Do you balance your check book to the penny?

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D3rpyDriver@reddit

I have written 2 checks in my entire life. So no, I just open my banking app

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morgaine_silver_hair@reddit

Yes, every month. I still write a few checks, and i track my atm withdrawals and debit card spending in my checkbook.

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End of the day I make my poor husband let me count his money in his pockets. It is not like I care, but the OCD is bad about it.

My daughter has a digital counting bank so if I go off the deep end, I go and push a button. I never take it, but I absolutely have to know the amount.

You didn't have to mention dollars to know you are American. Seriously the US are so far behind in terms of financial systems. In the UK only a very small minority have written a cheque (not check) in the last 20 years, and certainly not regularly. Cash use is reducing as well. Cards, phones, even watches are used far more now.

tcrhs@reddit

No

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chicadeaqua@reddit

What are you balancing to? Just look at your bank balance online. Done.

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Oh my goodness sorry I work for a financial institution and I thought you were the person that I was giving advice to you about a subscription.

So to answer your question with my financial institution, you can set up alerts that are actually mandatory now in Canada. They alert you whenever you’re $100 or less available in your bank account.

And there’s third-party apps where you can scan your receipts and then link it to your online banking.

And in Canada point of sale pops up immediately so you can open up your mobile app if you wanna go so far as to make sure that the receipt you got matches the transaction.

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FionaTheFierce@reddit

I wrote 9 checks last year. I don't balance a checkbook because I really no longer keep one - and haven't balanced one in decades because I use checks so infrequently.

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Grand_Taste_8737@reddit

I pay most of that online. Only use a check to pay a contractor here or there but even most of them have moved to Zelle/Venmo. I did use a cashier's check for a passport a couple of years ago, but not a personal check.

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HiOscillation@reddit

OMG.

Today - just a few hours ago - we had to write TWO checks, one was the "graduation fee" for my kid (it's a deposit on the cap and gown) and the other was to pay for the school prom. Both cases: check or money order only, payable to {school_district_name}. My wife's business also wrote two checks this morning.

Also just ordered a large delivery of soil for my garden this morning, so much that it comes in a dump truck. Cash or Check. No Zelle, no Venmo, No Credit Cards.

Zelle is almost non-existent here, I've never run into a local merchant with a physical store who accepts Zelle, and at various farmer's markets, Venmo is the overwhelming favorite. A smattering of Zelle here and there. If I go closer to urban areas, CashApp (The choice of drug dealers and copper thieves™) is a little more common.

The property tax $35 "convenience" fee they charge really irks me. Also this morning, I was in one of the last "holdout" stores that didn't charge an additional fee for using credit/debit cards, added a 3% fee for any card use.

And then there's cash. Holy cow, the resurgence of cash in the last 4 years is incredible.

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MicheleNP@reddit

💯 ☝️ My water company charges a 'convenience fee' for using a debit card or online banking. I will continue to write checks for that utility bill My property taxes are the same 'convenience fee'. I refuse to pay these fees...

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Mainesqueeze76@reddit

Thank God at my age, I keep enough cushion that I don't have to be sitting on the numbers!

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dsteazy80@reddit

No. I write so few checks that I don’t need to. Every transaction is digital and shows up deducted from my balance immediately.

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WMME@reddit

Yes, to the penny. I use an app now, but it's the same concept. I know where every cent goes.

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chihuahua2023@reddit

Yes. I record every cent I spend in a physical ledger. I am NOT joking. It changed my life .

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BrettNoe@reddit

Not anymore.

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Loud_Version3096@reddit

When I had such a thing, yes I did. It rarely did not balance to the penny. It really should if you are entering every transaction into it. If I was off, 99% of the time it was a simple math error.

Now I maybe write 2 checks per year. I don't even bother since nearly all my transactions are electronic, and I can easily check my balance and all pending transactions from an app.

The main reason to keep on top of a written check register was to track your available balance back in the day when it took more than a week for outstanding checks to clear and you'd get statements in the mail every month. That check register was the only real time information available and essential to avoid accidental overdraws.

