Originally Posted by Nia_Nia

Well I do have one don't get me wrong but I never maintain it! In fact I think there's about 2 quid in there...ah well maybe it'll gather interest and i'll have 5 quid in there by the time we go back.

Here's to hoping!

Originally Posted by Chorlton

They cash the check so they can hide money from their partners.

Originally Posted by Ray

OK you... outside the saloon at midday ... lock and load ...

Originally Posted by britvic

Did'ent most of our Dads do that to our Mums years ago with cash in there pay packets.

Originally Posted by franc11s

US Banks suck but luckily I know pay 95% of my bills through Direct Debit (or they call it Auto Debit or something). The UK is now chip and pin. No-one swipes your card, it's uses RFID I think.

Anyhow, here's a story, just last month, that shows you US banks are from Planet Morons.

Went to Bank, request to do a wire from my bank to my friends bank. You would have thought I'd have asked for 20 bars of gold from the treasury - the amount of forms (hand written) in tripilicate and counter signs from asst managers. After 20 mins, I tore them all up and asked for $3000 in cash. Got cash and immediately paid into friends account. The people there thought I was so clever

Originally Posted by BigDavyG

Yep, straight down to the pub or the bookies on a friday afternoon.
Back home late friday night to tell the wife it was potatoes for dinner every day next week.

Originally Posted by Big D

Hardly used cheques in the UK and very rarely over here. Can't understand people who dont use debit cards - apart from those with cashflow issues who need an extra couple of days!

Banking over here is so backward comparitively - did you know that bill pay for smaller companies actually just means that the bank write and mail the check for you!!!

Originally Posted by Shahlax

Well, not just small banks. Wachovia is relatively big and they do the writing and mailing check for you! Seems really silly to call that online bill payment!

Originally Posted by BigDavyG

No, I think the poster means that when the recipient of the payment is a small company your bank will just send them a cheque for you as the recipient isn't set up for electronic payment.

Originally Posted by fatbrit

It's still pretty pathetic though, isn't it? The new members of the EU to the east managed to bypass the cheque (check) system altogether and go straight to electronic transfer from their previous status, which was basically passbook banking. You can literally go on line to your bank @ 11:59pm on the last day of payment for a bill and make an electronic transfer straight into the utility company's account before the deadline expires. It's magic -- real time transfer from account to account, all the time, at minimal cost.

In the US, I also use less than a dozen checks a year. Nearly all the regular bills are paid on a single cash-back credit card (the HOA and mortgage won't take them, and the leci company and property tax charges a premium, so those are the only four), which is then paid by Internet bill pay from the checking account. All store purchases go on the same card to maximize the cashback.

Originally Posted by Shahlax

I miss stubs. I use cheques a lot more here, Only used cheques in the UK to give money as gifts to friends. Never used them to pay bills. Everything was direct debit.

I find it strange that some people here choose to get a physical paper paycheck rather than direct deposit their salary.

Originally Posted by cindyabs

There are MANY people in this area who do not have bank accounts at all-they pay either cash or by money order, therefore their preferred method of a paycheck would be a physical one.
I even heard of a guy here in town who buried money in his yard, but that's another story.

Originally Posted by Chorlton

I guess that makes sense. That would explain the huge number of check cashing places.