When was the last time you walked into your bank? Not just to the cash machine, but inside where the tellers and the loan officers are. If you're like most people, the answer is a somewhere between "Never," and "I can't remember." Yet the holders of 500 million checking, savings and other bank accounts across the country are paying for the upkeep on tens of millions of square feet of bank headquarters and branches from Holten, Maine, to Hoquiam, Wash. And the upkeep ain't cheap, or the list of fees on your bank statement would be a whole lot shorter.

Of course, nobody would pay a bank $15 or $20 a month to hold his money in an account that pays no interest if he knew how to avoid it -- and avoiding it didn't take too much work. Trouble is, a lot of otherwise smart people don't even look at their bank statements so they have no idea how much they're being charged. And many others have simply thrown up their hands because they don't know what, if anything, they can do about it.

Here are some tips:

• If you use direct deposit for your paycheck, most banks will give you free checking -- but you usually have to ask for it. And since three-quarters of a million employers offer direct deposit, that may well include yours.
• Some small- and mid-size banks offer free checking and free checks to shareholders. E-mail a few local banks -- it's easy to do from their websites -- and ask if they offer special deals to shareholders. If they do, invest in a single share and open an account.
• Some banks offer no-fee checking accounts if you limit your bank visits to the ATM machine. But if you do need to see a teller, you'll pay $8 or more for the privilege. Others offer low-fee checking accounts if you confine yourself to 10 or fewer transactions a month, including ATM withdrawals, checks and debit card purchases.
• Most all banks will give you "free" checking if you maintain a balance of $2,000 to $4,000 in a low- or no-interest account. But this is a hardly a great deal. Think about it: $2,000 earning 5 percent a year in a money market account at a brokerage or mutual fund company will earn you a little bit more than $100 in a year's time. In an interest-bearing checking account at around 2 percent, it'll earn you about $40. In other words, your no-fee checking account will actually cost you $60 a year. Granted, that's a lot better than the average cost of $190 to $218 that we cited earlier. But free it's not. One way around this hidden cost: If you invest in CDs, and buy them from the bank where you keep your checking account, that may satisfy the minimum balance requirement. But you'll have to be willing to accept today's low interest rates.

Finally, here are four other ways to cut your banking costs:

Buy cheap checks.
Some banks charge as much as $24 for a box of 200 checks. You can get that same box for $7 or less by ordering direct from the printer. Visit Checks-in-the-Mail (800-733-4443) or Current Checks (800-426-0822) for more.

Look for surcharge-free ATMs.
If you do your banking with a small bank and have trouble finding ATM machines that don't hit you with a surcharge every time you withdraw or deposit money, try searching online for surcharge-free ATMs in your area. The Independent Bankers Association offers a searchable list of more than 1,000 free ATM's at ibaa.org.

Put your utility bills on plastic.
A growing number of utilities, phone companies and insurers allow you to charge your bill automatically to your credit card. If your bank account charges you by the check, one way to cut down on the checks you write is to put those bills on plastic. (It's also a good way to build up points on a rewards card, which are equal to a 1 percent to 2 percent discount on your bill.) One word of warning: Only do this if you never carry a balance on your card. Otherwise the credit card interest is likely to eat up any savings and more.

Use your debit card for cash.
Another way to dodge ATMs surcharges is to ask for extra cash when you make a purchase with your bank's debit card. Just ask your grocer for an extra $50 in cash, and you'll pay no fees.

Next: Banking online