Comments | sibyline: A finance question

sibyline

A finance question

Aug 17, 2005 12:36

Do you balance your checkbook? Do you think people who do are dumb, or vice-versa? I stopped sometime after college and am thinking of starting again, just because I feel like I need to be a more responsible adult. At the same time, it might just be unneeded clerical work. I can't decide ( Read more... )

Comments 14

verlaine August 17 2005, 16:42:23 UTC

I don't, but then I'm by and large a financial train wreck - cause and effect, innit?

sibyline August 17 2005, 18:08:10 UTC

yeah, i was with a rich guy for a while, and conned him into setting up a joint account for us, which resulted in credit card companies being fooled into thinking i had lots of money and giving me lots of credit. now it's all catching up with me. fun!

redstripe August 17 2005, 17:06:43 UTC

I actually stopped using checks when I was about 17, and since, I just check my account online a few times a day and keep a rough running total. I rarely use cash, so it would be like a full time job writing down every miniscule charge I make on my debit card.

sibyline August 17 2005, 18:02:20 UTC

What do you do about your rent?

redstripe August 17 2005, 18:31:21 UTC

up until moving here, my ghetto rental places let me pay cash (and before I was paying astronomical manhattan rent, it was always under 600, so I could just hit the atm). here, I've been getting money orders. it's a pain in the ass extra trek to the bank once a month, but not enough of one to make me start using checks.

mightcould August 17 2005, 17:23:29 UTC

I do not keep one. Just seat of the pants. I probably will balance and budget once I make real money.

toddius August 17 2005, 17:49:19 UTC

I was flying by the seat of my pants, and I very nearly got my ass burned off. But that may be more due to the fact that I never open my mail.

sibyline August 17 2005, 18:03:43 UTC

Yes, I too have a growing mail pile. Congratulations on the new place by the way. My parents live close by. Sorry if I was hard on you earlier.

toddius August 17 2005, 19:42:10 UTC

Hard on me? I thought you were just teasing! You were serious?

sibyline August 17 2005, 19:59:36 UTC

oh, of course i was teasing, but even jokes can have an effect sometimes, you never know. and i couldn't back down on the joke in the context of your post, but now that we're talking about something else, i can be all sincere and stuff.

sibyline August 17 2005, 18:01:36 UTC

Seems like the consensus is that financial planning might be useful. I'm on the verge of wreaking havoc on my credit and so I'm trying to decide whether this is because I don't budget, or if I just keep abreast, maybe my financial problems will go away.

BTW, I grew up in the Philippines and so wasn't introduced to the concept of protecting credit until very late. It still all seems very abstract to me.