DEALING WITH PESKY ERRORS

WHEN BALANCING A CHECKBOOK OR ACCOUNT it's so simple to make an error that will literally drive you crazy for about half an hour or longer. An example of one of the errors I make is writing down the wrong amount for a withdrawal or charge from the receipt. And of course, I know I don't have to double check myself because I never would make such an error. HA! And I never find it out even when I'm checking off the receipts against the statement. Sure, maybe the figure isn't there, but I just put it aside and continue to try to balance the account. So, we aren't all perfect, and this will happen ( more times than I can count.) I've even tried head math when my little calculator wasn't with me and boy oh boy, age sure doesn't help when it comes to head math. And I was taught without a calculator in school. Even if you don't have your spindle or didn't even write it down (don't recommend at all), you will find out the amount. I guess this could be considered one of the challenges of managing money, but I tend to lose my good sense of humor at this point. If you're like me, you don't have time to be looking for a stray few cents, but in the long-run, those few cents could add up if ignored. One year, our bank accidentally credited our checking account with $100.00. We had it for an entire year, but I have worked with financial institutes and I knew that eventually they would find it, and they did. The very next end of the year statement showed a correction and they took it away. I never did use that money, but it really bugged me every time I had to balance my checking account. They would show it was there every month. In all the accounts I've had with different banks, the errors are few and not of any consequence, and a lot of times errors are from the places I buy things from. Some actually miss-handle the charges or they lose the papers. The new machines have eliminated a lot of paper work, but postings are still done by hand and can be miss-handled easily. But this is rare so rely on their mistakes. Your mistakes are of much more importance.
ALWAYS HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT IS IN YOUR ACCOUNT but remember the available balance the banks have going on. After a few years of this training about handling your money, you will be able to know exactly where you are. Don't rely on what you will get tomorrow, because things always change. Only work with what is actually there and this should help eliminate any mistakes. Mistakes can become costly. My grandson opened his first checking account and ran an inquiry to see that the money was there. Not being familiar with the banks available balance method, he started spending and began a cycle of charges that kept adding up. When he finally asked them what was going on and had a face-to-face with a consultant at the bank, they explained it to him and he stopped spending to catch up with all the extra fee charges they had added to his account. He was still able to run an inquiry to see his balance, and a lot of times it was right to the figure in his checkbook. It was an expensive lesson, but at an early start and one he won't soon forget. But it is your money, so check out the bank you want to deal with and learn all their requirements.