Call me Old School....

[Disney Doll]

I don't recall the OP saying her way was better. Some of you are quite sensitive.

I email, text and FB. We pay the bills online that we can. Some of the companies we deal with do not take online payment, so we do write checks for those.

I hand write thank you cards and Christmas cards. I also do like telephone conversations, so when I call someone, I always ask if it is a good time to talk. For imparting information (ie-telling DH what time we are meeting friends for dinner) I text, because I never know in the course of his work day if he'd be able to accept a call, if he's at a meeting or something. A text he can check at his leisure.

I think I am a pretty good combination of using technology to make life easier but still having the face-to-face necessary to maintain relationships.

 

[kacaju]

i cant wait until there is no such thing as checks. what a waste of time. There is no reason anyone needs to use a check anymore. An ATM card is way more efficient, doesnt get lost in the mail, doesnt bounce and doesnt take 5 minutes to write while people behind you in line get frustrated.

Well excuse me for frustrating you!! Writing a check may be a waste of time for you, but for me...it is how I can keep my money in order.

Yes, I really do understand how easier an debit card is. I used to have one. I ran into problems when my Dad was very ill. I stopped keeping track of how much money I was taking out from my debit card. I got myself into big money trouble because of mismanagement. Totally my fault, I admit that. After that I got myself the dublicate checks and I have not had a problem since, I now have an added protection of knowing I have a back up of what I wrote out a check for.

Yes, I can and do check my banking online, but I have not gone to online banking just yet.

While it may not work for others, I have my system and due to my past, I am in no hurry to change how I handle my money. So unless someone wants to come manage my money for me, I will continue to use the methods that work for me.

 

[mhsjax]

Well excuse me for frustrating you!! Writing a check may be a waste of time for you, but for me...it is how I can keep my money in order.

Yes, I really do understand how easier an debit card is. I used to have one. I ran into problems when my Dad was very ill. I stopped keeping track of how much money I was taking out from my debit card. I got myself into big money trouble because of mismanagement. Totally my fault, I admit that. After that I got myself the dublicate checks and I have not had a problem since, I now have an added protection of knowing I have a back up of what I wrote out a check for.

Yes, I can and do check my banking online, but I have not gone to online banking just yet.

While it may not work for others, I have my system and due to my past, I am in no hurry to change how I handle my money. So unless someone wants to come manage my money for me, I will continue to use the methods that work for me.

That is all that matters. YOu managing your money. There are plenty of people out there that still write checks, and if it bother someone TOO BAD.

 

[golfgal]

People writing checks don't bother me UNLESS they wait until EVERYTHING is rung up, then they open their purse, rummage through their purse for their checkbook, dig for a pen, can't find a pen, ask the clerk for a pen, start writing their check, add it to their check register, BALANCE their register, then hand the check to the clerk, put wallet away, opps, need driver's license, can't get their license out of their wallet.....

Vs, swipe, your done.

 

[antmaril]

People writing checks don't bother me UNLESS they wait until EVERYTHING is rung up, then they open their purse, rummage through their purse for their checkbook, dig for a pen, can't find a pen, ask the clerk for a pen, start writing their check, add it to their check register, BALANCE their register, then hand the check to the clerk, put wallet away, opps, need driver's license, can't get their license out of their wallet.....

Vs, swipe, your done.

I agree that this is VERY ANNOYING!!! Personally, I am a combination of mostly old and some new. I hand write thank you notes and invitations. I use a debit card for purchases, but I write checks and mail my bills. I do not do my banking on-line. I'm on Facebook, but I don't use Twitter. I don't text. I may add texting to my cell phone service, but, really, my friends don't text either. The only person I could text is my son, and i"m not sure that's necessary.

 

[aprilgail2]

Wow 5 minute to writ e a check. Maybe they are old. When I do write a check I have everything done except the amount and I can fill that in quicker than you can push all the buttons on the debit machine. It is rare that I write a check, but sometimes it happens. And you better have a backup. Those strips do wear out and sometimes you need to have an alternative method of payment.

Mine was worn out and they just put the numbers in by hand until my new one came- not the end of the world.

 

[hereyago]

I do think you need to have a combination of both: you don't want to get "behind" in technology when certain things you have will become obselete, yet with all this technology, when it goes out, i.e. phone service goes down or your sid card gets messed up and people lose their minds because they lost numbers that they could have backed up written in a telephone address book and the like.


