How to Pay a Bill

Every month like clockwork, those bills come in and you must pay them. Organization is the key to paying your bills on time. Credit card bills are the worst to pay late since you will not only have your interest to pay, but a late fee as well.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Buy a bill organizer. There are many on the market that can give you a systematic way to pay your bills. There is a desk organizer with 31 slots, so as your bills come in you can open them and put them in the slot for the day they are due. There is a bill folder that has dates and you can slide your bills into them for the day they are due. You can use the one that works best for you, but you should have a reminder of some sort so you don't pay your bills late.
2. Create a budget and stick to it. You need to know you have enough money to pay your bills monthly. When you create a budget you can see what you have coming in and going out. Only buy the extras when you have paid the bills for the month.
3. Arrange a time weekly to pay your bills. One day a week all bills with a due date of 7 days after the next day you will pay your bills should be paid. For example, if you were paying your bills on the 7th and the next day you planned to pay your bills is the 14th, then you should pay everything up to and including the 21st of the month. This way you don't have to worry that any of your bills will be late.
4. Mail your bills promptly. Don't put off mailing your bills because this can lead to having a payment arrive late. After going to all the trouble of paying your bills on time, you don't want them to be late because you forgot to put them in the mail.
5. Pay your bills online. Alternatively, you can set up a schedule to pay your bills online. Most companies offer this service and it is becoming more and more popular. You save on stamps, envelopes and checks when you pay online and you can make your bills scheduled for one payment or monthly payments depending on what you are comfortable with.
6. Make your payments at the store or bank where you have the bill. If you are going to be shopping in the store where you have an outstanding bill around the due date of your bill you can always pay your bill in the store. This also saves you money because you don't have to worry about the stamp and you don't have to rely on the post office to get your payment there on time.
7. Deposit money into your bank account. Be sure you have the funds in your checking account to pay your bills. A bounced check will cost you a fee, and you will have to pay late fees since your money was not there by the due date. Always check your account carefully to be sure you have enough to pay everything you need to pay.