3 ms·

> I balance my checking account Assuming that this relates to checks/cheques, are they going away in the US?

ghaff 2y ago
Many of us still write them semi-regularly although many are "written" by the bank. I admit that I keep my eye on my banking account online but otherwise don't pay a lot of attention day to day. Far larger amounts of cash are flowing through my credit cards than any individual direct payments.
gosub100 2y ago
It's very uncommon to use them for any common expenses like groceries or gas. I use them for a quarterly HOA payment, yearly CPA tax preparation, petty government fines and fees, and donations to charity. Generally things that you mail a payment for and you want a record of the payment. Most of these I could do electronically but I don't really save any time doing so because of the friction of setting up the payment.
- baq 2y ago
  > Generally things that you mail a payment for I’m sorry but this sentence makes absolutely zero sense to my europoor brain. What do you mean when you say mail a payment and why would you need to do that. I literally lack the imagination.
  - dmd 2y ago
    The European mind cannot comprehend how primitive American consumer banking is.
  - thibautg 2y ago
    I don't understand either, but I would be genuinely interested in what "mailing a payment" means in practice. Is it like sending a check by mail or some kind of paper bank transfer?
    - owenmarshall 2y ago
      Sending a check via mail is infrequently done, but it happens. I just paid my annual property taxes that way. My options were: * mailing a check * paying via credit card over the phone for a hefty surcharge * cash in person In my case, I used my online banking to send the amount to the mailing address on the bill. In some cases - for large companies, typically - my bank can send the remittance electronically. In others, though, they fill out a paper check on my behalf and send it via the postal system. This service is fee free to me, or else I’d have sent the letter myself.
      - lostlogin 2y ago
        You say ‘the cheque is in the mail’ when you intend to ignore an instruction whilst pretending to comply.
  - gosub100 2y ago
    When I want to transfer currency units to entities which are not within range of any personal locomotion apparatus, I utilize a government service that transfers paper parcels anywhere in the country for a fixed rate. A few days later the receiver redeems the check for currency units deposited into their banking account.
owenmarshall 2y ago
“Balancing a checking account” in American vernacular is typically used to mean reconciling the transactions your bank has posted to the spend you’ve tracked. This used to be more important when you wrote paper checks and received a monthly paper statement from your bank. Most people who “balance” their accounts today seem primarily concerned that they are adhering to their personal budget. But the term remains.
- ChicagoDave 2y ago
  This was my meaning. It’s all about adhering to a budget and seeing it going forward.

Many of us still write them semi-regularly although many are "written" by the bank. I admit that I keep my eye on my banking account online but otherwise don't pay a lot of attention day to day. Far larger amounts of cash are flowing through my credit cards than any individual direct payments.

gosub100 2y ago

It's very uncommon to use them for any common expenses like groceries or gas. I use them for a quarterly HOA payment, yearly CPA tax preparation, petty government fines and fees, and donations to charity. Generally things that you mail a payment for and you want a record of the payment. Most of these I could do electronically but I don't really save any time doing so because of the friction of setting up the payment.

baq 2y ago
> Generally things that you mail a payment for I’m sorry but this sentence makes absolutely zero sense to my europoor brain. What do you mean when you say mail a payment and why would you need to do that. I literally lack the imagination.
- dmd 2y ago
  The European mind cannot comprehend how primitive American consumer banking is.
- thibautg 2y ago
  I don't understand either, but I would be genuinely interested in what "mailing a payment" means in practice. Is it like sending a check by mail or some kind of paper bank transfer?
  - owenmarshall 2y ago
    Sending a check via mail is infrequently done, but it happens. I just paid my annual property taxes that way. My options were: * mailing a check * paying via credit card over the phone for a hefty surcharge * cash in person In my case, I used my online banking to send the amount to the mailing address on the bill. In some cases - for large companies, typically - my bank can send the remittance electronically. In others, though, they fill out a paper check on my behalf and send it via the postal system. This service is fee free to me, or else I’d have sent the letter myself.
    - lostlogin 2y ago
      You say ‘the cheque is in the mail’ when you intend to ignore an instruction whilst pretending to comply.
- gosub100 2y ago
  When I want to transfer currency units to entities which are not within range of any personal locomotion apparatus, I utilize a government service that transfers paper parcels anywhere in the country for a fixed rate. A few days later the receiver redeems the check for currency units deposited into their banking account.

owenmarshall 2y ago

“Balancing a checking account” in American vernacular is typically used to mean reconciling the transactions your bank has posted to the spend you’ve tracked. This used to be more important when you wrote paper checks and received a monthly paper statement from your bank. Most people who “balance” their accounts today seem primarily concerned that they are adhering to their personal budget. But the term remains.

ChicagoDave 2y ago
This was my meaning. It’s all about adhering to a budget and seeing it going forward.