I've been inspired by the finances post.... I'm sooo disorganized, but I mean well lol... especially now that we've moved into a new apt and are still practically living out of boxes...... I feel like so much stuff is falling through the cracks now that we've moved because there's just too much going on. Please, help me get more organized and share your bill paying system!?
TIA!!
MikeandJess
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
I just pay them as soon as they come so I don't have to worry about forgetting. I guess it's not really a system but it works for me
lillprincess54
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
i have a small organizer with dates and i put the bills in the slot, so when i go to sit down and do bills that week, i pull out what ones need to be paid first
MrsQ-in2007
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
We have a budget spreadsheet that shows ALL of our monthly expenses. Also, I set up online banking and added all of our vendors (expenses) as payees online so that we can pay them via our bank when we login online. Some we setup to pay automatically each month which makes life WAYYYYYYYY easier (my student loans, cell phone bills, etc). Then other things like internet/cable/phone, gas, electric, we pay when they come in, but we pay them online so we don't have to write checks. Same with credit card payments. Makes life just a little bit easier. Also, what you can do is set up your credit cards to pay automatically just the minimum payment each month from your bank account so that you NEVER miss a payment, but then go in and make an additional payment each month online so that you pay more than the minimum based on whatever you want to or are able to pay. Hope that helps a bit.
RisiLeigh
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
I am pretty anal so I have this Excel spreadsheet that I use that is color-coded and everything LOL! I stole the idea from an old co-worker of mine, and it works beautifully!
Joette_Terese
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
Posted by MikeandJess
I just pay them as soon as they come so I don't have to worry about forgetting. I guess it's not really a system but it works for me
This is what we do. We are thinking of getting one of those organizers with the dates on it though.
ant n tilde
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
I actually keep a piece of paper with all of my bills listed in date order. I can't switch to a computer bc I like having access to it everywhere (home, work or out). When I get my paycheck, I go online and pay all of the bills that I can ( that have a new due date up) and then put the rest into savings. When the actual paper bill comes I just go online and make sure the payment went through - that is like my reminder.
This way, all of my bills are paid before the bill even gets to my house. At the end of each month I just make a new sheet of paper with all new dates and information on it. I don't save any of my paper bills bc all of the information is online anyway.
lila
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
DH does everything through quicken. we also do online billpay. DH has our tv bill get paid automatically each month, and netflix too.
the only thing we pay by check is our rent.
snwb08
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
we split up our bills; I get most - like my mortgage and credit cards and gas/electric - automatically deducted each month. if I didn't do this I'd be paying late fees all the time. DH still writes checks but I think I'm finally getting him to start seeing the benefits of paying bills online.
luvabul
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
pay them online usually as soon as i get them or within that week...
Jenn04
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
We made a budget of all our monthly bills and expenses and then figured out how much we can put into savings.
Each paycheck money is direct desposited into our checkng account and savings account. DH pays most of our bills as they come and we pay them online or via credit card (for points). My student loan and gym memberships are on autopay and directly charged to my bank account.
We then have files for all our separate bills. Not sure if this info helps but we just pay as we go type thing and transfer money around if need be!
Bride908
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
I pay most of my bills at the same time, I hold them all unti the end of the month and break out my list and pay them. The only thing the gets paid in the middle is our rent and car payment.
SeptBride70
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
dh does them online - has a spreadsheet.
MJDoc12
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
Best $29.99 i ever spent--was for Quicken. i highly recommend it for anyone who has trouble keeping their finances in order and such. instead of balancing a check book by hand--you can balance your check register with Quicken -- as long as you enter all the transactions you use. you can set up reminders for all your bills--so it can remind you 3 days ahead of time what is due--set up a budget---you can even link your bank accounts & credit cards to the program itself so it downloads transactions for you and balances things even easier. (that service is $9.95 a month--but well worth it)
ever since i started using it several years ago--it has helped me figure out the budget and see where we stand financially as a whole.
ETA: Microsoft Money also works like this too
jennandrolo
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
I am pretty obsessive about or bills so on my Iphone in my notes I have written out what bills are paid when, the minimum payment and the date i get a new bill. I do everything online and set up payments for when I get paid. I did the same thing on my sidekick. I tried to do it online but like Tilde, I have to have everything with me.
Butterfly123
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
My system is wait til everything is PAST DUE and then pay the bare minimums just so the utilities wont get shut off.
bensgirl
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
Posted by RisiLeigh
I am pretty anal so I have this Excel spreadsheet that I use that is color-coded and everything LOL! I stole the idea from an old co-worker of mine, and it works beautifully!
this is me too! i am cra-zy when it comes to my excel spreadsheet and very territorial! i pay all the bills so if DH starts messing with my spreadsheet i get wacky we also do the online bill pay through our bank...we have all of our payees in there so when bills are due i just go in and put in the amounts--it makes it soooo much easier than going to several different websites to make payments!
Cutechef729
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Re: what is your bill paying system?
It took me a little while but I think we have the system down now. It was kinda tough because we have everything paperless, which is fine for the environment and all but I didn't have dh's logins and vice versa. We use bank of america bill pay and we made a spreadsheet. I write down the amounts and due date every time I get an e-mail about a bill being due. It's working out well so far. We've been on time with all of our payments and it's nice to see the whole month and what we owe in one spot. Good luck! If you need more help or an example, FM me.
