Yes, I ended up ponying up $26.00 to buy 150 cheques from my bank yesterday, and I think I am a shmuck for doing it. For those of you unsure of exactly what a Schmuck is (and honestly if you don’t a great Christmas gift would the “The Joys of Yiddish” by Leo Rostein, it is an amazing piece of cultural fun).
schmuck also shmuck (shmÅk) Pronunciation Key
n. Slang
A clumsy or stupid person; an oaf.[Yiddish shmok, penis, fool, probably from Polish smok, serpent, tail.]
The Joys of Yiddish – Leo Rosten
If you buy the book or take it out of the library, there is an amusing story about a camel to do with Smuck.
But to return to why I am a shmuck, why am I paying 18 cents a cheque for the priviledge of writing a cheque? I use one order of cheques a year at the most and the cheques predominantly go to two places, my Church and the kids’ schools (for all those hidden fees and such). The Church does offer a direct withdrawal deal, but it is once a month and I don’t like that, and the school, well they have figured out that if they asked me for $1000 fee at the start of the year I’d explode but if they ask for $50 20 times, I won’t complain as much (I may exaggerate, but it feels like that much money, that is for sure)
So what am I to do? Are there cheaper cheque printing services out there? I think it is time to go to my bank and ask why they think I should pay this much for a service that used to be free.
In the USA, there are ads in the Sunday papers for companies that will print checks for about 2 cents each. And you can pick the motif: “I love guns” “Spare the animals”, or “Nintendo rules, or whatever.
If you have line of credit you can get free cheques with all bells and whistels as from regular account. The only problem they give me 20 at a time. 🙂
Some times are a form of marketing for companies. They’re a bit of prestige, especially if they’re all nice and decked out with gold print, embossed etc.
If you’re not worried about the credibility issue then go for no charge checks as suggested. All they have to be is legal tender and negotiable at the bank.
The benefits that these 18¢ checks give you is they’re secured with different features and have your name nicely printed.
If you’re not worried about security, print your own.
just switch to PcFinancial .. I am with them and I get my check for free .. as many as I need! You also get free daily banking, a 4% interest account, etc. (and no, I don’t work for PcFinancial 🙂
You could print your own!
Google “print your own cheques” returns this link:
http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/RBC:RPWUlo71A8UAAXTO2CI/standard006/index.html
amongst others that explains the process.
David