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Paying with checks, arrrgh!

Fellow shaving enthusiasts,

August of last year, the wife and I set off on this grand adventure to sell her condo and buy ourselves a proper house. The kind you can turn the basement bathroom into a shave den and put a bar in the basement.

Well, we got the condo sold and found a house we like. This leads us to our next step, spending a boat load of money.
Home inspection, home appraisal, other stuff that requires payments up front. All said and done, I have about $2,000.00 in checks outstanding at the moment, and every single person I paid with a check is taking their sweet time depositing it.

WHY?? Why are you people dragging your feet on this? Don't you realize that I have to mentally keep track of this to ensure the funds are there for when you eventually mosey, meander, or wander on over to your bank?

It's not rocket science people. I pay you, you take your payment, and you then proceed directly to the bank. That's what I do. When I get paid, I want the funds as quickly as possible.

Next time, it's either cash or put it on the plastic fantastic and deal with it later.


****EDIT****

Apparently I'm so frustrated by people's financial tardiness that I posted in the wrong section of the forum. A move request has been submitted.
 
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The lost art of balancing one's checkbook is becoming extinct, but for those of us who deal with checking for business it is an absolute necessity to keep track of actual balance rather than a quick login to see a virtual one.
 
There are all types on this. The fellow that does my lawn and an electrician I use cash the checks the same day. My daughter-in-law usually waits until at least three or four months.

A checkbook program, like Quicken, would help you.
 
Especially with mobile deposit, there's not much of an excuse... Just load your bank app and snap a couple pictures. Of course, I'm a burning hypocrite. I have a check that has been sitting on my desk undeposited for 2 weeks. Granted, I don't know why they sent me this check, so I'm holding onto it until I'm sure it's not an accounting error.
 
I agree with this. If you are not balancing your checkbook, either the old school way or with a financial program such as Quicken, you never really know what your actual balance is.

I agree that I don't know how or why folks will carry checks around for so long without depositing them. They must not need the money.

The lost art of balancing one's checkbook is becoming extinct, but for those of us who deal with checking for business it is an absolute necessity to keep track of actual balance rather than a quick login to see a virtual one.
 
I had a check from a buddy for around a hundred bucks that I kept on my fridge for months because it was bugging the crap out of him I hadn't cashed it.

I have to say, just balance (like actually balance and reconcile) your checkbook, and then who gives a hoot whether they cash it or not? It only helps me if the money stays in my account as opposed to theirs.
 
I hate using checks anymore, only two per month now. One is for my church (convenience sake), the other for my car payment. The acceptance corp. charges a "convenience fee" for electronic payments that aren't set up for automatic monthly withdrawal.
 

ouch

Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
I can help. Send me a check and I promise I'll cash it faster than you can stop payment.
 
I always consider all checks written as funds already dispersed. Good thing, too. I had one check that was outstanding for nearly a year.

For keeping up with my checks, I use a simple spreadsheet, with specific categories of expenses. I started it to double-check my math, but it's handy at tax time.
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
Don't you realize that I have to mentally keep track of this to ensure the funds are there for when you eventually mosey, meander, or wander on over to your bank?

Do you remember that little booklet thing that came with your checks but that wasn't a check, the one with all the little lines? That was your check register, so that you could keep track of the money you spent and that you have available in your account to spend.

It's not rocket science.
 
As a business owner who deals almost exclusively with checks, I deposit on Friday if I have more than 3 or 4 payments come in. Otherwise the next Friday. It works for me. If I get real busy or life happens I may sit on a check for a couple weeks.

I have no issue with someone calling and checking to see if a payment got here. If it has it usually reminds me that I need to make time to go to the bank. I tried that banking deposit app but when you have 10 checks to do it takes to much time.

Now on to the "did he really just say that?" part of my post.

Open the banking app. Write the amount you have. Subtract the amount you wrote the check for. Do this for each check that has not cleared. Now you know how much you have to spend.
 
I am going to go with the original poster. I am currently frustrated with an attorneys office holding onto a 750 dollar check of mine since mid-December for me right now. I called his office and his office lady told me she would deposit it on Friday and that was two weeks ago today.

I feel your pain! I almost called again today!
 
Not sure why this is such a huge deal for you . . . write the cheque, enter the transaction as if the money is already out of the account, and move on.
No waiting for the doofus to cash the cheque.
No anxiety about kepping $"x" in the account to cover it being cashed.
No need to post said dilemma to the web.
No need for me to be so damned annoying in response to your problem.
 
I am going to go with the original poster. I am currently frustrated with an attorneys office holding onto a 750 dollar check of mine since mid-December for me right now. I called his office and his office lady told me she would deposit it on Friday and that was two weeks ago today.

I feel your pain! I almost called again today!

Why do you care? You have it recorded in whatever form of balance sheet you carry, right? Why not let the money stay in your account? I understand that the interest is zero to nothing, but don't you get some sort of "average daily balance" write downs or bonus points? If you don't, you should be looking at a different bank/ credit union. It only benefits you to have the money still sitting in your account.
 
Why do you care? You have it recorded in whatever form of balance sheet you carry, right? Why not let the money stay in your account? I understand that the interest is zero to nothing, but don't you get some sort of "average daily balance" write downs or bonus points? If you don't, you should be looking at a different bank/ credit union. It only benefits you to have the money still sitting in your account.

I care because I the consumer paid for a service and expect the money paid for services to be cashed promptly. Actually I paid for my fiance and I am very good about my finances. I actually don't reconcile my check book like most should or do but I am aware of what balances are outstanding. I always do my finances in my head and just don't appreciate a payment outstanding for months because someone is too lazy to go and deposit it. I certainly would have been more than glad to pay by credit/debit card and had the money taken out right away but they only accept check!

As far as my bank I have been with them for 14 years and I have a very good relationship with them. I actually just deposited some money with them about a week ago and the next day I seen (because I monitor my finances so closely) that the girl deposited double what I gave her so I am sure her drawer was several hundreds of dollars light so I called them promptly to inform them because I am a true and honest person. They have a very personal small town feeling at the bank because I am a customer and not another number like bigger banks.

I guess I just feel that they expect their money for bill/services paid promptly that they should accept the payment and cash the check promptly. I am not trying to come off rude just think it is a matter of respect that people should not keep financial checks "over peoples heads for and extended time."
 
I will say one last time, and then crawl back into my troll cave: It only benefits you to have the money in your account, not the payee, so if you actually keep track of your book in a responsible manner,,,, why would it bother you if a business is slack with THEIR bookkeeping? Unless you pay cash, it is all floating in the nether-world, why be mad at someone for being stupid if it only benefits you?
 
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