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Nocturne2319@reddit

Not anymore. We've fully embraced the online banking option.

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HewDewed@reddit

That’s what online banking is for

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GretaVanFrankenmuth@reddit

I haven’t balanced my checkbook since 2007.

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TravellinJ@reddit

Do people still write cheques regularly?

auntiecoagulent@reddit

Checkbook?

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handsomeape95@reddit

https://i.redd.it/sof2cah02qxg1.gif

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Geechie-Don@reddit

A what?

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Necessary_Giraffe_66@reddit

When we had a checkbook we did

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SausageKingOfKansas@reddit

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f18lumpy@reddit

I abandoned balancing my checkbook around 2007. At that point I had transitioned to using a credit card for all purchases and bills. The transaction volume in the account dropped to mostly pay check deposits and transfers to the credit card so I punted on balancing. Has worked great for me.

Checkbook?! I have to find mine that one time per year I have to write a check.

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Commonscents2say@reddit

Yup. Frequently - like probably more than once a month. For those that don’t, you’d probably be surprised how often tips are incorrect / overcharged, and I’ve found some double charges for wife’s online orders. Nothing that would bankrupt us or anything, I just like things exact.

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420EdibleQueen@reddit

Yes but not in an actual checkbook these days. Dealing with different bills after receiving a settlement I had a couple that had no electronic payment options. I actually had to think a minute to write the checks.

Of course I’m also sitting there with my portfolio tracked to the penny and a dashboard in my finance software that tracks gain/loss daily with the dollar amount, percentage, and based on that project’s future value.

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TulsaOUfan@reddit

Nope.

Account pays bills, $200 a week in cash in my pocket, and the rest is cash in my personal safe. Once I get $5000 saved, I invest or purchase with $2000-$3000.

I haven't used a checkbook in over a decade.

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Zetavu@reddit

I do everything with software and back statements and yes, reconcile everything to the penny. The few checks I have to write are for places where they charge you for credit or electronic transfer.

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drewlb@reddit

No. I haven't written a check in years...

I don't reconsile my bank account to the penny regardless.

I do look at it every month and for example I know my power bill is typically between $250-400 depending on the time of year. I have a rough sense of how that moves, so as long as it's within $50 of what I think it should be I don't look.

Ditto with all the other stuff.

Edman70@reddit

I haven’t used a check book in decades. It was Microsoft Money for. Lot of years and now I just use Excel for a monthly budget and log everything in there. I do balance it to the penny every few months, to make sure all is accounted for.

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EndElectoralCollege3@reddit

Checkbook?!

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ktappe@reddit

No.

I record every check, and the amount, but I don’t balance. I just make sure that I have more money that I’m spending. It’s worked for me for over four decades.

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All_names_taken-fuck@reddit

A what book? My mother does, well, tries to.

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omfgwhatever@reddit

I don't think I've even attempted to balance my checkbook for over 15 years. The only time I use a check is when I have to use one for direct deposit. When that happens, I go get 1 check printed out at the bank, and immediately write void on it.

I use an app to track my bills and will check my account periodically. I'll subtract approximately what will be coming out and have an idea what I have to spend.

I spent many years from the age of 23 being wreckless with a checkbook. Won't touch them now.

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NHBikerHiker@reddit

Nope.

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Sleptwrong65@reddit

Absolutely. Every single month. I write fewer checks nowadays but money still comes out of my account and the amount still has to be balanced. Last month it was off by five cents and it drove me nuts for days until I found my mistake!

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MicheleNP@reddit

Omg I'm the same way. I need to know exactly where every penny goes.

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VioletSmiles88@reddit

I have always wondered what this meant. Now thanks to the comments I understand it’s keeping track of your expenses.

Personal checks went out of fashion a long time ago in Australia. I’ve never had a personal check book, and was only exposed to them when I first started working in the early 90s where we had a process for accepting checks in a retail environment. Even then I only ever had one or two come through the til.

phinz@reddit

No, but my wife does. I haven’t written a check in years. I’m so out of practice she gives me a spare check in case I screw one up if I have to use it.