My DM actually had to learn shorthand back in the day, it became non existant when a newer way was created.

 

[Acklander]

I don't even own checks anymore (haven't written one in years and when we swapped to a new account, I never ordered them) so I use the debit/atm card all the time. Now that I can deposit checks on my phone, I don't go to the bank anymore either. I also use mint.com online to keep track of my bank account (free budgeting software) so I don't even have to break down how my money is spent - that's already done. Technology has made my life soooooo much easier. That being said it doesn't bother me if someone else wants to use checks (even those who are standing in front of me in line) The extra few minutes it takes for them to fill out a check doesn't make or break my day, and as long as I'm not the one who has to fill it out - so what???

 

[scrapquitler]

A men sister on the phone in the store. I also hate people talking on the phone when trying to check out and they refuse to put down the all important phone and do their business. Also what about the people in the grocery store that then go out to their car and sit and talk on the phone while the parking lot is jammed full and they refuse to drive.

Well you don't know, but that was probably me sitting in my car talking to my MIL on the phone. She called me because she is depressed and upset about things happening in her life. It's illegal to talk on the phone while driving in my state, and it's damn near impossible to get her off the phone if I make the mistake of answering it when she calls rather than letting it go to voicemail. So yeah, there I would be sitting in my car listening to her whining. I"m wishing that I wasn't on the phone too. I'm sorry that you had to wait two extra minutes to park. There were three spots just a few spots further from the store you could have parked in.

Geez louise... you don't know WHY people are on the phone in their car. Is that more inconvenient to you than me being in the store five minutes longer?

 

[kirstenb1]

Although I am the exact opposite of all of you old-school people, I respect your way of life as long as you respect mine. I hate hand-writing anything, my cell phone is my constant companion, I do everything possible online (I may have a teensy-weensy eBay addiction - but I can quit any time I want to, really I can), Facebook is my friend, I haven't mailed anything I didn't absolutely have to in years, and I have worn out 3 debit cards since the last time I ordered checks. But, to each their own.

However, please be prepared for the reality that probably, within our lifetime, we will see the phasing out of paper checks. I work in the retail sector, and the reality is we are trying very very hard to discourage customers from using them. Retailers lose too much money on them. So, we make it as difficult as possible for our customers in the hopes that they will use a different method of payment. It is working; payment by paper check has decreased dramatically. In my area at least, most fast food restaurants no longer accept them at all. Also, most banks are making checks more and more difficult, with the addition of added fees and higher check prices. Truth is debit cards are easier and safer and retailers don't have to worry about bounced checks.

I'd like to get rid of my checks, but until the kids' school and church get some type of POS machine, I don't see that happening.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'd like to get rid of my checks, but until the kids' school and church get some type of POS machine, I don't see that happening.

My child's school has an online thing where I can add money to her lunch account online with my credit or debit card.....IF I pay a small 'convenience fee' which is something like 4 or 5%. No thanks, I'll write a check.

I have a number of bills that I cannot pay via online banking because the business won't take a payment that way...so I still write checks.

 

[msjprincess]

My child's school has an online thing where I can add money to her lunch account online with my credit or debit card.....IF I pay a small 'convenience fee' which is something like 4 or 5%. No thanks, I'll write a check.

I have a number of bills that I cannot pay via online banking because the business won't take a payment that way...so I still write checks.

We have that, luckily the only charge $.70 per transaction. I can add money to all three kids accounts at once so the charge is no big deal.


We used to have a couple of bills that couldn't be paid online but we could go online and put in the payment and the bank would cut a check and mail it to them. We had it set up to automatically mail a check to our daycare every week.

 

[ols386]

I don't even own checks anymore (haven't written one in years and when we swapped to a new account, I never ordered them) so I use the debit/atm card all the time. Now that I can deposit checks on my phone, I don't go to the bank anymore either. I also use mint.com online to keep track of my bank account (free budgeting software) so I don't even have to break down how my money is spent - that's already done. Technology has made my life soooooo much easier. That being said it doesn't bother me if someone else wants to use checks (even those who are standing in front of me in line) The extra few minutes it takes for them to fill out a check doesn't make or break my day, and as long as I'm not the one who has to fill it out - so what???

I think this is the most reasonable and rationale post on this thread.