Really silly problem with balancing my checkbook.........

[CathyA]

I keep a close eye on my online bank statement. I hardly ever write checks. I pay almost everything online on the bank's "bill pay"......and they immediately remove that money and tell you what you have left........even before the payee gets it. There's only 2 businesses that I pay with my checking account on their website.
But I haven't "balanced" my paper check book in a couple months. So I decided to do that today. But I'm having a huge problem with this: When looking at the online statement, you go from present to past (up to down), but in my checkbook, I have to go from down to up. I can't keep it straight!! Is that silly or what? That part of my mind doesn't work. I keep trying to do it, but get lost.
I thought there was a function on my bank's online site that would let me go from ascending to descending (or vice versa) but I don't see it now.

Am I crazy or what?
Any suggestions?? I feel really goofy about it.

[ToomuchStuff]

Is it an option when you print it? (don't have to actually print, somethings give the option to print to file/pdf)

Could you use the control F function, to find either the day, or check number your looking for (one at a time)?

Call the bank and ask them if there is an option to view it (settings) the way you prefer.
Don't get to where it is a couple months, and have less trouble with it.
Can't help with you being crazy, but maybe this will give you some other idea's.:~)

[CathyA]

Thanks TMS.
Actually, I just figured a way out! They didn't say this anywhere I could find in their instructions, but I noticed that the word "date" on the statement page was clickable. So I clicked on it and it reversed everything. YAY!
Thanks again.

[CathyA]

Its a piece of cake when they're both in the right direction! Well.....sort of..........now I need to figure out why it's not balancing. haha

[JaneV2.0]

I balanced my bank account once. I think it was in 1990. Or maybe 1980...

[Float On]

Oh you all make me nervous. As a former bank manager.....I must be balanced to the penny at all times.

[CathyA]

Even though I always (eventually) balance my checkbook down to a couple of cents, have you EVER known a bank to be wrong??? I've never had that problem. haha

Well, after a few hours, I DID balance my checkbook. YAY!! I have an adding machine, but I must have kept making mistakes on the credit vs debit inputs. The final number kept changing everytime. I started thinking something was wrong with the adding machine! haha Finally.......it came out right. Went to bed late 'cause I just HAD to make it work.
My kids don't even have a "checkbook". They say "I just check it online". I've tried to tell them that's a bad idea......but they know best, right? haha

[ToomuchStuff]

I have known a bank to be wrong. I made a deposit and have a few accounts. The gal screwed up and started depositing to the wrong accounts, and when I caught that, since I didn't have access to watch what she was doing, she "corrected" it by removing money from another account which caused me to get a "fee to transfer money to an account to cover it". That was my second fee of that kind ever and I took all the stuff into the bank and they corrected it and refunded the fee.
Also had a teller years ago, give back too much money and tell the person don't worry about it. (they closed their account then) That teller didn't last very long.

Ask your kids how much money they have, sometime when you have no power. A friend in NY, just had to laugh at all the people who couldn't or wouldn't understand their plastic, requires electricity, when they were without power for a week, due to the storm.

[iris lilies]

I don't balance it because I've got a minion to do that: DH. He is exacting about financial records. I love that about him.

Another thing he does is organize our tax records beautifully. Our taxes are a little bit complex with a few properties and his business, but our bill for tax preparation is less than $200 each year, and we've got a tax attorney doing it.

Years ago when I was single and never balance my checkbook I was perfectly fine until--I wasn't. Yes, someone screwed up my auto payckec deposit (whether it was the bank or my employer, I don't know.) So I say: no need to balance, but keep an eye on it and if it goes whacko, then you've got to pay attention.

[ToomuchStuff]

You will determine it is whacko quicker, if you know it is accurate. This also helps with the take a little out (and see if someone notices) before hitting it for a major fraud. (happened to someone I know recently, they assumed the little bit was something the spouse did, christmas surprise type of thing)

[Blackdog Lin]

I had to call the county today, after logging into my checking account and seeing there was approx. $1000.00 more in there than I should have. What large checks might I have written? Well, the property taxes, of course, due Dec. 20 and I mailed on that day. And I saw that it hasn't gone through yet.

The nice lady at the county treasurer's office said they were still processing mail they received from Dec. 23 on.....so that probably explains why the check hasn't gone through. It makes me appreciate online banking, that I can see potential problems before they become big problems.

[CathyA]

I love online banking too. I rarely have to write a check anymore. No more stamps, and no more running to the mailbox!
I really like being able to see my credit card account immediately too......in case anything is amiss.