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R5Jockey@reddit

You need a better bank that includes bill pay for free, including sending physical checks.

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splorp_evilbastard@reddit

Having worked for a mortgage servicer, I don't trust bill pay.

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R5Jockey@reddit

Mortgage and car payment get auto drafted.

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splorp_evilbastard@reddit

You misunderstood. I pay my mortgage online, no problem.

What’s a checkbook?

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hapster85@reddit

In a word, no. I use Quicken to keep track of our accounts. I'll verify that the Quicken balance agrees with the bank balance once in a while, but that's as close as I come to reconciling. Transactions are downloaded multiple times per week. Going through the hassle of reconciling is just not worth the effort.

Back when we were still keeping track on paper, if things didn't come out right, I'd spend a few minutes looking for the error. If I couldn't find it quickly, I'd make an ESP¹ entry in the checkbook, and go on with my life.

Error Some Place

It was the first check cashed against my account in 15 years. I knew something was amiss.

RockTheGlobe@reddit

Every week, I validate my bank account and credit card transactions against what I have recorded on Quicken. I’ve caught fraud that the credit card companies didn’t and gotten credit for returns that companies failed to process.

So yeah, I check to the penny.

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helpitgrow@reddit

I don’t have a checkbook anymore. I do have some old checks but the account is long closed.

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SMakked@reddit

Checks should be banned like over here in Australia. So easy to do fraud with checks hence why they stopped them

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Feeling-Error-2996@reddit

People still use checks? What are we, boomers?

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CountessOfHats@reddit

I haven’t seen a cheque or needed one in decades.

Ironically though, my debit/interac account is still called ‘chequing’ though no paper transactions of any kind are involved.

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scooterv1868@reddit

If you mean debit, my bank does a fine job that I check daily.

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IDontNeedAnotherNqme@reddit

I’m at the point in my life that I just hope it goes through on the app as soon as I spend it. It does nothing but depress me to look at the ledger

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Qedtanya13@reddit

I don’t

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ismybrainonthefritz@reddit

I have no clue where my checkbook is or if I even have checks anymore.

However, when I did write checks…I did balance it down to the penny.

Incognito4771@reddit

Yes.

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PersonalNecessary142@reddit

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NoReally_ImSerious@reddit

People still use checks?? I was born in '78 and haven't even had a checkbook in at least a decade.

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xxDailyGrindxx@reddit

Our gardener only accepts checks. We've been happy with him for nearly 30 years, so we'll keep writing checks as long as he keeps up the great work...

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phanstern4real@reddit

Not in 20 years. Maybe 30.

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AmericanAssKicker@reddit

Checkbook???

A checkbook?! Lmao

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I used to do that when I was afraid I might overdraw my account, and when I had to keep a close eye on all my bills. Thankfully I am lucky enough that I haven't had to do that in a number of years. I don't even have a checkbook anymore.

I used to. I'd actually bring my bank statement and checkbook to work to balance it while enjoying breakfast before I begin. The printed check summaries really helped out, but sometimes someone wouldn't cash a check right away, and I had to deal with that.

Frecklefishpants@reddit

My cheque book?!? No.

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SummerBirdsong@reddit

At least twice monthly. I don't actually use checks much but my husband and I both use debit cards and there are auto payments coming out and bills I pay that I have to budget for. I do that IN the checkbook. I can always know what I have compared to what I need to have and what I can spend by going to the checkbook.

I honestly don't understand folks that don't keep one and rely solely on the banks running balance. Seems like a recipie for bouncing transactions all over the county.

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Artistic_Progress155@reddit

Yes and no.

I have a primary account which I keep tabs on online.

I have a secondary account as part of my Etrade acct. I filter all of my dividends into this account and this past August began using it to pay monthly revolving bills.

I will take some ribbing for this, but I actually keep a paper ledger for this one, right down to the penny.

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CoachOpen1977@reddit

I haven’t seen my checkbook in months!

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RezRising@reddit

Of course, by candlelight with my big, feathered quill n ink!

Why bother when everything is done automatically, online now?

