Do you use a paper ledger to balance a checking account?

[Daniel]

Does anyone do this anymore?

I have a checking account and I don't write checks.

My bank gives me monthly statements online.

I don't try to balance it because with purchases technically being held funds and refunds to the account for actual refunds and refunds for correcting held amounts after the fact it wouldn't be possible to actually balance it.

I check the balance daily and even if I expect it to be the same as the day before the time lag built into the system surprises me sometimes.

I'm no accountant. That's certain.

My account was credited with one or more credits totalling an additional $130 yesterday.

Yay!

I should know why this happened but yeah, no.

My late grandfather (born 1919) always balanced his checkbook to the penny. I'm not exaggerating.

I never could come close to his exactitude back in the day and I didn't enjoy doing it.

I am much more conservative about money now. I plan to use all the lessons learned when I look back and think I should have done this or I shouldn't have done that in the future.

I'm actually planning to keep track of my finances on paper as well as I can do it.

I don't plan to write checks though. I can't see a good reason for it.

[Axtremus]

No.

[jon-nyc]

I stopped doing that around the time bank balances and transactions became available online. I do scrutinize expenses once a month to make sure spurious charges are caught.

[Mik]

Yep. I just watch the online. Balancing is no longer necessary.

[RealPlayer]

Still do it. Usually balances out exactly. But in two recent statements the bank’s balance was $30 and $50 lower than mine. Weird, because their calculations and mine both worked out. I just accepted their figure.

[Daniel]

Interesting that, Joe.

Walmart was the reason. I don't remember the details but it was basically they canceled an order and I remade it. I don't remember why it was canceled or why I didn't think I'd be charged twice.