HOW TO GET YOUR BILLS IN ORDER
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LAST UPDATED ON: 01/08/2024
Are you tired of your bills always being disorganized?
When you are unorganized, it can feel like everything is falling apart. Not to mention your anxiety levels!
Even though everything may be a hot mess, making small changes will get you going in the right direction.
The first thing that you need to do is take a deep breath; you got this!
Next, I want you to envision yourself stress-free, with all bills paid on time and no late fees or overdraft payments.
Yes, this is what we are aiming to achieve!
Below you will find the easiest way to get your bills in order.
1. CREATE A BUDGET
If you have a hard time managing your bills nine times out of ten, you don't have a budget. If you do have a budget, it is either not realistic or you need to make more to support your lifestyle.
Most people are intimidated by the word budget, but not you! All you need to remember is the 50/30/20 rule in the beginning and tweak it as you go along. I use and highly recommend it for beginners.
If you are interested in learning more about how this rule works click here. Learn how to create a budget and use the 50/30/20 rule here!
2. START TRACKING YOUR BILLS
After you have a solid budget, start tracking your bills. The best way to track your accounts is to use a bill tracker.
A bill tracker will help you organize your bills and keep them in one place.
When tracking your bills, try to list them in the order they are due. Furthermore, refer to your tracker often to stay on top of your upcoming payments.
What do you need to start tracking your bills?
Bill Tracker, Tracking Apps, or Something as Simply as a Notebook
Review Your Bank Account and Credit Card Statements
Write Your Bills Down - Payment Amounts and Due Date
Go Through Each Bill One by One and see If You Can Reduce or Eliminate Anything.
3. PAY YOUR BILLS
One of the best ways to pay your bills is to set up one account you will use for your bill payments. If you want to avoid opening another bank account, a prepaid card is a suitable substitution.
Prepaid cards are convenient, but you will have to pay a small fee each time you load money on your card. Therefore if you use this method, I recommend loading money once or twice a month to avoid excess charges.
4. SET UP AUTOPAY FOR RECURRING PAYMENTS
Setting up auto-pay for recurring payments helps free up your time! The best thing with auto-pay for recurring payments is that you can turn them on, pause them or stop them when you need to.
HOW TO SET UP AUTOPAY?
Go to your customer portal or call your service providers. Tell them you want to set up recurring payments.
Choose a payment date.
5. SET REMINDERS
I recommend setting reminders for each bill that is due! I have alerts set up for every account that I have to pay.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO SET REMINDERS?
Setting reminders is extremely important. Below are some of the benefits of having reminders.
It allows you to ensure money is in your account to avoid overdraft payments.
It makes you aware of upcoming due dates.
You will be able to change due dates if needed.
Call to update account information before expenses hit bank accounts.
To Summarize:
Create a Budget
Start Tracking Bills
Pay Bills
Set Up Autopay for Recurring Payments
Set Reminders
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IN CONCLUSION
If you are tired and overwhelmed, it's okay! Take control! Start with a budget, and then begin tracking your bills. Speaking from experience, you will feel much better after you get everything in order.