Track spending, sure. Balance a checkbook?

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Some-Library-4073@reddit

Check book? My guy... It's 2026.

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BlueFeathered1@reddit

Some things still need to be paid by check. And it's a healthy thing to actually write down your spending and keep track of it in a paper ledger. Makes you notice spending habits more and really acknowledge them.

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purplishfluffyclouds@reddit

Exactly ONE check every month, because my HOA charges a fee to pay with a card.

I think I have the capability of logging into my bank account to watch that check get cashed, LOL

Powerful_Audience208@reddit

Hi, what app? And where are you? Some of us can't pay certain bills (Hydro/gas etc) without a service fee added on. Which wipes out the cash back ...tia

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beezeebeehazcatz@reddit

I use Empower for the overview. Each bank I have has its own app. I DO have everything I can on auto pay and I do NOT care that the service fee for my gas/electric bill and my property taxes eats my 2% rebate for those things. I think I’m still better off not having to worry whether or not the postal service felt like delivering that week.

I think knowing that I can do a charge back on fraudulent transactions on my credit card FAR outweighs the risk of writing a paper check that can be lost or stolen and debit cards are worse than checks in the USA. You might wait 6 months to have a debit card issue resolved.

HedgeCowFarmer@reddit

My what

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Metroknight@reddit

I round my deposits down to the full dollar and expenditures up to the full dollar. End of the month gives me around 20 dollars in the account so I just let it sit in the account. It helps keep a buffer so I don't bounce any bills or purchases. Usually it gives a couple hundred towards Christmas time for presents.

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Nacho_Tools@reddit

Used to, now since we pay bills using online bill pay from our credit union we just check the website. I joke about paying bills by putting on the green (stereotype) accountant visor and pretend it's a bigger deal that just click, click, payed

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happycj@reddit

What’s a check book…?

My man.

I’ve done it a single-digit number of times, and never in the past 30 years. I still write one or two checks a year to entities that don’t do ETFs.

I’ve had a few problems in the past, but none would have been saved by me knowing to the penny at a single point in time whether my cleared checks match my register.

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nancylyn@reddit

My what? Haha, just kidding. I haven’t written a check in years.

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ConsuelaShlepkiss@reddit

Every month, to the penny.

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Outside_Avocado8963@reddit

Same. I don’t write checks much anymore, but I keep tabs daily on what I spend and balance the checkbook. My kids barely know what an actual checkbook is.

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chaseinger@reddit

because it's anachronistic af.

as a european i vaguely remember my dad having a checkbook when i was a wee one. when i moved to america i was shocked to learn you guys still do this.

today we have multiple convenient and secure ways to send/give each other money. we really don't have to fill out paper slips anymore.

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rahbahboston@reddit

i don’t write checks anymore either but I balance my checkbook every month to the penny

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malinagurek@reddit

Of course! Yes, I manage my personal finances in a spreadsheet. Not sure about all these weirdo posts about not writing checks (not the point) and checking balances online (totally chaotic). Rounding to the dollar is better than not managing your finances at all, but it’s probably harder to spot errors that way.

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This-Shape2193@reddit

How is checking balances online chaotic?

I haven't used checks in over 15 years. I just open my bank app to see transactions.

LaVida2@reddit

Haven’t balanced a checkbook in so long. I had to write a check recently for earnest money and had completely forgotten how to write the amount.

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westfly29@reddit

Absolutely, still!

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kytulu@reddit

I don't carry a checkbook anymore. All of my bills are on auto pay, except for my daily spend CC. That gets paid off in full every payday.

I use the aforementioned CC for daily spending (I have other CCs for gas, groceries, and dining out). I only carry my debit card if I need to get cash out of the ATM.

I check my accounts every payday to make sure the bills are paid and to move any leftover $$$ to my HYSA.

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SpicyRitas@reddit

Do you recommend your HYSA bank? I’ve been going back and forth on going to Amex from Wealthfront.

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kytulu@reddit

I use Amex, but mostly because I already have several Amex cards.

