My bank and my phone. & 2 shall become 1.

I had some fun fall photos to share.... theyre still on the camera. They would have been perfect for a "Wordless Wednesday" but no such luck. I guess Im just one for many words. (truth)

My husband has a website, he kind of does a wordpress blog on his own site. Its kinda cool. He writes about technology. See, hes is a technology obsessed freak. Gadgety to the max. So is his sister. And even his Grandpa a little bit. Just little gadgets that do useless tricks amuse him to no end.

Technology is huge. I really am not one for change. I like things Im familiar with, I think to an extent all people are somewhat this way. I am probably moreso than some.

I wrote checks and and put snail mail stamps on them until just a few months ago.

Over this past year my life has changed drastically. The way I have done things, the way Ive gone about business has just been huge. And its all because I made technological advances. Upgrades.

Im impressed. With the technology, but also with myself!

Personal advances in 2010:

Banking
We switched to a bank that is online only. No physical locations. Everything is done online and over the phone. I always banked at the friendly little corner bank prior. I would walk there, ride my bike there, walk in &conduct transactions at the counter. It was hard to make his jump, but Im so glad I did. It has simplified my life to no end. I've received the best customer service ever.

My phone
Samsung Epic, L.O.V.E.

I love the cell phone concept, Im not that ancient. We havent had a land line in 7 years, its been just our cells. Ive always wanted to have a phone where my numbers were first and foremost. Its a phone. Calling people should be its primary function, therefore my numbers keypad needed to be front and center. My husband got the Epic. He needed something for work that would give him more web freedom as well as manage his email easier. He upgraded. I fell in love with his phone, I followed.

Combine the 2. Phone and Banking
O.M.G. This is like revolutionary breakthrough.
We use one primary checking account, we run the debit card like its going out style. Very rarely do we carry cash. I do debits, he does debits, it all hits the same account. The book usually stayed in my purse as thats where it fit. Hed come home and either enter the receipts himself, or have to report them to me, OR better yet Id have to get them off the bank website days later because he'd forget to even let me know he'd done a debit. Sometimes he'd remember he did one, but then Id get this, "Oh hey, I stopped at autozone on the way home but I don't remember how much it was..." Niice. Thanks honey.

It was just too many steps. Too inconvenient.

Now, we get to experience pure "appiness" because we have an app called "Clear Checkbook" Its amazing. We have one username/pass, were both always logged in on our phones and its safe because its not linked to any real account, just our ledger. So I pull it up, enter my amount, he enters his, and we can both see whats going on at all times. It just keeps the balance for us.

In addition to this, my online bank has an app for our phone which works nice too, its protected with a pin, so someone who picks up my phone can't get in. It works so smooth. I paid my bills this morning from my phone.

And on top of this. I can use my phone to deposit checks. I take a picture of the front and back of the check, enter the amount and submit it and viola! My money is there. Like now. Then I just write void on the actual copy of the check and get rid of it.

Its so easy!

I wonder what it'll be next.....