are there any auction sites that don't need a checking account to

sell stuff on? ebay and amazon require them

If you're near a Bank One, they have been doing a promotion where they give you $50 for opening a free checking account with $100 or more. The $100 has to stay in the account for 6 months or they take the $50 back but it's a good deal. I've done it once for the $50 in checking and once for the $35 in savings. If you get paid by direct deposit (can be your job or can be your Social Security/disability) the bonus is bigger but I don't qualify for that. It might be worth looking into it. When you go into Bank One, say that your friend told you about it and you wondered if the promotion is still good. They've been doing it on and off about 18 months here. If they are not doing it currently, they should be able to tell you when they start doing it again. Good Luck!

P.S. Ask for a debit card so you don't have to buy checks and they will give you a small book of checks for free. My bank officer told me that one so I wouldn't automatically buy the checks and waste $16 I didn't need to waste.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72