This is a straightforward arithmetic example to show how bank fees add up: two $35 overdraft fees plus a $12 ATM out-of-network fee equals $35 + $35 + $12 = $82. The numbers are literal charges that the bank posts to your account and that can immediately deepen your negative balance. The key takeaway is how quickly a few incidents compound into a meaningful cost — $82 in fees could instead cover groceries, gas, or a small utility bill. That's the behavioral pivot: seeing the exact dollar impact makes fee-avoidance a priority. The arithmetic also underscores the asymmetric pain of fixed fees: a single $35 fee is punitive relative to the behavior that triggered it, and multiple fees in short order can spiral.

Preventive tactics: set an automatic low-balance alert at a threshold comfortably above zero (e.g., $100) so you get notified before an overdraft happens; link checking to a low-cost backup transfer that covers accidental shortfalls; and keep a modest buffer as discussed earlier. If you do incur overdraft fees, review whether your bank will waive a first-time fee (some will as a courtesy) and consider switching to an account with no or low overdraft fees if you have had repeated incidents. Also, monitor posting order: sometimes merchants submit pre-authorizations that temporarily reduce available balance. Understanding how transactions post helps you avoid situations where pending holds cause apparent overdrafts. The logic is simple: small preventive steps save you from large predictable fees.