It was a dozen years ago when I had an awful lot on my plate trying to balance everything.  Dealing with my mom with Alzheimer's while running a growing real estate business as a solo agent. One day my delightful husband inquired about my checking account. Now you need to understand that Lee is a Wharton School Graduate, and his checkbook balances to the penny - always.

 

"Your checkbook is a mess," he said. "You have no idea how much money you have." My answer, of course, was "Sure I do. It's within a couple thousand dollars." You can imagine the exasperated look on his face. He said, "If you reconcile your account, I will take it over."

 

I'm not sure that he even figured I heard what he said. But the next day I looked at my checkbook to find the address of the bank; how else would I ever know where it was located? I went into the bank and said,       "Please close this account and open a new one."          

 

I returned home and placed the brand new reconciled check book on my husband's desk.

There was that exasperated look again, but I think also a wee bit proud...as if I put one over on him.  I did what he asked. The checkbook was balanced and reconciled. I just did it differently than he would. It made sense to me. I could have spent hours, days, even weeks adding, subtracting, entering, and  deleting. But in the end I felt the bank would be right, so why should I do it? My time is much more valuable.

 

I have told this story lots of times. In fact, when I speak to groups it is one my favorite ways of explaining time management and how I am able to work without an assistant. It 's always interesting to see the reactions. Some people laugh and applaud, while others say, "Oh, my, you could have cost yourself hundreds of dollars!"        But I believe this is the way a Type E thinks. 

 

And yes, Lee still does take care of my account. I use the kind of checks that create a copy when one is written, so everything he needs is there. It's wonderful that I don't even have to think of this task any more. 

 

Oh, and while I was delegating....I no longer open my mail, either.

http://www.homerome.com/

Baltimore,Md.

 
Post is included in group: Type E Personality
Post is included in group: $100 or 100 minutes, Techy time savers!
Post is included in group: Encouraging_Posts

15 Comments on CHECKS and BALANCES

Thank goodness it's not just me, Margaret!!!  I have that exact bookkeeping method.  I'm actually hiring a bookkeeper to do my books every month...

01/26/2007 09:46 PM by Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Bryan College Station)


Chris, I hear wonderful things about you from Karen.  Would love to talk with you! Have you signed up for the CyberStar(tm) group?

01/26/2007 10:24 PM by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)


congratulations on getting your checkbook straight - I just figure if the ATM card works, I must have money.

whats wrong with that?

Now Have a Blessed Day, 

John Occh, Hemet CA REALTOR
http://www.johnocchi.com/

01/26/2007 11:58 PM by John Occhi Hemet CA Real Estate (Century 21 Crest - Crest REO)


I used to be like your husband. I would sit and balance the checkbook to the peeny. It actually isn't that hard but takes sometime. I noticed my son never balanced his..of course he never had anything to balance anyway! per say.

However..with all the new technology I've switched to an bank account where I pay for all my billes etc. online and it automatically balances it for me. So Ino longer sit and do it manually. As you I'm busy and have better things to do.

01/27/2007 02:10 AM by Danny Smith (DISCOVER TEXAS HOMES)


Margaret, you have such great ideas and wonderful approaches to business!  We always need to remember that there is more than one way to accomplish a task.

01/27/2007 06:07 PM by Sharon Simms St Pete Florida CRS CIPS CLHMS (RE/MAX Metro)


John, Is that the same thinking as: "I have plenty of checks so there must be plenty of money!"

Danny, Very practical and good use of technology.

Karen and Sharon, Two of my favorites, I am sure that you both would have come up with this same solution.

01/28/2007 02:50 PM by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)


Margaret -- Oh my!  You just decribed me!  Now where to find someone to open my mail!

01/29/2007 10:18 AM by Western New York Home Sales | Colleen Kulikowski (Hunt Real Estate ERA)


Colleen, Find someone who doesn't mind the chore and trade with them for something you don't mind doing.  For example...If you like to decorate for others, see if you can get them to open your mail. LOL

 

01/29/2007 01:03 PM by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)


Margaret -- great idea!  

Here is some of my handy work...  I am just about ready to publish all the photos and put this project to bed and onto other more productive things...

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

01/30/2007 01:48 PM by Western New York Home Sales | Colleen Kulikowski (Hunt Real Estate ERA)


Colleen,Looks lovely and I know you had lots of fun putting this place together! What's your next project?

 

01/30/2007 10:19 PM by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)


Margaret, this was great. After I read this I called a friend of mine that does this with her checkbook(s) and I do all her bookkeeping now. Whenever there is a problem balancing her checkbook(s) she tells me she will just close the account and open a new one so that she has a "clean slate" and can begin "anew". I didn't realize that others did this too!! :)  What a hoot!!!  After reading this to her, the only comment she had was "makes sense, will you open my mail for me now?"  LOL

 

04/24/2007 11:34 PM by Lisa Wopschall (Blue Pacific Realty)


Lisa, No way was I going to spend time reconciling that book. This is the way a type e works. Figure out the problem and voila..the solution appears! You friend is lucky to have you as a bookkeeper! Are you a manager or a translator.

04/24/2007 11:42 PM by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)


So that's the benefit of being married to someone who is not identical to yourself!  I keep checking my balances on the internet - never have a clue how much is in there.  Sigh.  Just can't get into it, makes my skin crawl....

06/11/2007 08:45 AM by David & Lisa Webber, www.webberteam.com (RE/MAX Vision)


Just keep making enough, put the money in the bank  and hope there is enough to write checks. It is a good idea to check to make sure you haven't withdrawn more than you put in. Thanks for stopping by.

06/11/2007 10:15 AM by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)


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Real Estate Agent: Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)
Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com
Baltimore, MD
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