Then save the money you're no longer wasting. It may not make you rich, but you'll feel a lot smarter. Stop bouncing checks They're so easy to avoid, particularly with the bounced-check protection that 70 percent of the nation's banks offer their customers. Even so, about 68 million checks bounce each year. However, the financial damage doesn't stop with the bank.
Merchants also charge fees for returned checks.
If you aren't sure whether you have money in your account, don't write a check. If the expense can't be delayed or avoided, use a credit card. Leaving a balance on even a high-rate card for a short time costs less than a rubber check. They charge you that much so that you won't park there. Add the cost of parking in a red zone, a fire lane or in front of a fire hydrant, and L.A. residents are paying tens of millions of dollars to park illegally.