Question about writing a check

Ok, so this is not exactly about my son but I need some advice... So, this is extremely embarrassing to talk about because we are normally doing ok financially but we were pretty much out of food this week and my fiancé does not get payed until thursday. My question is...we just wrote a check and he does not currently have the funds in his account but will come Thursday...
Basically, how long does it normally take a check to process? This is not something we do very often and I am really anxious about it D:
Also, our friend offered today to give us some money to put in his account until he gets payed but my fiance is trying to convince me it will be fine and that checks don't clear for 5 days but I don't want it to bounce! I heard it goes against your credit and you get charged.

Should I take our friend up on the offer? Once we get this paycheck we will be fine but right now we needed food. We make to much to get food stamps now.

Depends. Some do cash right away, you're right to be concerned. Completely depends on the day, and when that place happens to deposit, and when the bank decides to do its smurf.

I would take up that offer, really it could come out of your account at any time and I wouldn't chance it. I understand you gotta do what you gotta do but since she's offering I would totally take it. Then Thursday just give her her money back and everything is good.

My grandma wrote a check at 10 am this morning, and it had already cleared her account by 3 pm

Quoting The Doctor:" Depends. Some do cash right away, you're right to be concerned. Completely depends on the day, and when that place happens to deposit, and when the bank decides to do its smurf."

He just told me "Whole Foods(we have a 30% discount there) has never cleared it for me prior to 5 days.) BUT he has only done this the day before and it was only one other time... >.>

I think I will talk to my friend about it. Him and his wife are coming over now.

I totally understand how you feel. Do you qualify for WIC? That has helped us out alot . We qualify for WIC, full medi-cal for the kids but not food stamps and like these next two weeks we have $30 for food and gas.

As for checks, From my experience they post the day our bank gets it, so whenever the check is deposited into the other account. Like our rent check if we mail it the 28th, it is deposited the 1st unless it is a weekend and shows up that day.

Usually the next day for me.

Quoting Love = Moco and Bubba:" I totally understand how you feel. Do you qualify for WIC? That has helped us out alot . We qualify for ... [snip!] ... account. Like our rent check if we mail it the 28th, it is deposited the 1st unless it is a weekend and shows up that day. "

Ugh so stressful. :[

It depends on how long the store takes before depositing the check. Here our stores deposit the checks every night and if you bounce a check there, they automatically take a warrant out on you for writing bad checks. I think most places have a $30 (or around that amount) dollar returned check fee though.

Grocery stores in my experience usually take 3-5 business days to clear a check. The reason why checks go through so fast sometimes is when the person you wrote a check to banks at the same bank as you. (I use to work at a bank.)

Quoting Cuterest:" Grocery stores in my experience usually take 3-5 business days to clear a check. The reason why checks ... [snip!] ... go through so fast sometimes is when the person you wrote a check to banks at the same bank as you. (I use to work at a bank.) "

Or many companies have a machine that deposits the checks whenever someone decides to do it. (We have one in our office. It remotely connects to our bank, and we have to tell everyone don't hand us a check unless the funds have already cleared the account.) Sometimes it takes a few hours, but most of them, even checks from other banks, clear pretty quickly.

Quoting The Doctor:" Or many companies have a machine that deposits the checks whenever someone decides to do it. (We have ... [snip!] ... cleared the account.) Sometimes it takes a few hours, but most of them, even checks from other banks, clear pretty quickly."

Hmmm. That is cool.