Paying $20 to $40 for a box of checks seems ridiculous in the era of peer-to-peer payments.
And it pretty much is considering there are smarter ways to pay your landlord, even if he can't tell the difference between Yahoo and Gmail.
"If a box of checks costs $15 and you pay ten bills per month by check, over the course of a year you'll spend $70, based on the current price of a stamp," explains Money Crashers founder Andrew Schrage.
That's a massive waste of money, so if your landlord isn't hip to Square or Visa's p2p service, then try this alternative: Online bill pay.
Most banks offer it, and these days don't need you to input a company or utility provider in order to issue a manual check to a human.
Though the set-up process differs from bank to bank, essentially all you need to do is enter your landlord's name, address and other contact info. under the "Payments" tab, then tell the bank how often to issue the check (bi-monthly, weekly, etc.)
If you're unsure whether your bank offers this service, just give them a call. Trust us, it'll be easier than having to remind yourself to cut a paper check each month—and spending $70 on dead trees with a Scooby Doo design.
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