Checked the Bank Account

**Lady_V** · 05-09-2008, 05:57 PM

... and I am SO confused!!!!

I have always balanced the checkbook, as a matter of fact, I always round UP to the nearest dollar when I wrote a check/withdrawl and rounded DOWN when I made a deposit... just to make it easier for me.

I went online today to see if the Old Man's check had finally gone in to direct deposit... before I opened the transaction log and only saw the balance, I thought 'this can't be right, he makes WAY more than that' and my checkbook said I had $33 left.

Okay... long story short... there is a difference between my checkbook and the bank records of over $350!!! I checked, rechecked, they have every transaction I have recorded. I haven't received any past due bills... There is no deposit forgotten about and no outstanding checks...

I can only go back 30 days online, I can't go to the bank to ask for a hard-copy because it's not my account.

I know I had a 'buffer' every month, could I have built a buffer THAT big???

What should I do?

**mom2matty** · 05-09-2008, 06:08 PM

That is a huge difference!!! So you are not on the account at all? I know if you aren't listed they won't even talk to you on the phone! I hope you do find a way to get information and resolve this ASAP!!

**rudypoo98** · 05-09-2008, 06:11 PM

How long have you been doing it like that? I'd say yes you could have that much money if you've done it very long.I used to do the same thing and I always had extra money in the bank.I also used to deduct some every month like $40 then write it in the back of the checkbook and bacically forget about it.You don't know how many times this saved me when something broke down or had some unexpected expense come up.

**Kitchen Mama** · 05-09-2008, 06:16 PM

I agree if you've been doing it for awhile you could. My Mom done it for years and ended up with a nice chunk of change. Which is great since she is on a fixed income.

**Lady_V** · 05-09-2008, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by mom2knk

So you are not on the account at all?

Nope... my credit is so trashed -- no bank will give me an account. The Old Man even got a debit card with it so I can go grocery shopping. I don't think the bank would even accept a check HE signed because it's been my signature for the last 5 years

Originally Posted by rudypoo98

How long have you been doing it like that?

Well,

I have been doing it as long as he has had the account... I know on New Years Day, I start a new register with a $0 balance, but it rarely had more than $20 on New Years Eve.

-- the reason I 'buffer' -- back when I was a landlord, I deposited the rent check... it bounced, which made all the checks I wrote bounce, which meant I had overdraft fees, fees from the places I wrote the checks to, and then the lovely $25 a day overdraft fine... I think it's also the reason I never want to be a landlord again

**Jamauk** · 05-09-2008, 06:50 PM

My cousin always rounded up in her check register and it only took her about a year or so to build up about a $900 buffer - so yes, I suppose you could have built up a $350 buffer since New Years. If I were you, I'd put that away for a rainy day!

I personally can't round up like that in the register - if my balanced don't match down to the penny I get extremely OCD and camp out at the computer as long as it takes to make them match!

**frugalfriend** · 05-09-2008, 07:13 PM

Oh, I sure hope it turns out to be a surplus!

Originally Posted by Jamauk

I personally can't round up like that in the register - if my balanced don't match down to the penny I get extremely OCD and camp out at the computer as long as it takes to make them match!

That describes me to a "T" too!

**dianne9106** · 05-09-2008, 07:20 PM

Okay - so I am hoping that you do have a buffer of $350. Sorry I got a little lost in with the $33 and he makes way more than that comment. So anywho - that is awesome if you have that kind of buffer. But now you know - so the new challenge is to keep it that way! YAY for you!

Dianne

**mombottoo** · 05-09-2008, 08:55 PM

If all the transactions & deposits are accounted for then it sounds like you have a buffer to me...it really doesn't take that long for money to accumulate using the method you are using...

**Jeanna** · 05-10-2008, 09:25 AM

You probably do have that much of a buffer, however I would check back in a few days and make sure that the money doesn't disappear. I have had money show up in my account one day and be gone the next.