Checks vs money orders.

[moneysense]

This morning, I am writing out my monthly checks to pay bills with and was just thinking of the differences in using personal checks vs using postal money orders.

With the postal service in such dire straits, using postal money orders can help keep our local post offices alive and well but at $1.20 a piece, the cost can really add up if you have a lot of monthly bills.

On the other hand, there wont be any NSF charges when using postal money orders.

Paying by personal check can be good because that can be done in the comfort of your own home as opposed to standing in the post office for a half hour filling out money orders.

But if you make a mistake when balancing your check book, you can pay around $33 just for one bounced check. And if one bounces then every one you wrote out after that one will too and the cost for the NSF checks can be devastating.

So there are the pros and cons on the use of personal checks vs postal money orders.