I bet you know the feeling (although I hope you don’t). The feeling when you notie that you somehow missed a payment on a bill. I hate it. I just feel sick inside, and that late fee on top of it is like a knife to my heart. I’m grateful I don’t have that feeling very often, because I have a good system for to organize bills.
- Point out to kids how important it is that ALL the mail get to your mail spot. if my kids get the mail they usually put anything that isn’t addressed to them (basically, everything) on my desk. That makes it so mail isn’t strewn all over the house with them. The times that we have had a late payment, it is often due to them being mis-placed.
- Have a specific spot where the bills go. I have a little letter sorter by my desk where the bills hang out until….
- Have a specific day/time that you pay bills. For me, I do it either on Friday night (because I’m popular like that) or on Saturday mornings.
- Pay bills online. It makes it SO much easier, and you are less likely to forget to mail your payments. Plus, you can schedule to have them taken out of your account right when it is due, vs when you pay it. No reason to put off bill payment!
One tip for me is to make sure I PAY the bill first. Before I enter it in my register or throw it away… or, get distracted by the next shiny thing. I, obviously, have a problem with that. When I sit down to pay I need to PAY it. Boom. #efficient
So, here’s my challenge to you:
- Find a spot to ALWAYS put the bills (and JUST the bills — no other mail should reside there).
- Get registered with online bill pay. familiarize yourself with your system
- BONUS CHALLENGE: Set-up reminders to REMIND you to pay those bills that are monthly or quarterly. That wya you REALLY won’t have a late fee since it will remind you when you log in and email you. Total in.
Heavens knowss I love organizing but this is REALLY an area that you cna make a HUGE difference with. Less late fees, no more ugly feelings when you see your missed payments. THAT alone is worth the effort.
This is part of my Organized Home series, check out that page for tons of information on organizing all areas of your home!
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Kelli says
Hi, Hilary! I agree – that sinking feeling is the worst!
There are a couple of things I do to make it easier for me to stay on top of the monthly bills. I keep a “rolling” Excel spreadsheet that I use to list EVERYTHING that is a recurring payment: mortgage, HOA dues, student loans, credit cards, insurance premiums (even the ones that are paid only twice a year), etc. I list the creditor, due date, amount due, and a column for when it’s paid. I color code everything. If it’s something that is not paid every month (car insurance), I highlight the months when it has to be paid, so I don’t miss it.
Then, once a month, at the beginning of the month, I go online and schedule every single payment that is due that month. When I have the option, I often set up an automatic payment from my bank account (I have those particular payments marked as “auto pay” on my spreadsheet, so I don’t pay them twice).
This system keeps me in control of our monthly expenses, and it lets me compare at a glance to previous months or years so I can see if we’re developing spending habits that I’d like to change – like using our “emergency” gasoline card for non-emergency (read: lazy) stuff. 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to provide all the coaching and encouragement you give us in your blog. I appreciate you!
Hilary says
I love the idea of a spreadsheet! I heart spreadsheets. 😉