Do you have a job? If so, that means that you also have a paycheck, and this means that you are going to have to turn that paper into cash somehow. If you have to cash your check, this could mean fees to cash your check. Is this fair? Not really, but the companies have to make money off the service. How do you avoid these fees?
The first thing you can do is to set up a bank account. That way you can go to the bank and cash your check. As long as it is your bank, you shouldn’t have to pay a fee to deposit your own money. This is the most logical way to make sure that you are not paying fees to have your money cashed for you and keep the money that you have earned.
Another option is to set up a direct deposit at your place of work. This will have your paycheck automatically deposited into your bank account instead of you having to cash your check. It is faster because it usually shows up a day before you would get your pay if you got a paper check, and you don’t have to pay any fees.
You could always give your check to someone who has a bank account. If you are living at home and your mom has an account, you could always ask her to deposit your money into her account and just pay you when she goes to the bank. It is easier to set up your own account, but it could be a good way for a parent to control how much a teenager spends.
Outside of those options, you could just get lucky and find a store that cashes checks for free, but those are far and few between. The best bet is to set up a bank account and make sure that you are cashing your checks there for free. It is your money and you shouldn’t have to pay money just to make sure that you are able to actually cash your check.
If you can, go with direct deposit for cashing your paycheck. You don’t have to go to the bank, and you don’t have to worry about your money not being deposited into an account by a certain date. You always have your money, and you don’t have to worry about paying to get your cash.