[CS-FSLUG] Confessions of a Dumb Spreadsheet User

[Don Parris]

I tend to download my transactions, not so much for the current
balance, but rather as a way to ensure I'm still within my budget.
I'm not a by-the-books budget freak - I won't blow my top when I blow
my budget for a given area.  But at least I know I need to be a bit
more vigilant.

Of course, it really helps that I'm blessed these days to have enough
money in my accounts that I can go overboard a little without sinking
my ship.  Maybe a better way to describe it is that the ship already
sank, and I'm blessed to have ample supplies in my life raft.  ;-)
Times were really tough for a couple of years, my brothers.  Much
better now, though!

I've been seeing the news about debit card transactions - and have
noticed the banks seem to want us to use our debit cards more like
credit cards anyway.  I love technology, but also have a sense of
hesitancy about trusting any one entity beyond a certain point.

But while I can, I'll take advantage of the various means to manage my
money as well as I can.  :-)

On 4/13/11, Davo Smith <christiansource at davosmith.co.uk> wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 1:51 PM, David McGlone <david at dmcentral.net> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 2011-04-12 at 21:17 -0500, Robert Wohlfarth wrote:
>> > On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 7:23 PM, David McGlone <david at dmcentral.net>
>> > wrote:
>> >         I'm contemplating not using a bank anymore because I know some
>> >         things
>> >         that banks try to hide.. The banks are also changing the way
>> >         they do
>> >         things to try and trip people up and rack up overdraft
>> >         charges. For
>> >         instance, my bank has quit processing online bill pay on the
>> >         weekends
>> >         until the following Monday, they have also quit taking debt
>> >         card
>> >         transactions out of your balance immediately and tries to hold
>> >         them
>> >         longer without showing them on their website. This is a tactic
>> >         to try
>> >         and cause overdrafts.
>> >
>> > That was one reason I started doing the budget before the month
>> > starts. As long as expenses stay under budget, the bank doesn't win.
>> > The hardest part is tracking sinking funds (save a little each month
>> > for big, annual bills). GnuCash's double entry accounting gets in the
>> > way.
>>
>> I agree. What upsets me is the fact that the banks are starting to be
>> very insidious. In my book it is very unethical.
>
>
> Which is why I prefer a bank with some ethical credentials - but I guess the
> Cooperative bank is not available on your side of the pond
> http://www.goodwithmoney.co.uk/why-do-we-need-ethical-policies/
>
> Davo
>


-- 
D.C. Parris, FMP LEED AP O+M
Minister, Security/FM Coordinator, Free Software Advocate
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