The Check's in the Mail

The Check's In the Mail is a song Schoolhouse Rock!, which can be seen in Money Rock. The song teachs us how to use checks.

Lyrics
''The check's in the mail

The check is in the mail

And it ought to be there Tuesday without fail

If you have got a bill to pay

Or something you need to buy

Just write the check and send it off in the mail ''

Millions of Americans go out every day With a checkbook in their purse They might have a little cash to pay for their lunch And a little to get home on the bus But if they suddenly decide to make a purchase or shop They whip it out and write out the exact amount With some I.D., then they sign it And they walk out with the stuff That they paid for with their checking account

The check's in the mail The check is in the mail And it ought to be there Wednesday without fail When you need to send some money Do what business folk do Just write a check and send it off in the mail Every month you've got a little bundle to pay Like the rent, the lights, the phone, and the car Write 'em out for each amount and send 'em away With an enevelope and stamp they'll go far It really is a safer way for you to pay all your bills And so you ought to open up your own account Your check is just a written order only you can write That tells your bank to pay someone a certain amount

The check's in the mail The check is in the mail And it ought to be there Thursday without fail You can keep your money moving with a flick of the wrist And you're happy that the check's in the mail

Mailman: Now you may wonder what happens when you send a check to someone, and how it gets back to your bank. Well, that someone deposits your check into their account and then, through an electronic flow of digital information, your check is cleared by a central bank and comes back to your bank where, at that point, the amount is deducted from your account and paid over to theirs. So it's obvious that you've got to keep enough money in your checking account to stay in the black. Otherwise, you'll write a "hot check" and that sucker's gonna bounce -- and that's illegal!

Once a month your bank will send a statement to you So you'll know just where you stand Listing all your checks and charges and deposits too To help you stay ahead and keep things in hand And you should learn to be real careful with your checkbook and your checks And keep track of every little amount Now you compare your figures with the bank's And if it all adds up Then you can say that you have balanced your account

The check's in the mail The check is in the mail And it's got to be there Friday without fail But just remember that you've got to have some income coming in Before you send out all those checks in the mail

I'm sure it'll be there next week, sometime!