27 August 2010

Balancing Act

Balancing my checkbook is a job I find myself saving for a time when I need to feel like I have control over something. When I can't do anything about anything else, I can balance my checkbook. I can be totally obsessive about chasing down that three cent discrepancy. I can make the numbers line up. This is something I can do.

On my retirement income this is not a task for the faint of heart, mind. Like watching a train wreck, it can really get my heart racing. When I still had my day job, I could be reasonably confident that the balance, when I got to the bottom of the page, would be positive. Now it's somewhat more exciting. The number at the bottom of the page is another thing I can't entirely control, but whatever its value, I can sure as heck make sure the bank thinks it's the same as I do.

I need to balance my checkbook.

3 comments:

  1. I used to be meticulous about this task until I had a job doing reconciliation accounting on retirement plans. That cured me or scarred me depending on how you look at it. I usually do this task once a year now and write-off the $50 or so bucks I can't figure out.

    Good luck chasing your pennies and gaining some control!

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  2. OMG I so suck at the Checkbook thing. More power to you - I am impressed.

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  3. ACK this post is making me very nervous. I need to leave before I hyperventilate.....LOL

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