How do you stay focused to pay bills?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-27-2008
How do you stay focused to pay bills?
13
Tue, 10-28-2008 - 10:45pm

Hi, I introduced myself yesterday and have already started going through at least one month's worth of unopened envelopes. I have a real head in the sand (or somewhere else) mentality. I also tend to put things off.

Do you have suggestions for how to just grit your teeth and do it? Do you post reminders? I wonder if posting the monthly bills in plain view for all to see (not that tons of people would see...) would force me to be more responsible. We are short a bit each month, so I'm trying to find ways to cut back.

Thoughts or ideas?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-10-2003
Wed, 10-29-2008 - 1:08pm

My plan sounds wierd, but it works for me (and it takes a little preliminary work!!)


I use the calendar in Microsoft Outlook. First I set a recurring appointment (called payday) since I get paid every two weeks. Then I sit down and schedule in all my bills (i.e. mortgage, every second friday, property taxes, first of the month etc). Then I sit down for three months at a time and figure out what bills are due on every pay period, and the amounts owed. I then total up all the bills due (including my spending money for two weeks) and make sure my paycheck is enough to cover it. Usually it is, but sometimes its short (some bills are billed on 28 day cycles and if this hits the pay period that


Bex -

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-01-2008
Wed, 10-29-2008 - 5:33pm

I don't get very many bills in the mail any more, but when I do, I open it up right away and put all the ads/stuffers/reply envelope in the recycling box. Mostly I get billing notices by email and check for the balance online. Then I pay them with my Bill Pay from my credit union. I have set up all of my payees in my online banking and I can set the payment dates for the next payday. I write it in my check book register with the date I set it to be paid. This eliminates the need for postage stamps, and I hardly ever have to buy checks.

It's really important to at least open the bills and look at the items listed. My daughter is in college and uses a debit card. She was being charged about $19.95 a month for an online research tool that she had signed up for as a 30-day trial period and then she forgot about it and never canceled. This had been going on for months and she didn't catch it, because she never read her statements. I happened to see it and questioned her about it. When she called the company, they would only refund two months of payments. That was an expensive lesson for a poor college student!

Mary Jo


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-18-2008
Wed, 10-29-2008 - 9:24pm

Well, this is a forever evolving thing for me.

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