Reply #9: This is what I did to avoid that. I am not saying you were not screwed royally.

[county worker]

I made a spreadsheet. Each row is a bill or some type of spending like car payment or insurance or food or ATM or other things.

Each column is a payday.

I start off with my known balance and add my paycheck then subtract any spending. If is was on a debit card I go on line every day and add to the spread sheet what was paid. My credit union posts what I spend almost instantly. I also have gross amounts that count for spending until I get the real data. For instance I have gasoline as $100 until I get the real amounts which I post when I have them. It is sort of a cash flow budget kind of thing. If anyone wants to do the same PM me and I'll try to make it available to you.

I hate what the banks do also but I had to find a way to protect myself. My wife and I look at my spreadsheet each day. We can tell what we spent money on for the last two years.