One of my tasks for this month’s Household Organization Diet was to review our family binder {you can find the full to do list HERE}. I haven’t actually done this for a while and found out that there were a lot of pages that I was not really using and others that were just not working well anymore. I decided that it was time to start fresh and set out to create some new printables that would better suit our needs. As with most of my projects, I am finding that this task is taking me much longer than I originally expected, but I know that it will be worth it in the end. One of the pluses with me taking so long is that it gives me lots of time to get each section organized as I go. You always have to look for the positive, right? 😉
Last week I talked about how to tackle the paper clutter, and today we are going to be focusing more specifically on how to organize bills. Unfortunately we all have them, and unless you come up with a good system to organize everything, you can easily end up with late fees, bad credit reports, and increasing debt – not a good situation to be in. I use the financial section of our family binder the most, so I thought that this would be a good place to start when I was coming up with some new printables.
So are you ready to get organized with me? Here is your task for this week….
- Gather up all your bills and decide where you are going to keep them. If you are not going to keep them where you pay your bills make sure you store them in a portable file or basket so they are easy to transport. Throughout the week, I file mine away in our kitchen command center and then take them down to our home office area in the basem*nt when I am ready to pay them. You can read more about my system HERE.
- Create a space that you will regularly pay your bills. If you don’t have a home office {or don’t particularly like yours!}, come up with another place in your home that will work. You will need to make sure that you will have access to a computer as well as a basic stock of home office supplies {pens, calulator, envelopes, stamps, etc.}. You can always place a zip envelope in your family planner to hold these items if needed.
- Schedule some time in your regular routine that you will consistently pay your bills. Once you get in the habit, it really doesn’t take long. I pay ours every Friday but you could set a schedule for every payday or other set time that works for you. If you are not paying your bills on a weekly basis, try to schedule in some time at least once per week to check your bank accounts.
How to Use the Printables
First you need to download the printables, save them to your computer, and then print them out. Depending on the number of monthly payments you have, you may need to print out two copies. PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE ARE FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. Two of the printables have a horizontal orientation {landscape} so make sure you check your printer settings if it does not adjust automatically. The images below look a little fuzzy but they should print out clear. You can find all of the links here…
DOWNLOAD BILL PAYMENT TRACKER
DOWNLOAD PRE-AUTHORIZED PAYMENTS
DOWNLOADPASSWORDS TO REMEMBER
Next you need to go through all of your regular monthly bill payments. This will include anything from mortgage payments to utility payments to regular retirement or educational savings funds. {Remember that these are just for regular monthly bill payments – we will be doing some budgeting worksheets for other monthly expenses next week.} I find that the easiest way to do this is to go through my bank statement from the previous month and then write the payments {and due date if applicable} down on the appropriate sheets as I go. I promise that it really doesn’t take long at all.
For the pre-authorized payment sheet, you just need to check off once the money has been withdrawn from your bank account each month. If you review you banking statements weekly, this is super easy to do. For the bill payments, write down the date you made your payment and the amount paid that month. Again, it only takes a couple of extra minutes to do and is so helpful to keep things on track!
If you receive a lot of online bill statements, having a password checklist is a must! As you check and pay your bills throughout the month, write in your information on the Passwords to Remember sheet. Even if you can remember your passwords {and you must definitely have a better memory than I do!}, it provides a place that your significant other can have access to the sites as well. It’s never pleasant to plan for accidents, but they can happen!
Tips to Keep Your Bill Payments on Track
- For regular bill payments of a set value, look into setting up automatic bill payments through your bank. It’s just one less bill that you need to remember to pay!
- To reduce paper, pay your bills online and request that your bank does not send you paper statements. You can always print them out from home if they are needed for something. View your statements online regularly to ensure that all transactions are legitimate and to ensure that you are staying on track for your monthly spending.
- Have a paper shredder close by so you can shred your bills immediately after paying them. If you do need to keep them for tax reasons or other purposes, write the amount that you paid on your bill {or paid in full} and file them away.
- Most companies now have an online billing system, so you can view {and print if necessary} your bill statement from online. Again this will significantly cut down on your paperwork. If you tend to receive your bills through email, create a folder in your email system specifically for Bills to Pay and Bills Paid. As soon as you receive the email, place it into the Bills to Pay and then move it to the Bills Paid once you have paid it. Again, this will significantly cut down on your paperwork while still making all of your bills easily accessible to you.
- Be sure to schedule a specific time each week to sit down and review your banking statements and pay bills. 15-30 minutes once per week should do it!
So let’s get organizing those bills! Next Monday we will be putting our family binders together and will be working on the budget!
For more tips on organizing paperwork, check out these posts…
How to Organize Paperwork – Creating a Paper Trail
The March Household Organization Diet – Organizing the Home Office
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This post is part ofThe Household Organization Diet. If you need some organization inspiration, check outTHIS POSTto learn more about the plan andTHIS POSTfor all of the 2015 updates. You CAN get that house cleaned and organized once and for all! To see all of the previous posts click the Get Organized tab at the top of the blog and go to The Household Organization Diet. I also have all of the posts pinned to myHousehold Organization Diet pinterest board. Start at any time and make sure you are following along so you don’t miss out…
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