Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Do you go over your bank statements?

43 replies

cakedup · 18/02/2019 17:31

With a fine a tooth comb?
Quick glance?

Reason I'm asking is because I aim to do it once a month (make sure all payments have gone in/out, any requested refunds paid, not charged twice for anything, no rogue payments etc.). But I just never get around to doing it and end, like today, going over bank statements since October. A couple of queries have come up, few I've been able to resolve (in that it was all correct actually) but too long ago for me to remember for a few of them!

Anyone actually had missed/rogue payments or I'm guessing that's really rare?

OP posts:
MissCalamity · 18/02/2019 17:35

I check my bank every day on my app, my account plus the household joint account, only takes a few minutes. I know roughly when the dd's are due to come out & how much money to the nearest £10 is in the accounts.
Perhaps I'm a little over the top, but would prefer to be in case of any fraud which has happened to me in the past

thefirst48 · 18/02/2019 17:35

I check my online banking at least once a day but don't check monthly statements.

Isleepinahedgefund · 18/02/2019 17:36

It’s totally possible to miss payments if you don’t keep a check on them - for instance a friend of mine didn’t realise she was paying £30 a month for something she didnt realise she’d signed up to when she entered her details to get something free for an online game she was playing. She paid it for a couple of years before she realised, because she never looked at her bank statements!

Personally I use online banking app and check every day or every other day. Easier to do it quickly each morning than sitting down once a month.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General money
WitsEnding · 18/02/2019 17:37

I check online at least weekly in case I've forgotten to note anything in my spreadsheet.

notacooldad · 18/02/2019 17:37

I go on line every morning and check what went out, what's pending, what's coming up etc. I don't want any suprises.

It's easier than doing a months worth at once and trying to remember what you have bought and why!

Original poster
cakedup · 18/02/2019 17:38

Blimey - I think I'd find it depressing to look at my bank account every day!

OP posts:
Happierlife · 18/02/2019 17:38

Check my main bank account and credit card account everyday. The second bank account gets checked once a week to make sure someone is repaying the loan i gave them.

SoyDora · 18/02/2019 17:40

I don’t get paper statements. I do check my online banking on my phone every few days though so would immediately notice anything amiss.

justthecat · 18/02/2019 17:41

Yes I check online banking every morning, I think it can be more depressing not checking it regular then finding something’s gone out you forgot about etc

notacooldad · 18/02/2019 17:41

Why would you find it drepresing.
Knowledge is power.
I have to say my spending habits changed dramatically when I saw in black and white how much I was spending each day. A lot of random purchases soon stopped!

JasonGideon · 18/02/2019 17:43

Check it every day unless I’m on holiday then I assess the damage when I’m home! For a long time I never, ever checked and got myself in some sticky situations.

purplecorkheart · 18/02/2019 17:44

I look at my app every few days now. I learned the hard way though. I did a transfer to someone and when checking to make sure the payment went out I came across two transactions for a hotel booking site that was not mine. In fairness they refunded straight away but I still had to cancel my card.

Megan2018 · 18/02/2019 17:44

I check daily too via app- I have a spreadsheet of all payments due out and check against it to make sure all is as it should be. I don't bother with the statements as I prefer to do a quick daily check instead.

I check the credit cards online too to verify all transactions are ours (we use a couple of cards for all our daily spending and pay in full each month so it can be £2-£3k a month). We have large limits and have had the odd issues with fraud hence checking regularly to make sure no surprises.

DH has a habit of signing up for free trials for things and not cancelling in time so I have to nag him to see if he means to be paying out for things that seem odd!

I find it empowering rather than depressing. A 5 min check of all the accounts each morning is all it takes me.

I am one of those people that likes admin though - when we moved last year I did all the change of addresses within 48hrs like some kind of obsessed weirdo.

caughtinanet · 18/02/2019 17:46

I check every item at the end of the month for both bank account and credit card and do sometimes find things that need a second look, not necessarily dodgy but things like my phone bill aren't always the same so I look to make sure I havent been charged wrongly.

I did once find a credit payment that had gone through twice so was able to get it refunded quickly.

SpaceCadet4000 · 18/02/2019 17:57

Yes, twice a month. We have 2 joint accounts that we each go through and query transactions- 1 for wages, bills and recurring stuff, one for daily household spending. I go through my personal account, and DH his.

Ainba · 18/02/2019 17:57

Like others I don't get paper statements, I log onto my online banking app most days and have a quick look.

Ursaminor · 18/02/2019 17:58

I have a spreadsheet set up with a column for each month, with opening balance and all the receipts and payments I expect , updated as I go (generally just for cash withdrawn) and check the closing balance to my online bank statement at the end of each month. The bank statement shouldn't have anything on it that I haven't already recorded. Might have a look on-line in between month ends now and then, but the spreadsheet is my main budgeting tool. (Slightly obsessive accountant!)

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 18/02/2019 18:02

I look at my statement every month and am OUTRAGED that some theiving bastard has been repeatedly pilfering 20 quid from my account.

Then I go through it and realise that it is me spending the money, and my cunning plan to control expenditure by using cash is not working.

Disfordarkchocolate · 18/02/2019 18:05

I check online at least once a day, I always like to know my balance(s) and what has gone out. I find it makes me a lot more control and less likely to overspend.

MadauntofA · 18/02/2019 18:08

I check it every day, not depressing as I can see where it is all going, and when I'm going low.
I managed to spot fraud which had occurred overnight - almost £2000 taken, but could have been a lot more if I hadn't checked so regularly.

HollyBollyBooBoo · 18/02/2019 18:13

Check my app daily for current account and about once a week for my credit card.

Suspect this is over the top and stems from money issues with an ex, now I am extremely controlling.

TildaKauskumholm · 18/02/2019 18:13

Yes, regularly, (well DH does it mostly) - I keep a spreadsheet of all credit card spending. It's useful and interesting!

wendz86 · 18/02/2019 18:15

I also check mine most days. I have a google sheet where I work out money so update that with what has gone out etc.

NothingOnTellyAgain · 18/02/2019 18:16

I give monthly statements an eyeball and same with bank account online as I don't look at monthly statement for that

Quick check that all larger sums are expected and recognise the vendors, in general.

Anything iffy turns out to be DH

Don't do more than that

NothingOnTellyAgain · 18/02/2019 18:17

Had a friend who wrote down all outgoings on a piece of paper while out, and did full monthly cross check.

When we were 18.

I thought it was nuts.

Each to their own though.

Swipe left for the next trending thread