Don Y wrote in news:n9svga$t51$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:
The Uniball 207 ballpoint says that it is protection from washing checks, etc. I use one all the time for check writing.
Me. Makes it handier than a credit card to see when and how much I paid for something, even long ago. I suppose I could keep a file of credit card statements in date order - but I don't.
Don Y wrote in news:n9t624$p9v$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:
But then you lose your 'free' daily sudoku and crossword!
I have a Sudoku app.
And, I'm LOUSY at crosswords! (Pretty good at Jumbles, though!)
Dunno. I'm not sure how they actually *wash* the checks so wouldn't know how to test/verify/disprove that claim.
You'd be screwed, here. No one provides canceled checks with your statement. Few will actually *mail* you a statement! So, you'd be forced to print online statements -- and then keep those in date order (assuming you print "image copies" of the checks and not just the "amount summaries").
I dropped checkwriting privileges on my last account when they wanted to charge me $8.95/month for it! Esp when I was just writing a couple of checks each month (to pay off credit cards -- that were where all the day-to-day expenses were charged!)
Now, I walk into the bank and have them issue a *free* cashier's check -- if I need one. Silly. Has to cost *them* more (and me LESS) but that's the way they want to set up their pricing structure (no doubt taking advantage of folks who write a lot of checks, etc.)
For big ticket purchases, I intentionally do those on credit cards (not debit) to gain the added protections that this affords. And, as they are big purchases, the receipts tend to be saved as a matter of course (esp if business related).
For the little things, SWMBO has a database that she maintains that tracks our expenditures. While we can't look at the line items and see what we paid for toilet paper last month, we can make an educated guess as to which charge included a particular purchase -- then drag out the original receipts (up to a point; she doesn't keep them for very long).
[she did that sort of thing for a living so it was a natural extension for her to do the same at home]Don Y posted for all of us...
+1 I read a book 40 years ago called 'Unreliable Sources'. It opened my eyes up to the fact that is no real reporting done any more. It is all pap fed by the gov't. The only news might be some kind of investigative reporting-but start with a conclusion and follow that trail. The local paper I like sends their people to the meetings then captures all the give and take between the reps and the public. One can get to know the players because they frequently send a shot across the bow. In FF I had experience with a different papers reporters; usually they were below the quality of minimum wage fast food workers (I am NOT condemning FF workers! It's tough) without knowledge of what to ask.
That's happened more than once to me. Today, for the first time in perhaps
10 years, I got mail for someone at this address who hasn't lived here in 40 years. Just after we finished talking about it. What a coincidence!
Now, we just have to start talking about receiving WINNING LOTTERY TICKETS in the mail...
Don Y wrote in news:n9vvib$dgl$1@dont- email.me:
I'm just referring to the check register, or whatever it is called. Where you write the check number, date, payee and amount of each check when you write them. Of course this does not prove the check was received, cashed, etc. but it is usually correct, in my case I can't think of a case when it wasn't.
Ah, OK. In our case, SWMBO's database serves the equivalent role.
I much preferred real, physical checks -- returned to me. I could single out checks that were of particular importance and staple them to any associated paperwork (warranty statements, tax forms, etc.). Not only does this document that I made the payment but, also, that *they* received it AND who cashed it!
E.g., AMEX used to return the "store copies" of all of my charge slips -- helpful in case I misplaced one of MY copies.
Then, folks moved to printing images of the documents (sending you many images on a single sheet of paper).
Now, they don't even want to send you the paper. Instead, you have to opt for online access -- IMO, far more potentially compromisable than someone stealing mail from my mailbox!
Twice in my life I needed a cancelled check. The last time was simple. I logged into my bank, called up the check, printed it to a PDF file and emailed it to the person asking for it. Problem resolved in minutes, not days.
Operating a business, I can't afford the cost or aggravation of "getting my records together" in the event of an audit. I *keep* them in order by archiving every bit of information I might need (and am required to preserve) when it happens.
I can tell you which (LD) phone numbers I dialed, what time of day, who I spoke to, what we discussed, how long and how much *that* call cost -- for calls going back more than 20 years! (of course, they aren't necessary to preserve, now, but those *were* essential records up until 16 years ago -- for the 20 year ago data)
We don't do anything online -- if there is an alternative way to do it.
I chuckle when I hear folks claiming "their system is secure".
"Really? Then why are your IT guys working for YOU and not Sony, one of the big banks, Target, etc. Surely their expertice would be better rewarded, there!?"
:>
A colleague used to teach a course to seniors (a "How-to-use-the- Internet" sort of thing). He once laughed at my concern over online security/privacy: "Hell with 40 bit encryption, there's no way someone's going to crack your transaction!"
(of course, that quickly proved to NOT be a barrier!)
"Oh, I'm not worried about someone snooping my network traffic. They'd need access to my ISP, the backbone, etc. It's much easier for them to install some malware and see what I'm doing -- in a nice, convenient DIGITAL format -- *before* it gets encrypted! Or, hack the financial institution that I'm using. Why bother burning trillions of CPU cycles trying to crack my *one* transaction when you can get ALL of them, 'in the clear'?"
Apparently, that attack vector hadn't occurred to him. I.e., his thinking was that his possessions would be safe because he had TWO locks on his front door -- and he'd never think that someone would consider breaking a WINDOW to get in! :-/
When the wife's PC froze up and spit out a bunch of numbered error messages today she quipped "write them down and play them on the lottery!" Synchronicity struck again.
One of my favorite gag lines when encountering serendipitous events is to eagerly suggest (to whomever) that this -- NOW -- would be a GREAT time to buy a lottery ticket!
A week or two ago, I was buying some coldcuts at deli counter. Casually chatting with the guy cutting the meat. At some point, he brought the product over to the scale for weighing and it was spot on -- to three decimal places!
"Quick, go buy a lottery ticket!"
Today, at the same deli counter, same guy. Of course, much easier for me to remember *him* than for him to remember *me* (I only encounter a few "deli counter people" in a year! He encounters hundreds of customers each week!).
He again came to the scale with the product in hand -- but, had overshot the target by 0.010#. With mock disappointment, I said, "Well, no lottery ticket, today..."
He visibly jolted as registered in his memory. Suddenly looked *at* me (i.e., actually SEEING me instead of just going through the motions of waiting on me) and this huge grin crept over his face. "Shared secret".
Wanna bet the next time I'm in there, he'll recognize me?
If he does, will you buy Powerball?
Yes, I've used that joke before. Not recently, but it's still good.
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