This is why I'm so danged paranoid about taking our checking account down to under $200. Last weekend, our checking account showed that we had over $3000. I paid some bills, made some credit card payments and took it down to $295.28.
I wasn't sure if a payment was due for Mr. A's COBRA; I wasn't sure if last month was the last payment, or this month. A call on Monday confirmed it was this month, so I had a check go out by Billpay.
That took the account down to $150.03.
Two transactions which I did not record on the weekend (did not have receipts for them as I put every single receipt into Quicken last weekend), from August 13th, and which the bank did not show any signs of as of Sunday the 16th, hit the bank later on Monday.
That took the account down to $110.98.
Then the one automatic payment bill I'd forgotten to log hit the bank and took the account down to $37.31 on Friday.
Also on Friday, when Big A and I were out and about, I needed to withdraw some cash. I bought a pair of shoelaces for his “new” thrift store shoes for $2.17 and got $40 cash.
That caused the account to overdraw by $4.86.
LUCKILY, thank the Lord above, I called the bank on Wednesday, talked to my personal banker, and had the checking account backed by the savings account for overdraft protection.
The bank moves $35 over at a time, and charges a $10 fee for the overdraft protection. $10 for each time they move over increments of $35!
After I discovered the problem, I moved $200 over from savings into the checking, just in case. I'll move it back when I know it's safe.
Dagnabbit!
I hate it when I forget something! It sounds like you made the right move by transferring some of your savings into your chequing account.
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Don’t you hate it when that happens! I keep $50 in the checking account that I don’t ever spend; show it as being spent in my check register. As a backup, I also have my savings account linked like you do.
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