Saturday, September 27, 2008

What your checks say about you

I'm the PTA Treasurer for our middle school. How I fell into this job is a mystery to me to this day, but that's another story. Today I'm thinking about you and your checks.

Seems like just a few years ago I wrote a lot of checks; for groceries, department store purchases, whatever. But I think I'm like a lot of women who now write checks rarely. We pay online, or use our credit card.

But we still need checks, like when we need to write one to the PTA.

I just put $16,000+ into the bank today in small checks. They were for our magazine drive. After spending countless hours handling all these checks I have a few things I want to get off my chest.

  1. Disney and Tinker Bell are cute on checks, if a little juvenile. Nice little flowers and designs? Shows you care about these little aesthetic details in your life. Spongebob Squarepants on your checks? I'm worried about you.
  2. Checks shredded across the top - is it really so hard to tear them out? Try pulling down instead of up.
  3. Handwriting. Other than your signature, where you are free to scribble away, you really need to try to make it legible. Some of these checks had to go through a committee of us to figure out what they might say. Printing is best. Slow down.
  4. Some of you write your cents as xx/oo's. But those xx's often look like 44's or 99's or 55's . Aren't we supposed to write no/100's? Is there a rule book somewhere?
  5. Don't write on the back. That's the recipient's spot to endorse or sign over for cash. Why would you write "for deposit only?" Maybe I don't want to deposit it. You're taking up my space.
  6. Write it down in your register. Do you know how many people have written a check to the PTA for the same thing twice? You'd be surprised. Write it down.
  7. When I contact you to tell you that your check bounced, I'm as embarrassed as you are. I'm just a mom here, volunteering. But who writes a bad check to the PTA anyway? I'm sure it was just a mistake. Just write me another one (that's good) and we'll forget about it. No need to keep apologizing.
Ok, I'm done ranting now. Can I say how awesome you are for donating to your school? Especially here in California where we have some of the lowest per-student funding in the nation, we depend on parent participation.

I'm talking to you, single mom out there, who didn't order magazines but just wrote the PTA a check for $500. You make my whole job worthwhile.

19 people stopped folding laundry to write:

Anonymous said...

My checks are so boring..nothing on them...no frills...I used to have wine glasses on my checks and wine barrels...now...blank bank checks.

Does this mean I am more sophisticated now or just way to busy to worry about it.

Laura said...

It may come as NO surprise to you that my husband and I had "I Love Lucy" checks as our last cute checks.
Before that we had Superheroes.
Now we have....green checks.

My personal checking account has angels on it...cuz you know- I'm an angel.

Interesting post topic.

Carissa(GoodnCrazy) said...

How funny. ....and brave. I suppose at least one of those mommy's knows about your blog???


and hey, do you know I can't reply directly to your comments via email? I really wanted to today, cuz you left a funny comment....

If you want to link your email with your blogger profile, I left a tute today!

Jillybean said...

My checks have puppies and kittens on them. I didn't have much to chose from. I really wanted "Loony Toons" checks, but they weren't available.
If Spongebob checks had been an option, I would have totally chosen those.
(go ahead, worry about me ;0)

Scary Mommy said...

Very informative! I'm so cheap that I just use the free ugly bank ones. But I do 00 the cents. I'll start x-ing just for you.

And regarding my breakup post, totally not you, LOL. I love my cyber friends buy wouldn't get quite that worked up about them :)

Scary Mommy said...

Very informative! I'm so cheap that I just use the free ugly bank ones. But I do 00 the cents. I'll start x-ing just for you.

And regarding my breakup post, totally not you, LOL. I love my cyber friends buy wouldn't get quite that worked up about them :)

Cheryl Lage said...

Okay, let the worrying begin....
No, not Spongebob, by My Little Pony. My daughter has outgrown them, but something about seeing StarCatcher, FizzyPop and Pinkie Pie makes the check writing process less painful. Before MLP we had WONDERFUL Where the Wild Things Are checks, so I had to "balance" (ugh, bad check writing pun) the scales from a he-child fave to a her-child fave. Cheaper by the multi-box order, so there you are, and still I write them.

(Laura, I used to have the I Love Lucy checks! :) )

Nancy said...

hmmm. mine have been some form of Winnie the Pooh for years and years...perhaps it's time for me to grow up a bit :D

And ya - I totally thought it was a rule to do the no/100...at least, that was the way I was taught to do it...

WIDNEY WOMAN said...

I thought you were supposed to put xx/00 or 00/00. Didn't know about the no/00. I'm an xx kinda girl. Hmmm...In more ways that one - at least I'm not XXX.

Anonymous said...

wow. that is awesome...

hey I am taking a 'commenting break' (way too much stress about it) but please know I will be here for every single post. I promise!

Alisa said...

Feel free to worry about me...Spongebob checks were on sale for $1.32 a box at Walmart.com. I'm animated and cheap, but the teenagers love my checks! lol
I feel for you, I too serve my PTA proudly! You get to know way too much about some people.

Kellan said...

Oh, I am still writing a lot of checks - can't get away from writing checks. I also write very legible.

Take care - Kellan

Des said...

FIRST: I thought this post said, What your "cheeks" say about you? I'll wait anxiously for that post.

Okay, so you nailed me. I'm juvenile. Tink covers my checks, Bambi covers my credit card and Snow White is all over my wallet. I embrace my adolescent Disney fanatisim most of the time. It's hard, however, when I'm with my more 'mature' friends and they pay their bills out of their Dolce & Gabbana wallets and purses. :)

Anissa Mayhew said...

I have Spongebob on my checks. Not for my kids. That's for me. 'Nuff said.

Eileen said...

Hmmm. I never heard of people putting xx's on checks. We were taught to write out "and no cents". But I started getting lazy and for years have been putting 00/100.

I think it is very creative that you write a blog about this. :-)

What A Card said...

Let's just say that someone had the Simpsons on their checks. What would that say about them? And let's just say that this certain someone has to write a Simpsons check today to pay for her kids' preschool. Do you think my, oops, I mean, *her*, kids will be treated with extra sympathy?

Claremont First Ward said...

My checks still have my address from 3 years ago on them. Totally plain.......I avoid writing em if I can. :)

Lelia said...

I have plain checks - the least expensive ones from the bank. What does that say about me???

LOL -- i've enjoyed your blog this a.m.

Tonya Staab said...

We had an entire book of checks stolen last year so we immediately set everything up to pay on-line. Now we only write checks to the PTA and occasionally our landscaping company. I tried going for some really girly checks the last time hubby was away, he came back none to happy about this and made me sign every check written LOL.

I just realised you are a Cali girl too. I'm moving up your way next summer.

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