I want something REALLY basic

Quicken Community

Make a version of Quicken that is ONLY a checking account/database. No online feature. No budgets. No gimmicky pie charts.

NotACPA

Q Starter Edition is the closest to what you're requesting.  Checkbooks, Savings and Credit Cards only.
And, in ALL Q products, online features are entirely yours to use or not.  The only exception to that is that you MUST have an online connection to register your product.  And, if you want periodic release updates (i.e., bug fixes) you must go online periodically to be notified of them and to download them.

Budgets, likewise, are yours to use or not ... as are the pie charts.

smayer97

Q Starter Edition is the closest to what you're requesting.  Checkbooks, Savings and Credit Cards only.
And, in ALL Q products, online features are entirely yours to use or not.  The only exception to that is that you MUST have an online connection to register your product.  And, if you want periodic release updates (i.e., bug fixes) you must go online periodically to be notified of them and to download them.

Budgets, likewise, are yours to use or not ... as are the pie charts.

Here is the link to that product: https://www.quicken.com/personal-finance/quicken-starter-edition-2016

mshiggins

You can likely find a free checkbook template to use with Excel. No need to use Quicken at all.

NotACPA

You can likely find a free checkbook template to use with Excel. No need to use Quicken at all.

Since one of the GREATEST features of Q is the ability to download from one's bank/card/brokerage/etc accounts, and the OP doesn't want these ... this may be the best suggestion of all.

volvogirl

You said want you don't need.  What else do you need besides a checking account?  Do you want to put the expenses into categories?  Do you want to print the checks?  Why not just use the paper check register that comes with your checks and a calculator?