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Post by Darcy Collins on Oct 11, 2017 21:38:37 GMT
I feel like I've never used more checks than I do now. I've done bill pay since it was in its infancy, so didn't use a lot of checks when I was first out of college. Now I feel like every time I turn around someone wants a check. I actually carry my checkbook! School, Kid activities, PTA, Boosters, Coaches. I sent my daughter a check this morning to pay for the PSAT. I probably write 5-10 a month - almost all somehow kid related. Kids are expensive.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Oct 11, 2017 21:44:23 GMT
 $40 a box is highway robbery! I think I got FOUR boxes of checks with carbons shipped for less than that! We order ours through Costco and get an even better price because we’re executive members. To answer the question though, we don’t use them often but do for occasional things. Having said that, I wish we would have gotten a box of checks for our HSA account. DH thought we’d be able to pay all of those bills online but there’s a daily dollar limit that can be paid that way. It’s a big PITA when you have a high deductible and a big bill to pay vs. just writing them one check.
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Post by LisaDV on Oct 11, 2017 21:50:32 GMT
Ouch, are you going through your bank? If so, don't!! I go through one of those check printing services. My bank recommends using them as oppose to their own in house. It's just cheaper.
I still use some checks. I pay local business people that do work on our property (like the menonite guy who built the chicken coop, the fence guys, etc.). DH has his own business, so the IRS (Fed/State) get a check. A few incidentals, like DHs auctions, if a payment is due and the bill pay won't get it there in time - things like that. For the most part everything is set up on bill pay, with a cc monthly payment or a bank automatic draft.
I lost my wallet at the grocery store and luckily had my checkbook to write a check. Once I finished writing the check, I went to customer service first and my wallet had already been turned in. I was very happy to have my checkbook that day.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Oct 11, 2017 21:52:52 GMT
I opened my current account in 2015 and didn't bother to get cheques. I think DH writes a handful - mostly to school I did the same, but opened my account in probably 2010 or so. I never got checks because it's my play account. But when we changed the account type because dh is military so we got a better account, I finally ordered checks because they were free. I do use them for some dog stuff. Dog shows have you mail in a check for an RV space, dog instructors often take checks and 4-H still prefers checks for a lot of things. There is at least one bill that is checks only as they charge a fee to pay electronically. |
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Post by georgiabeachbum on Oct 11, 2017 22:04:48 GMT
I pay all our bills online through our bank. If the payee doesn’t accept electronic transfer, the bank sends a paper check at no cost to me. Even if I need to send my brother or sister some money for anything I set them up as a payee online and the bank sends them a check. Don’t write checks any more.
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milocat
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,586 
Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
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Post by milocat on Oct 11, 2017 22:22:42 GMT
I was going to say school fees but as of this year we no longer have those. Now with etransfers you can send money to individuals which is where I would have wrote cheques before. I would say I'll be writing 1-2 per year.
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Peal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,524
Jun 25, 2014 22:45:40 GMT
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Post by Peal on Oct 11, 2017 22:32:50 GMT
We still use checks, actually more here than other places we've lived. Lunch money for the kids is a check since loading it online has a fee, and DS1 tuition is a check since it's 3% fee to use a CC. And somewhere else recently had a cc fee that I felt was ridiculous. I guess we could do the city and water ones online instead of a check, but I can drop those off locally and so don't need a stamp. It's still the same convenient to write a check as online for a lot of stuff.
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Post by Anna*Banana on Oct 11, 2017 22:43:54 GMT
I have checks but only because the local Amish and Mennonite businesses don't have any way to accept credit cards or debit cards.
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georgiapea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,846
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Post by georgiapea on Oct 11, 2017 22:45:01 GMT
We have accounts with 2 banks. One we only write checks on, the other we never write checks on.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Oct 11, 2017 22:49:15 GMT
I still write checks, although not nearly as many as I have in the past. Most things I pay online or with my credit card that gives miles. However, I am not about to pay an additional fee for using my debit/credit card. Property taxes, both county and school district, tack on a hefty fee. They get too much of my money as it is!
My dermatologist is still cash/check, as is my facialist. I've also been having to use checks to pay our COBRA premiums. I was surprised that they won't take credit/debit cards. Even though I pay over the phone, I have to give an actual check number. Those days are numbered though as DH starts a new job on Monday and they provide insurance!
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Post by Susie_Homemaker on Oct 11, 2017 22:55:31 GMT
I use checks for school stuff. My DD is a Senior and has needed checks to join a club or a field trip or whatever else. I pay our mortgage with a check and I think DH sometimes pays our car insurance and the water bill that way.
I needed to pay a friend over $200 for my portion of our beach trip and wrote her a check.
I order the ones with a carbon copy so I don’t have to have a check register though. Not that I balance my checkbook to the penny anymore and the few checks I write are easy to keep track of.
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Post by stampnscrap1128 on Oct 11, 2017 23:03:27 GMT
I use checks for the lawn service, my city utilities (don't want to pay $3 a month to pay online), and once in a while for a charity or whatever.
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Post by pattyraindrops on Oct 11, 2017 23:13:05 GMT
I do, unfortunately. Some places just don't take credit or drafts or the fee is too high to take credit.