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thestatedrone@reddit

No. I know how much is in my account. I know what has cleared, what is pending.

I haven't balanced a checkbook in well over 20 years. When we bought the house, we had one book of checks left. When they ran out, I never ordered new ones. Now I can check the app at any time

My bank also does text alerts. So all my transactions I get sent a text.

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Lampwick@reddit

Who needs to balance a checkbook? I don't write checks, and all my transactions are immediately available through my banking app. Checkbook accounting only existed to catch your own errors in the check register by comparing it to your monthly statement.

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sindlouhoo@reddit

I don't have a checkbook. I don't have to balance. I do check my account frequently to ensure there are no fraudulent activities happening. I have caught several in the past few years.

If by checkbook you mean something like Quicken, then yes. Used to let it automatically connect to the bank, download the transactions, and then make sure the totals agreed...done. but instead, I find that I preferred manually entry. I'm far more aware of purchases and payments of I'm putting them in manually. Probably 2-3 times a week. I manage the account, pay the bills, do the taxes, and context anyone that needs contacting. My wife collects mail, files everything, and puts our expected expenses in every month for the next two. Twice a month we have a Saturday morning "money date" over coffee where we review, move things around, and go over plans for things coming up, savings, big purchases, etc.

Yes. I track my debits and use a spreadsheet for my credit cards to track spending and debt. I’ve caught bank errors this way and it keeps me from overspending on accident. It’s a habit from when I was broke and it keeps me on track to have emergency funds and bills paid.

Why would you not track every cent?

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worrub918@reddit

Yes. And I get irritated when I'm off. I'll spend a long time trying to get it right

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SSquirrel76@reddit

Hadn’t done it in decades. My mom still religiously does it for her checking account and her credit cards.

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Sheila_Monarch@reddit

Oh god no. But I do have to write a stupid amount of paper checks to be 2026. Yard people, cleaners, contractors and repair people in general that prefer checks still. Not my preference, but ok.

I just keep a checkbook tied to a specific account that has nothing in except the exact amounts I transfer into it to cover checks I’ve written. Everything else sorts itself out in real time and I can just look at the balance in my app.

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Oxjrnine@reddit

We have free e-transfers in Canada. My last cheque was 4 years ago - and even then it was a void cheque to set up a PAP

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daisy0808@reddit

We take for granted the ubiquitous nature of Interac in Canada that is interconnected everywhere. You can use your bank card at any merchant, bank machine, point of sale, and peer to peer via etransfer all from your bank account. This is not the case in the US. - they have tons of services but they are fragmented amongst so many banks and networks. Cash and cheques are still inexpensive and work everywhere there.

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dblackshear@reddit

can you still kite checks? i couldn’t have survived the first 5yrs after divorce without it.

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thasparzan@reddit

It's all online!

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KindaKrayz222@reddit

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I don't think I've written a check in at least a decade.

I do check my balance everyday on the app.

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elliotsilvestri@reddit

Right.

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blindside1@reddit

What is this "balance a checkbook" thing that you speak of?

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NamelessIowaNative@reddit

I still put a check in the collection plate every week, but haven’t tracked a balance in years. Most spending is on cash back cards, and the checking balance never gets low enough to even think about.

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Finding_Way_@reddit

No.

ArlenForestWalker@reddit

Not my checkbook per se, but I reconcile my checking and credit accounts every month. To the penny. Using an app that that was called a program when it was a thing. Anybody remember iBank?

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BraveRefrigerator552@reddit

Never balanced it. I don’t budget. Wow that’s so bad to type out, I have adhd and impulsive spending is real. I sometimes think about what I could have saved and then think of something else.

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Single-Zombie-2019@reddit

Who has a checkbook?

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MattJC123@reddit

A…. checkbook…. Like from the olden times?

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alaskalights@reddit

The 90s were, uh, let's say 10 years ago? Yeah, that feels right without doing math...

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supershinythings@reddit

Yes I balance to the penny. I don’t use a checkbook though. I track my balances in yahoo portfolio on my phone and laptop, and for accounts not connected or computable (e.g. holding securities not publicly traded - Fidelity for instance) I balance manually.

