Online bill payments

OK, you know you have spent to much time online when you are willing to transfer money through a bunch of accounts just so you don't have to drive the 3 minutes to the bank.

It is an interesting phenomena, this online banking. I have been using it for years and I am at the point that I will not hold a credit card or open a bank account unless I can access the information online and download it into Quicken. For that matter, I will not even write a check unless I can print it out from Quicken. Financially I am a slave to technology. And yet, for the most part I am alright with this fact.

I have a copy of the program safe and sound in the pile of computer software that I would need WHEN not if my computer crashes. I have a copy of the data on a flash drive that I keep in my fireproof safe. Which means that anyone who is devious enough could find out pretty much everything about me financially if they can get through the layers of passwords and encryption I have added beyond what is offered by Quicken.

The biggest problem is that I have to remember about 20 different passwords. That can get a bit frustrating when I can't remember one of them. I am so paranoid that I won't write them down. Sure, most banks will let you rest the password but often they want you to wait for the new temp password to arrive via snail mail. Ahg. So I guess that is incentive not to forget the passwords.

All in all, online banking ROCKS! I am never past due, I know exactly how much money I don't have, and I can tell you exactly where I spent that last $100.00 because Quicken will be happy to create a report, build grafts, and even scold me for going over budget.

So, who needs those debt consolidation/repair people. Just get Quicken and put in all your numbers. It will be happy to make you feel stupid for over-spending.

Cheers.