Do You Balance Your Checkbook?

[Tck13]

I was very vague about my finances until about 3 years ago when I made the decision to keep track of every penny that goes in and out of my life.

This has made a huge difference in my financial life and I strongly recommend it!

I use Quicken for Mac so I don't really use a checkbook but I record in it daily. Although, I just upgraded and I lost all of my old records so now I'm starting over...

Do you balance your checkbook or how do you keep track of your money?

I have a friend who never keeps a record outside of just remembering never to spend more than his last paycheck. Seems to work well for him. *shrugs*

 

[Rambo]

I don't even write checks any longer. All my payments are online and I can check the transactions the next day. Hell, I barely pay in cash any longer so I know pretty much exactly what I'm spending.

 

[JayJay]

What's a checkbook? Seriously, I have to search for it on the very rare occasion I need to write one. My transactions are mostly electronic, but I do keep track of balances daily.

 

[holymadness]

I use Mint.com. Great service.

 

[MetroStyles]

Originally Posted by holymadness

I use Mint.com. Great service.

+1. I use that for tracking transactions and "wealth".

I still use my checkbook 15-20 times a year for things like rent payment and doctor's bills where the accounts receivable departments are ass-backwards.

I used to need them for transferring cash to friends when I owed them something but now it's literally as easy as opening our PayPal iphone apps and bumping phones together.

 

[Big T]

Don't have to! I employ a gentleman to do that stuff for me.

 

[rjakapeanut]

i'm a college student first of all so i don't really have much to manage. i have a few bills a month (car insurance, cell phone, credit card, and a little portion of rent) so it's not very complicated.

i have checks and i use them once in a blue moon but no, i don't balance a checkbook or anything. i have my money in a checking/saving account and i just swipe my debit card without ever really looking at what is left. since i don't spend much money on a weekly basis (say ~$60 total for gas and food) its never really a problem.

i just go to my banks website and make sure everything looks clean about twice a month.

 

[unjung]

I use cheques for paying rent and my tailor, that's it. Everything else is CC or debit. Once in a blue moon I end up with cash, which is used typically for alcohol.

 

[CouttsClient]

No. Everything goes on the card and then I pay that off

 

[MrG]

I use an Excel spreadsheet I created that tracks all of my expenses and incoming funds, giving me a real-time monthly budget balance remaining.

 

[Piobaire]

MS Money. Record every CC or debit card receipt. Good stuff.

 

[uhurit]

Hate people who slowly write checks in the check-out lane @ a grocery store and keep all waiting...as a punishment, hope their cheque-book is perpetually out of balance

 

[Milpool]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

MS Money. Record every CC or debit card receipt. Good stuff.

I liked MS Money actually. Kind of sucks that they quit making it. I still haven't switched to something else though.

 

[skitlets]

Originally Posted by MrG

I use an Excel spreadsheet I created that tracks all of my expenses and incoming funds, giving me a real-time monthly budget balance remaining.

I used to do that as well. Now I just use mint.com.