Organizing Your Bills

Here are some ways to make bill paying a little bit easier (sorry, only a little bit...) and hopefully a bit more efficient at the same time.

Sort them...

Make piles, bins or folders and label them as to when they are due. When new bills come in the mail, sort them in the correct area. Also make sure to prioritize which bills should be paid first.

Pay on time...

Make sure that you put on your paper or electronic calendar when the send-by dates for your bills are; this way you will be on time and not get charged any penalties.

Set aside personal time...

Make sure that you have a day or time that you go through the bills each week. This way you can also sort your piles, bins or folders to keep everything current.

Save your old bills...

Make a folder for "paid bills". Keep 2 - 3 months worth, just in case a question ever comes up. Once you empty them out, shred them. Invest in a nice shredder.

Electronic payments...

For those who are techies, use your bank's automatic bill payment feature. This can certainly save time and energy.

Eliminating Credit Cards...

Credit cards are certainly an easy way to get in to debt, so I found this site that gives you information on getting the best credit cards. Although, really the best thing to do is to eliminate the cards themselves, most of us are not willing or just can't do that right now. So check out Card Ratings and hopefully it will find you a better rate than the one you have now.

However, for those who are ready to eliminate the cards, Bank Rate is a good starting point to figure out exactly how long it will take for you to pay down your current credit card debt.

I know you wish you didn't have any bills or debt, but this should hopefully make you a little more organized in the process and give you more time to daydream a little more about not having any bills and even winning the lottery....good luck!!

Marlin