basic money management question

[thegirlwiththemouseyhair]

Is it just me or does anyone else have the 'the money was in the account when I issued the cheque but if you take four weeks to bank it it might not be then' problem?

I don't remember the last time I wrote a cheque...

I have had that problem in the past. I no longer use cheques for the same reason!

yes. Annoying.

no never.
However I keep a spreadsheet on which I reconcile my bank accounts on a daily weekly basis.
At any given time I can see what hasn't been cashed yet (have even had to remind ds's school they haven't banked my cheque yet more than once).

But then I work in accounts so I'm anal about it it's second nature to me :)

Lol Ginny, I am a mortgage advisor / underwriter and I do exactly the same thing was thinking I was OCD about it.

Like others I also keep accounts of all transactions. If someone hasn't cashed a cheque I've written, I can see it and so I don't spend the money. BTW... don't think that makes me, gillybean2 or Gonzo33 or anyone else 'anal' or 'OCD'. Being good with money isn't a character flaw.

Once the cheque is written then the account in my mind/ on the cheque stub is already minus that transaction - regardless of what the balance is of the account I keep a note of what I have spent on card, cheque and cash withdrawl.

i couldn't live without cheques for some school/extra clubs and the milkman

We are running a separate account just for cheques so once we write one we transfer the money over. We are constantly writing cheques for school/clubs/osteopath etc and school can take a few weeks to cash them.