by internet transfer once a month. It's recorded the
next day, too. Balancing the bank account involves going on-line and
marking things in my checkbook. At the end of the 2 minute session, the
bank and I always agree. I'll never go back to writing checks, this is just
WAY too easy.

For what it's worth,
brenda

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/14/03 9:47:56 AM, abtleo@... writes:

<< First, I read an article somewhere (who knows where, now!) about a guy who
retired and discovered that his wife had always done the checkbook by
rounding to the nearest dollar, up or down, as needed. He was an accountant
type, and had a fit. He went through old checks and bank records for
several years to straighten out the mess. Total amount checkbook was off:
34 cents. That gave me pause for thought. >>

COOL!

Keith and I used to shop together a lot and we would estimate in our heads
what the total would be. I was ALWAYS closer. Sometimes within a dollar or
two. Finally he asked me how I was doing it. I only rounded to dollars.
Things were either almost a dollar or not much more than a dollar or two for
a dollar, like that.

Keith keeps his checkbook balance by rounding up. $11.90 is $12 but so is
$11.10. He doesn't mess with pennies. And he figures that slush will cover
any overage boo-boos, like me using a debit card for $80 when I really only
have $50 on the balance.

Sandra