Obsessed over checking bank accounts

frogspawndevil · 2023-12-06T08:51:45+00:00

I have realised that I check my bank accounts daily as well as my savings account which to be fair has very little in it. It's almost the first thing I do daily. I also check my credit file at least once a week. Does anyone else do this?

LadyDanburysHat · 06/12/2023 08:55

I check my bank accounts pretty much daily, just to make sure I'm on top of things. Rarely check my credit score. Although I have done it recently

pinkfony · 06/12/2023 09:00

I'm the same OP. I am very money conscious and I always like to think I'm on top of things.
I also have a spreadsheet on my phone which has all my incomings and outgoings for each month and it goes up to 2027 currently 😅
I think because of the world we live in right now you'd be silly not to check your bank daily or at least every other day. But I guess if you have loaaaads of cash you probably wouldn't bother.

Psychoticbreak · 06/12/2023 09:39

I check the bank daily too. I have a routine when I wake to check the bank, then my fb memories, then the ring doorbell to see what the weather is like outside :)

andymary · 06/12/2023 09:51

Yes, same here. Although have calmed down a bit with it now and only check once a week instead of every other day.
I think probably as we now have everything down on an incoming/outgoings spreadsheet which I think really helps to lay everything out, makes it easier to track what's left to go out for the month, and offers a better sense of financial control.

CirreltheSquirrel · 06/12/2023 10:04

I do. When interest rates were low I tended to leave the money for the month's bills in my current account but now I tend to move it to a higher interest account and only move it back when a bill is due, so I check each morning that nothing's gone out unexpectedly taking my current account balance too low.

Heatherbell1978 · 06/12/2023 16:11

Me too. I have spreadsheets tracking everything and a cash flow one that goes out 12 years (to the point I can access pension lump sum!). I never assumed I was strange in doing that.

CluelessPadme · 07/12/2023 08:13

CirreltheSquirrel · 06/12/2023 10:04

I do. When interest rates were low I tended to leave the money for the month's bills in my current account but now I tend to move it to a higher interest account and only move it back when a bill is due, so I check each morning that nothing's gone out unexpectedly taking my current account balance too low.

I do - for this reason.

I can also look ahead and see where there are going to be squeaky points (school fees going out usually) and it helps me see that even though the various accounts look healthy, they will get run down very quickly! It definitely helps me moderate spending but also make the most of our money.

artemis9 · 07/12/2023 08:14

Yep every day here.

MintJulia · 07/12/2023 08:36

No, I don't have time.

I just don't spend anything unless it is absolutely essential - food, heat, council tax.

Then if I do need to buy extra stuff - Christmas presents etc - I check the account on that day only, and know how much I can afford to spend.

Pigeonqueen · 07/12/2023 08:36

I check several times a day 🙈 I don’t know why. I’m just sort of obsessed with it.

LovelaceBiggWither · 07/12/2023 08:41

I check regularly since the day I logged on to watch someone use my creditcard in real time to the tune of $9000.

shockeditellyou · 07/12/2023 08:42

I check most days. I also have spreadsheets for every penny that goes out!

Merrow · 07/12/2023 08:46

I have an app that tracks my various accounts that sends me a daily update. It means I have a vague awareness of how our spending is (this month, far too high!) and also know pretty promptly if there's an unexpected spend.

whyamiawakestill · 07/12/2023 08:46

Heatherbell1978 · 06/12/2023 16:11

Me too. I have spreadsheets tracking everything and a cash flow one that goes out 12 years (to the point I can access pension lump sum!). I never assumed I was strange in doing that.

I wish I did this.

Also check daily, just to make sure all direct debits are ok and it's helped me spot DVLA taking money further tax we had cancelled and any subscriptions.

I thought it was normal?

theduchessofspork · 07/12/2023 08:49

I’d like to build this habit!

I think it’s a good idea -

I think credit scores only get updated monthly, so you could reduce that.

theduchessofspork · 07/12/2023 08:50

Merrow · 07/12/2023 08:46

I have an app that tracks my various accounts that sends me a daily update. It means I have a vague awareness of how our spending is (this month, far too high!) and also know pretty promptly if there's an unexpected spend.

@Merrow

Can I ask what app you use and would you recommend it?

AngelontopoftheTree · 07/12/2023 08:56

shockeditellyou · 07/12/2023 08:42

I check most days. I also have spreadsheets for every penny that goes out!

Me too @shockeditellyou!

I run a pivot table at the end of the month to see where I've spent money, sometimes it's interesting to see how much I've spent on takeaway coffees & then I reign it in for a few months.

Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 07/12/2023 09:02

I check most days - it's just my morning routine.

I have a 'month remaining' page that shows my balance for the month and what's still due to go out.

I then have a whole load of pages for savings & pension balances etc etc. I transfer money monthly into 'pots' (only on the s/s) so I need to update those depending if I have spent anything from that money.

Danikm151 · 07/12/2023 09:06

I check daily in the hope that the balance will suddenly go up. Alas it hasn’t happened yet but I have a spreadsheet to track income and bills to tell me how much i’m got to play with each month

Merrow · 07/12/2023 09:13

@theduchessofspork

It's called Snoop and I really like it. I have quite a lot of bank accounts as I like separating my money up (so one for bills, ones that I keep because the savings accounts are good but that a few direct debits need to come out of, credit cards for points etc.) and having them all in one place is helpful rather than checking a lot of different apps. It also categorises all your payments into different things which I find helpful in terms of seeing where our money goes. I don't have the self discipline to update a spreadsheet with every single spend, but checking what an app thinks the category is and correcting it if necessary is much easier. We spend far, far too much on groceries. Seeing our annual spend on deliveroo did make us cut down to once every two weeks!

There's a paid version but I find the free one absolutely fine for my needs. It uses open banking which some people don't like (so it has read only access to your bank accounts) but I don't mind.

If you sign up with my link and use it for a month we each get a £5 Amazon voucher, but I'm not recommending it just because of that! click.snoop.app/M2Tu/5e2ggwue

FiveShelties · 07/12/2023 09:26

shockeditellyou · 07/12/2023 08:42

I check most days. I also have spreadsheets for every penny that goes out!

Me too, I love to be in control - not the best attribute but it works for me.

WithIcePlease · 07/12/2023 09:28

Checked at least daily - credit cards and current account

Spotted once that someone had taken £900 from current account in branch somewhere in Kent.

LittleGreenFroggie · 07/12/2023 09:39

I check mine every day. If I've been on a spending spree sometimes I'll check it a couple of times a day. I like to keep a close eye as sometimes payments can take a day or 2 to go out.

This was a nightmare before internet banking as I'd have to phone the automated line to check my balance!

KonTikki · 07/12/2023 09:57

I check my bank accounts every morning.
That's the joy of having the app on my phone. So quick & easy.
Hate to regress to how it used to be, scrawling every transaction in a cheque book !

shivawn · 07/12/2023 17:00

I only check my main bank account every 2 weeks usually, I get paid fortnightly so I check to make sure my wages went in okay. I use Revolut for day to day spending so I top that up weekly and everytime I tap for something I get a notification telling me how much I spent and what my balance is so I know if I'm running low or not without needing to log in.