How do you organize your bills?

[Shainie]

I was wondering how everyone kept track of their bills to be paid?

I have one of those big wooden things with a slot for every day of the month. I'd like something smaller.

I was thinking about those folder/notebook type things that I see in some catelogs. I think there's a page with a pocket for every month.

Any ideas?

[Twinplets]

I just keep a stack on my desk next to my keyboard. Once they're paid, I move them to the file cabinet. The bills (and other important papers) are kept in a separate pile from the other semi-important mail. I used to have a better system, but the bins got filled up with other junk.

[billsmrs]

At the store I write them on the calendar and place the actual bill in a drawer where I keep the checkbook. Then when it is paid I file it. As long as I see it in that drawer with the checkbook I am reminded I need to pay it.

At home hubby has a wooden holder on his desk that has 2 slots....one says......Bills to be paid now and the other says......Bills to be paid later. When we get a bill in he separates them into the ones that need to be paid first vs the ones that can be paid later. Does that make sense?!

[mayfly]

I keep all my bills in a folder. How I pay them is according to a weekly schedule I follow every month.

[hrdlife1]

I have a shelf that hangs on the wall next to my desk that has 2 tiers (shelves? slots? whatever you know what i mean lol) and on the top one I put bills that can be paid later and on the bottom are bills that need to be paid right away....once I make out the money order I copy that and the bill, staple them together, write the date i sent it out and then put it in whichever hanging folder in my drawer it goes in (for example, I have a folder for Verizon, Kia, Cox, Insurance, each credit card has a separate folder, etc. etc. etc.) It took me awhile to get that system down but once I did it works out great

[eldo]

I pay my bills online, so I put them on our computer desk and enter them into the bill payment system the next day.

Since I hate clutter, and don't want to overlook a bill that may get misplaced, this system works best.

[Mouse7088]

I make out my checks as soon as the bill arrives, put it in the envelope they provide, stick a stamp on it and on the outside in pencil I write when it has to ARRIVE to the company. I put them on a clip thinga-majig on my desk. When I mail them I just circle the check # in the check register and bring that amount forward.
I don't keep all of the bills themselves since I do have the cancelled checks AND I can verify them w/ the bank account online.

[beffie]

Organized bills???
Heck, when I get a shut off notice on the utilities... Then I make enough of a payment to keep them on... LOL

The rent has to be postmarked on/before the 3rd of each month, our gas is included with that... We get the "bill" from the landlord for the gas about the 20th...

Other then that, I've got no orginization what so ever... But I do own one of those wooden things with a slot for every day of the month... Just never have used it. {My bad! }

I like the idea of writting the due dates/bill name on the calander... Maybe I'll adopt that system and see how it works out???


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[tlspiegel -Closed]

I pay all my bills on the same day - when I get my check. What I do is, as they come in the mail I take them an one by one add them to each other with a paper clip holding them together and place them in the little wooden laptop desk I bought for my mom when she was alive. Inside the desk thingy is my printout calculator, my stamps in a plastic bag, my return addy labels, etc. Then on the 16th I sit down and one by one make out checks or make phone calls to pay the checks. Takes about 10 minutes total. Then I take the paid bills out to the mailbox and that's it until next month.


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[YorkieLover]

I have a pretty slick system that has worked for over 25 years for me.

As soon as I get a bill, I check it to make sure it's valid and no problems/issues to take care of, then I write in the upper left hand corner (in pencil) what date I need to pay it by (allowing 1-1/2 weeks mail time for credit card bills & 1 week mail time for everything else). I stick it in a folder marked "Priority" for bills that need to be paid that week ... and "Non-Priority" for bills not yet due. Then, one day a week, I'll pay all bills in the Priority file ... and move anything in the Non-Priority file that will need to be paid the next week, into the Priority file. That way, I can tell at a glance what will need to be paid soon and how much money needs to be in the checking account.

To further protect myself, I write every recurring bill on my calendar (in a blank box) ... like mortgage, power bill, credit card bill, water bill, etc. When I pay that bill each month, I cross it out. That way I can tell at a glance that the usual bills have been paid ... and, conversely, if I didn't get a regular bill at all, that would be easy to spot because it wouldn't be crossed off. Then I can inquire about it, so that I won't be late on a payment because I didn't get the bill.

So, in effect, I'm double checking myself, and it works perfectly for me.


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[3tbear]

Organize my bills? You must be joking. I have them in a tray which is on a tiny table right as you enter the living-room from the front door. The table has a tiny drawer where I keep the stamps and a couple of pens. If only the bills were organized.


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[aprilgail]

I have most of them on automatic online payment, it just pays it on what ever day I have it set for..the others I throw on my desk and then pay them online within a few days. The only actualy "check" I write out is my daughters school tuition, everything else is done online. I don't htink I have bought checks in the past 7 years and I sure save on stamps!


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[Juliannaluv]

We have a "monthly bill worksheet" that we keep track with. It is listed in the order the bills are due each month. We file them as "his/hers" in a small metal letter holder that is on our desk. They are placed in "date due" order. When a bill arrives, we check the received category. When it is paid, we write the date, amount paid & check number in the paid category. I write out my checks to pay bills every 2 weeks when I get paid and then file my stubs in a file drawer in my desk. Each bill we have has its own folder so we can stay organized!

If I knew how to attach a copy of the worksheet, I would, but it won't let me attach a msworks file here

[hrdlife1]

Originally posted by YorkieLover

To further protect myself, I write every recurring bill on my calendar (in a blank box) ... like mortgage, power bill, credit card bill, water bill, etc. When I pay that bill each month, I cross it out. That way I can tell at a glance that the usual bills have been paid ... and, conversely, if I didn't get a regular bill at all, that would be easy to spot because it wouldn't be crossed off. Then I can inquire about it, so that I won't be late on a payment because I didn't get the bill.

So, in effect, I'm double checking myself, and it works perfectly for me.


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wow, that's a REALLY good idea yorkie, i'm gonna try that, THANKS

[kolie565]

Since all the major bills are in hubby's name, I just hand them over to him. Thats how I file them. LOL