The biggest evil

Grr. Money.
What is money? To quote Reality Bites, "Money is just green bits of paper..."

I am not materialistic. Anyone who knows me knows this. However, when it comes to having a roof over my head, food for my cat and other such essentials, it proves to be important. With moving, it is all the more important. With a wedding coming up, it's essential.

Let's move on to issue number one: banks. I hate banks. I understand that, when used properly, they add convenience to life. I understand savings accounts. Why not earn interest on money you have that is tucked away nicely in a protected vault? With all of that being said, one might say, 'Well, Tory, what is your issue with banks then?' Here is a tidbit....when I was a Bank One customer, I cashed a check in the ATM. The ATM ate my check. I immediately went inside and told them that I had a check for X amount and the machine ate it. I explained that I sent out almost the exact same amount in checks that morning to cover utilities and partial rent and I needed to get that check into my account. After quite a few moments of the ol' runaround, she finally told me that I would have to wait until Brinks came to release my check. Then they would put the balance in my account. I asked when that would be. She said later that week. I asked her to put a note on my account, saying that my check was there in case my checks I wrote went through. She refused. Needless to say, I was charged over $700 in overdraft fees, bounced check fees and the money they used to cover my checks. My work check went through the day after these postings, which wasn't enough to cover everything else.
It took my parents going to a Bank One in Indiana, pulling out statements of my family (my entire family uses Bank One) and my father saying that the entire family would pull all of their money if they didn't rectify the situation. They did. To their liking. They still charged me $70 for the overdraft fees. I said that was fine. What I DIDN'T know was they put me on some list that is active for five years. The list is a nationally accessible list of names of people who have a bad record with banks. It was because I was on that list that I wasn't able to open a savings account at the bank I was with at the time (as soon as the crap with Bank One happened, I switched banks even before it was settled....they didn't have me on the list yet).
THEIR machine ate my fucking check. THEIR system didn't allow them to make a note of it on my account. THEY ended up getting $70 out of me AND blacklisted my name to all other financial institutions.

With all of that being said, Steve and I are talking about our future. We are excited to get to the point where we alternate who's previous bill we pay off. We are thinking of all we can save and our lives together. He also wants me to have a joint checking account with him.

Now, what do I do? I am against banks (and there was another similar situation with another bank, but I don't feel like going into it) and all they stand for. They profit on the financial misfortune of others, change their rules and policies without telling their customers (as with the second bank) and are generally part of capitalist America. They are a faceless force that controls people, yet they do good for people. Steve said once we are in a position of being financially okay, they won't be able to fuck us. It's only when someone has no money that they swoop in and reek havoc.

I have survived almost three years without using a bank at all. Currency exchanges provide me with my paycheck money and money orders for rent. A pre-paid credit card provides me with the ability to have money to use over the phone if needed. And I have never been happier.

I admit, in my day of banking, I had quite a few overdraft fees to contend with. I admit I'm not the best at keeping track of using debit cards (ah, the bane of my existence, the convenience!). While I was not the best at keeping track of my finances, the things that were devastating to my credit were not my fault. I paid my overdraft fees. I put quite a few children of bank owners through college with my fees. But I always paid them.

I just don't know. Maybe I wasn't ready to be a grown up and be responsible. Maybe with Steve I am finally to that point and should reconsider banks again. But I remember the stress of those situations, the worry and lost sleep. The extra money I spent and the refusal of those institutions to work with me in situations their institution created. I remember crying to my parents to help me out.

This is my conundrum. I guess if I have something I am prideful about, it's my loathing of fucking banks. But if there is something I am more sure of than that, it's my love for Steve and our future together. This may not seem like a big deal, but I feel it it. I think he feels the same. Arg.