Younger Generations Don't Know How to Balance a Checkbook
By LooeyVille
@LooeyVille (37)
United States
September 8, 2025 7:52am CST
These younger folks have zero financial literacy. And I blame their parents. Why isn't somebody teaching them this stuff?
If you ask a Gen Z person, they will say there's no point in learning how to balance a checkbook. They will say, "What's the point?" Because nowadays online banking and digital wallets are what everybody does.
The skills of balancing a checkbook have become forgotten.
But even if you're doing Apple Pay transfers or Debit Card transactions, you still need to keep track of how much you're spending and what your balance is.
Like I said yesterday, many in Gen Z Generation have grown up more or less in a cashless society.
My mom, born in 1942, never balanced her checkbook. My mother-in-law, born in 1943, never balances her checkbook. People have gotten lazy.
9 people like this
9 responses
@LindaOHio (200165)
• United States
20h
I always balance my checkbook; and I think it should be taught in high school along with basic budgeting.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (78550)
• United States
23h
I’m lazy, but what I did was put my checkbook in a spreadsheet. All I have to do is enter it and the spreadsheet does the work for me. What I do for “balancing” purposes is to make sure I have an even balance (example, if I have 1043.22 after all the bills are paid I’ll put 43.22 in savings so my checking account is $1000.00) so I know immediately if it’s right. And I definitely check it once a month, at least.
It’s not just the parents’ fault. I think finance math should be a requirement. You’ve seen the joke about “it’s my birthday, and it’s ANOTHER year where I didn’t use algebra once!” 
Instead of making algebra mandatory, mathematics revolving around finances should be mandatory in school. Things like figuring interest rates (people go to a car dealership and ask how much the payment is, not how much they’re being charged to buy the car), budgeting, and, absolutely, balancing checkbooks are essential to life.
Instead of making algebra mandatory, mathematics revolving around finances should be mandatory in school. Things like figuring interest rates (people go to a car dealership and ask how much the payment is, not how much they’re being charged to buy the car), budgeting, and, absolutely, balancing checkbooks are essential to life.2 people like this
@xFiacre (14296)
• Ireland
8 Sep
@looeyville I like to know how much is there (or not) down to the last penny.
2 people like this
@porwest (107346)
• United States
8 Sep
This is one area of contention for me. Not just not knowing how to balance a checkbook. But the "out of sight, out of mind" nature of credit card and debit spending. Most people don't even track their receipts anymore, and they have no idea what they are actually spending.
It's part of the reason we have a bit of a financial crisis in this nation with most people.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (195710)
• United States
8 Sep
They may never have to write a check. Using checks and cursive writing are things that are not really required much in today's society, and probably less in the future. Not sorry about checks, but cursive writing is an art that really should not be lost.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (86130)
• United States
8 Sep
I get the same response from my grandkids...who writes a check anymore. What's even sadder is if I give them a check for a birthday, etc they don't know how to deposit it.
2 people like this
