Who still writes checks at the grocery store?

I write checks at the grocery store. I have a check card for my personal account, but not for the household account.

NOT having an atm/check card keeps better track of spending from household account.

Then, I am also a person who understands that no one's head will explode if I don't get where I need to go immediately.

I'm older than the lady you describe, and NEVER write a check unless it's the only, or the cheapest, method to pay that obligation. Quick example is a race that lets you register through active.com or by mail. If time allows, I'll mail in my app with a check to avoid giving Lance and company my fees.

But, no, I never write a check in a store that takes the debit card. Plus I get reward points for using my debit card, so I'm amassing points toward free airfare to our next out-of-state race.

It's not an age thing but rather a mental block that the lady in question has.

Fixed that for you! 

Do NOT have a debit card and do not want one.  Have ONE credit card and a checkbook.  Our grocery store down not accept credit cards, only debit and checks.  Therefore, I write checks.  If you are behind me in line, deal with it.

EDIT:  Had a debit card while in college.  Haven't had one since I left Arizona in April of 1997.  Life works just fine without one.

My mom (who is 71) can't get used to the fact that her debit card is not actually a credit card. We've been over this time and time again. She insists on using her BP gas card and going to a BP station always, even if there is a cheaper gas station across the street. Her reason is that she doesn't have a card to that station. I tell her, use your debit card and you can get gas anywhere.

She says ok, and then pulls into the BP.

One of these days I'm gonna run screaming from the car.

Another check writer here.........I only use checks at the grocery store and places like Walmart (they have electronic check writers).  I sign my name as I'm waiting in line and add the entry in my register, and update it as the check is being processed.

I don't understand why people are so impatient - it literally takes no longer than using a debit card and entering a PIN.

And by the way - I do rent DVD's, but I also have a VCR.........so there. 

I rarely write checks anymore either, but don't get too bothered by someone else doing it--UNLESS they don't bother to fill in the date/store name/signature while waiting in line, and then also have to record the transaction in their register, and do the subtraction while still standing there. That's what bugs me. The last time I was behind someone writing a check at the grocery store, she didn't even take her wallet out of her purse until after the cashier had announced the total. Then she started the whole series of events above. Seriously, it took her about 10 minutes to pay for her groceries.

No, I'm usually not in a huge hurry to get somewhere; I just see it as basic courtesy to keep the line moving when others are waiting, I guess.

I think I've written maybe 3 checks in the last 2 yrs.  The city taxes have to have the paper that came in the mail with them.  Other than that, it's ALL online bill pay.

Yes, there is the efficiency aspect, but for me, it's more of a money savings thing.  I don't have to buy checks, I don't pay for stamps and I don't have to buy an envelope.  If I owe you money, I will go online, set you up as a payee and BOA will mail you a check.  It's that simple.  And don't people realize that when you write that check and THEN decide to balance your check book it can be done with the receipt the same way as the carbon copy check.

A debit card and a check book are the same thing.  So for the sanity of those behind you in line...PLEASE get rid of your check book and use the debit card.

People are so impatient, because not everyone is like you and is prepared...we had a similar experience as the OP over the weekend.  The mid to late 40ish woman did not even take out her checkbook and start writing until after the total was presented to her.  then it took her a long long time to finish everything...then, she stood at the counter and wrote down a bunch of stuff in her register...there was a woman in between her and I...who finally snapped and asked the woman to move, so that everyone else could get through...the woman just looked at the rest of the line and then moved slowly away without saying anything...it was almost surreal.  Funny thing for me is, I was worse at balancing a check book then I am at the debit card...and I am not that good at that either.

I own a retail business and would say that between 5 - 10% of our cclientel write cheques. Sure it takes a little longer but it also gives time for a little "howdy doodie" chat. I also know that sometimes debit cards and equipment can malfunction and take a lot longer to rectify than the time it takes to write a cheque.

We can't control everything. 

What about the woman who paid for her groceries with singles? 

Yep.  $195 in groceries and she paid for it with singles. 

I'm HOPING she was a waitress.

I write checks for church.  That's about it.  Everything else is debit card or online bill pay.  I can't remember the last time I sent a bill through the mail...I even pay my medical bills through my online HSA account...

The grocery store I go to doesn't accept credit cards, only debit (with PIN), check or cash.  Most of the time I don't even have my checkbook with me, so debit it is.

Know what really bugs me is these a-holes that have credit cards and debit cards but then the magnet doesn't read when they swipe it. So then I have to wait for them to re-swipe their card like five times before the cashier has to manually input it. I mean really, I could have written 8 checks in that time. But of course none of that's their fault because they can't control the technology, right? Don't you know who I am? Don't you know that what I have to do is a lot more important than what you have to do? Really you should have just let me in front of you when you saw me coming up to the line. And let me guess, you didn't check your eggs before you got to the line either. So now in addition to the 60 seconds I already had to wait for your credit/debit card fiasco, I now have to wait another whole 30 seconds?! WTF?! You better not get any weird fruits or vegetables that the cashier doesn't know the code on either. That might be another 15 seconds to look it up and I just don't have that kind of time. Frankly, you're lucky I don't just pick up that little piece of produce and chuck it at your head. Or maybe I could just wave it in front of your face asking, "Why did you have to get one of these? Don't you know there's other produce that's just as good that the cashier knows the code for?" I'm sure anyone would feel I'm justified after you clearly and deliberately wasted 105 seconds of my precious time. The nerve.

You did a wonderful job of showing how a mature 27 year old should act. Well played.

Grow up.

Rarely use a credit card, and don't have a debit card, pay cash mostly or write a check.

I think the convenience of writing a check at one time was if I didn't have enough in the account, I could write a check and still have a couple of days of "forgiveness" to deposit to cover the possible overdrawn.

More of a security issue is forgetting the debit card, which I have heard of happening numerous time, and the magnetic reader issues.

My wife who is a credit union manager in the loans dept., was a collections manager, and was a paralegal for almost 15 years, might be able to provide me the better pros and cons regarding debit cards vs checks.  I'll find out and post her response by tomorrow, hopefully.