My friend Keith tweeted his surprise that I still write cheques (He’s British) and balance my checkbook. I write less than half a dozen checks a month and it would be easy to pay all my bills electronically.
I confess there’s something comforting (?) about the routine of opening the bank statement and reconciling it with my checkbook. Maybe it’s an age thing. I’m old enough to remember Diner’s Club cards and the introduction of ATM machines.
And while there’s precious little math involved in balancing a checkbook, it’s the only math I have/do these days.
But I think the real reason I cling to this anachronism has something to do with my perception of the “reality” of money. The same reason I have never used a debit card and always keep a little cash in my pocket. I love PayPal and used it every few days. But a bank statement and my little money clip with a few bucks in it are the threads that keep money real, at least in my head.
Bonus reference: Who remembers counter checks?
You are absolutely correct. “ATM machine” is redundant. Thanks.
Uh, the “M” in ATM stands for “machine,” so, technically, you’re calling it an Automated Teller Machine Machine. Just like the “N” in “VIN” stands for number. But what of it, I guess?
When I pay with the debit card that payment means little to nothing to me till I go home and look at the online banking site and see the money was taken out of my account.
When I take money out of my wallet I have that feeling that I’m actually spending money and I question myself if I really need this item.
On the flip side I hate checks. We have gotten the amount of checks we write to one a month, sometimes not even one. Our small town doesn’t do online payments so we either have to write a check or call and pay with a debit card.