Does anyone here actually pay for their checks?
I am looking to switch my bank (HSBC), because they recently stopped offering me free checks with my free checking account. I absolutely refuse to pay for checks, as this is yet another expense that must be budgeted into my life-- a life I am trying to simplify by reducing expenses so that I can retire early.
However, when I did the rounds of most of my neighborhood banks, I was shocked to learn that no one offers free unlimited checks with their free checking account anymore. They either give you only your first order free, or give you a discount, at best. A few years ago many banks offered free checking AND free checks--as many as you needed. Now, the best I could find was Capital One Bank. They offer free checks and free checking, and pay 1% interest on your account for 1 year (they couldn't tell me what they pay after one year, except to say that "it's low"). The catch, however, is that you must maintain a $5,000 balance in order to get these perks.
I don't know about you, but I have a hard time freezing 5k in some dead account just to get free checks. This means that I would need about $10,000 in this low-interest account, 5k liquid, and 5k frozen. I have better places to invest my money.
I am kind of desperate at this point because I have even looked at virtual banks (online-only banks), but these don't suit my needs.
Questions: What local bank do you use for your checking and savings accounts? Do you get free checking and free checks when they run out? Anything you can recommend that I do? I'm really curious how a Mustachian might solve this dilemma.