Use one credit card for grocery purchases only, and write your check then...use a Discover and get 5% back. Checks are not a retailers friend. Use your ATM card to get cash out of your bank once a week, you'd be surprised how much less cash you'd spend.
Life's too short to bitch about Kroger's policy... the less they lose, the less you pay. Hmmm... I think I stumbled upon a sound economic policy.
I spent many years as a Safeway manager. It wasn't uncommom to have over $1000/wk in bad checks.
think about how much more money they would save,if they cut out all those bonus goodies for those useless upper management types .....