The critical factor is - you have to leave the money in your checking account and NOT TOUCH IT.


I do this, and both my kids do this, and we all manage it by not including that minimum amount in the amount shown in the check register. I use this to avoid fees, and to avoid things like overdrafts because I do make math errors or sometimes forget to log something in, and so this allows for a bit of slush. Worst case, it is also a nice efund and is readily available.

With the discipline to know it is there and actually not touch it, this can be a very helpful strategy for a lot of reasons.