A Boring Dystopia

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[–] MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Getting a checking account with no overdraft fees is definitely a plus in those situations

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[–] Confused_Emus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

Recurring charges like utility bills are often processed regardless of overdraft protection status - ultimately at the bank’s discretion, and you can be sure they’ll pick the option that gets them the most fees. Overdraft protection only seems to stop you from using your card for a new transaction with insufficient funds.

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[–] MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 year ago*

Yeah I meant banks that allow overdraft but charge no fees, Ally for example.

Using a credit card is also a good option, just as long as the budget is managed correctly to avoid running up more and more debt.

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[–] JustOneMoreCat@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 year ago (1 child)

Once I bounced a check to our water company and they refused to take checks or credit cards from me for a YEAR as a punishment. It was a one-time accident after paying on time for around seven years. I literally had to drive my ass down there with cash. It's a small rural water service, not a big corporation - they chose to be complete assholes even after I explained the situation (we had a baby that month and forgot a monthly $ transfer in the chaos).

Same mistake probably cost us $120 in overdraft fees. Society financially punishes people who need money the most and rewards the people who have plenty. It's ridiculous.

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[–] bdonvr 4 points 1 year ago*

I once had my electricity bill bounce, and they forced me to pay a deposit of $250. So the amount I owed went from $100 to $350. Plus a late fee. And they never return the deposit until I had paid on time for 2 years.

That was a bad time.

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[–] Landless2029@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Peanut butter and bread it is!

Food banks are a godsend in these situations. Don't donate money. Find a local community center that offers assistance and donate foodstuffs. Things like rice, canned beans and mixed veggies are always welcome.

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[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 17 points 1 year ago (4 children)

From what I understand food banks would rather your money than those nasty old cans in the back of the pantry

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[–] Mirshe@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Actually, yes. Donate what food you can, but I promise they have enough cans of beans, bags of rice, etc to last until Jesus comes. Especially because different areas have different people - one local pantry might just need a little bit of everything, while another one on the north side of your city needs a lot of vegetarian and halal options because of the people it serves in that area. Especially, donating money lets that food bank get things that aren't strictly necessary, but can make life that much more bearable - pastries, cookies, candy, snack foods, etc. Sure, it's not healthy and I can hear you all sighing from here, but imagine this is your sole source of food for the month. Having a package of shelf-stable Little Debbies or whatever can seriously make your day just a little more bearable, instead of going "oh boy beans and rice for the 23rd time this month."