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Post by genny on Oct 11, 2017 23:35:30 GMT
No I use checks pretty regularly with my business, but not so much with personal though - maybe one a month now that I have no kids in school with all the functions constantly needing to be paid for. I do pay their tuition with a check now though - the online system only takes MasterCard, my MasterCard limit isn't that high and I only have a visa debit or an Amex to use otherwise. I get my checks through Deluxe and they aren't as expensive as yours by a long shot!
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Post by beaglemom on Oct 11, 2017 23:37:09 GMT
I should probably check, but I don't think our bank charges us. I just call or email asking for more checks and a couple days later a box arrives. ***Just checked and no charge for our checks through our bank.***
I use them for:
Kids school stuff
paying the babysitter
paying the housekeeper
property taxes
paying the contractor (we are having some work done on our house)
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Post by katlady on Oct 11, 2017 23:38:25 GMT
I write about 2-3 checks a month, usually for items that only happen a few times a year.
1 - Property tax
2 - HOA (they charge a fee for credit card)
3 - Annual home insurance.
4 - Charity donations
I get my checks free from my bank.
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,487
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Oct 11, 2017 23:45:42 GMT
Wow, that's a lot for a box of checks. I get the plain bank logo'd ones that are free with my account.
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Post by meridon on Oct 11, 2017 23:53:07 GMT
I write checks fairly frequently as DH and I are both teachers and we have 3 kids at three different schools. Between all of us, we regularly write checks to 5 different schools for various things. I can vouch for checksunlimited.com and bradfordexchange.com . Both were reasonably priced, shipped relatively quickly, etc.
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Post by elaine on Oct 12, 2017 0:00:27 GMT
I only write checks for school stuff for the kids and for my bowling league. I would be more than happy to give them all up.
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Post by *KAS* on Oct 12, 2017 0:13:52 GMT
I bought a box about 8 years ago I'm still using. They were cheap through one of the random websites.
I think I've written 1 check this year - to pay for the gym membership in my corporate office building. All bills are paid online. Property taxes paid by my mortgage lender.
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suzastampin
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,587
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Post by suzastampin on Oct 12, 2017 0:27:34 GMT
I just got some from Checks Unlimited. I can't remember how much I paid exactly, but I got two boxes for less than $25.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Oct 12, 2017 0:42:39 GMT
I still have checks, and I get them through Deluxe through my bank. I get cheaper ones, which are still about $23. Anything remotely interesting is really expensive. But I order fewer than one box a year, so I don't mind the cost in exchange for the convenience. (My order was messed up once and I was able to just take it to the branch and they were able to fix it.)
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Post by txdancermom on Oct 12, 2017 1:57:05 GMT
we use checks for a few things, church, gifts, auto insurance, a couple of other odd bills, but most everything else is paid via bank bill pay. Our bank gives us free checks, but we pay for shipping,
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Post by AussieMeg on Oct 12, 2017 2:31:25 GMT
It's very different in Australia. I don't know anyone who still uses cheques (excuse my AU/UK/NZ spelling!) except maybe my dad and probably my elderly aunts. I haven't had a cheque book for over 20 years. In all those years there was only one time that I was asked to write a cheque, so I gave my dad money and then he wrote the cheque for me.
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Post by MichyM on Oct 12, 2017 3:04:03 GMT
I bought a box when I moved nearly 5 years ago. I still have them. I write checks twice yearly for property taxes, and my pet sitter when I travel. Oh, and I have a housecleaner for the next month or so, so I'm paying her by check. Occasionally I pay a friend back for something with a check. That's it.
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Nink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,956
Location: North Idaho
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Post by Nink on Oct 12, 2017 5:33:21 GMT
I order my checks from Walmart. They’re usually $7 or $8 a box.
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,485
Location: Munich
Member is Online
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Oct 12, 2017 8:05:02 GMT
I can't remember the last time I worte a cheque. At least 8 years, because that's how long I've been in Germany and we haven't had them here. I don't think I've seen anyone use a cheque here in that time either. All our bills here are paid by bank transfer, which costs us nothing.
Back in Australia we gave up on cheques when our state introduced a cheque fee, which was charged on every withdrawal from a cheque account, however you withdrew the money. It wasn't much, but it sure added up. I'd say that was close to 20 years ago now.
I also find the idea that you order cheques from anyone other than the bank quite odd. When we did do cheques, the bank provided you with a book of them, and sent you a reminder when you were getting low to come and collect a new one.
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Post by jennyap on Oct 12, 2017 9:48:35 GMT
Pretty much, it's very rare that we write one now. Not too long ago that's how we'd pay our cat sitter, but even she has gone to electronic payment now. We've still got a book of them in case we do ever need one. I also find the idea that you order cheques from anyone other than the bank quite odd. When we did do cheques, the bank provided you with a book of them, and sent you a reminder when you were getting low to come and collect a new one. Yes, that was my 'learn something new' moment for today! Cheques are only provided by the bank here too. |
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anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,402
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Oct 12, 2017 9:53:09 GMT
I really can't remember the last time that I wrote a cheque.
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Oct 12, 2017 10:06:58 GMT
Ages ago. Direct debit, e-transfers, online banking - our schools are even part of a system that emails
us when the kids need money for school trips, sports uniforms, etc., with a link to pay.
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$40 a box is highway robbery! I think I got FOUR boxes of checks with carbons shipped for less than that! We order ours through Costco and get an even better price because we’re executive members.
