Do cheque your dates; Cash point.

Byline: TRICIA PHILLIPS

POST-dating cheques may seem a good way to budget - but it could backfire and leave you with hefty charges.

There is no guarantee a cheque will not be processed before the date you have written on it, experts say.

"All banks have different terms and conditions and this could be a dangerous move for anyone hoping to defer a payment until they have sufficient funds available," says a spokesman for APACS, which runs the clearing system for banks.

"Cheques are legally valid for up to six years and banks are more likely to notice if a cheque is out of date, rather than pre-dated. People run the risk of a cheque being cleared early and could end up with charges and fees for straying into an unauthorised overdraft, exceeding an authorised overdraft or for having a cheque returned."

Most companies have automated systems and cheques are simply presented to banks as soon as they are received.

It may be wiser to speak to whomever you owe money and arrange a payment date when you have the money available.