There are many different way to purchase items and pay your bills. In the following paragraphs I will explain the benefits to each method. The Methods are: Traditional Banking, Online Banking, Use of Debit/Credit card, Use of Money Orders, and Use of PayPal.
Traditional Banking. In traditional banking you receive a check from your employer then take the check to the bank to deposit it. While at the bank you can distribute the amount between a checking and savings account, and how much you'll keep out as cash. Then you write out checks to your debtors to pay them for the month. Once you mail them, you are done until next payday. In the world today, with as busy as we all are, it becomes an inconvenience to have to go to the bank everytime you want cash. Plus you have to buy a lot of stamps to send off your bills with. Most people have turned to online banking to solve this problem.
Online Banking. Online banking is far more convenient for the individual who doesn't have a lot of time on their hands. You can request your employer automatically deposit your check. Then all you do is log on to your banks online banking page (most banks provide this service free) then pay your bills online. The transactions are secure so you only need to worry about selecting the wrong debtor in paying your bills. With online banking you can easily track what is being spent and it is easier to keep track of your balance. I recommend that you keep track on paper as well. When you want to purchase items at a store you can use cash, a check, or a debit/credit card.
Debit/Credit card. In the beginning banks only offered a debit card which has a direct link to your bank account. Now they offer debit/credit cards. Both aspects of the debit/credit card work in the same way. The only real difference to you and me is the use of a personal identification number (PIN) number. When you make a purchase with the debit portion you must enter your PIN number to conclude the transaction, with the credit portion you don't need to enter the PIN. You can pay bills over the phone with your debit/credit card. I do not recommend this course of action though. For security minded individuals there is always the use of money orders.
Money Orders. Money Orders work much like the checks do with one major difference. You have to purchase money orders with cash and there is usually a fee involved. However, money orders are guaranteed not to bounce. For online purchases I recommend using a service like PayPal.
PayPal. PayPal is an online marketplace banking system that is not a bank. It acts and serves just like a bank though. Anytime you find yourself online and want to buy a Yahoo game, a book, some music, or something from Ebay and you have a PayPal account you can purchase the item with comfort. PayPal is totally secure. It can link to any of your other banks for deposit and withdrawl purposes.
There are many venues to use in conducting banking transactions. It all depends on your own comfort level.