That means every time I pay bills I update the account balances.

I also track credit card balances. When I buy something I manually add to balance due. It keeps me from accidentally overspending as well. I am much more conscious when I do the calculation on the spot and can see the effect on balances immediately.

I recently cancelled my Bank of America cards. For reasons I don’t understand, every time I tried to use them the AI would flag the transactions as attempted fraud and shut down ALL the BofA cards. After I canceled the cards my credit dropped 10%. Those were long-held cards. But the cards wasted space in my wallet since they were always a hassle to use.

Now the complexity of tracking has reduced. Those categories are eliminated.

By tracking, I consult balances BEFORE making a spending decision. If I have a lower-spending month, I’ll slop the under budget amount to the savings account so if I have an over-budget month it’s OK. I want my annual budget to be on target, not necessarily each individual month. But if I go over more than two months in a row, I’ll cut back on discretionary spending (if that’s the issue) or reevaluate the entire budget to make it more predictable.

If, say, an expense is out of line, I need to know WHY. Utilities are now easy to log into and track. Repairs are unpredictable but I have a special budget for that.

This helps me sleep at night, knowing I have a handle on income, outflow, spending, investments, obligations, future plans.

In my career I have been laid off unexpectedly twice, both from startups. I learned to budget and invest defensively. I also survived many many rounds of layoffs, and was pretty good at identifying that my area was being targeted for cuts before it happened, allowing me to change groups or jobs on MY schedule, not theirs.

Hell no. Never have. I have a 'running balance' in my head.

I've never overdrawn my account in 35 years.

No. I write like 5 physical checks a year, all to my town (RE tax quarterly, MV excise tax once a year), and I just make a note what check number 517 written on 4/24/26 was for and that’s it.

All my spending is done on credit cards or with cash, so my bank ledger for any given year consists of paycheck deposits, four credit card payments a month, five paper checks as noted above, and whatever few online payments I have to make (insurance policies etc); and I can see years worth of history on my bank website any time I want.

Ok-Temporary@reddit

\^ This.

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TheOsirisOfThisShit_@reddit

Your bank will mail a paper check for you every month if you ask them.

We haven't used cheques in Canada for a decade. I keep a void one in my wallet incase I need direct deposit information somewhere. Besides that I do all my budgeting with online banking and usually use my credit card to accumulate points, then pay the balance off weekly.

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alinroc@reddit

I just reconcile the checking account each month in Banktivity (like Quicken for macOS/iOS/iPadOS) & make sure everything's accounted for there. The only surprises I find are when things get double-entered because I was off by a penny or I had the date very wrong when I recorded it and the correct version got entered when I downloaded from the bank.

I just round everything up to the next dollar.

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yogorilla37@reddit

Never had a checkbook

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I wrote a check fairly recently to the DOT.

I just sort of take a general look at things. Tally up my credit card balances plus monthly property bill and if checking account balance looks like it will be more than enough to cover, I leave it alone. If things look like they’ll get tight, I’ll move some money from money market account and make sure I’m well covered.

Yeh. I’m old. But not that old.

Last time I used a check book was 1993.

Never did. I dont even pay attention to my bank balance. I've never bounced a check in 30+ years. Never been over drawn by an ATM.

Its kinda odd to me that people just dont understand what money they have and what they can spend

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calmlikeasexbobomb@reddit

I haven’t even had checks in over a decade

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ZweitenMal@reddit

My what? No. I don’t write checks!

papamyalee@reddit

Isn't your bank app automatically do this?

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Lickford@reddit

Not now

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Infamous_Following88@reddit

Back in the day yes but not now.

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ActionMan48@reddit

Never used a check book for tracking balance.

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small_spider_liker@reddit

I still have a checkbook. It gets used for 2 checks per year (property taxes still get payed by check for some dumb reason).

I stopped keeping track of my checking balance in the checkbook register about 30 years ago. Most of what enters and leaves the account isn’t by check, and I keep track of it loosely by checking my back statements (years ago) or banking app (the last 10 or so years).

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