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Hi everyone! just wondering if any of you use a planner to write out bills and when you need to pay them.. or do you use an app? or a calendar maybe?
Looking for tips and hoping to know what the rest of you use.
I do all of the above just so its always with me. I also put it in a file folder and label it so I have it all together and know what it is.
@Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone! just wondering if any of you use a planner to write out bills and when you need to pay them.. or do you use an app? or a calendar maybe?
Looking for tips and hoping to know what the rest of you use.
I use a piece of paper and apps
I use the default calendar app on my samsung as well as mint but I'm going to switch to personal capital depending on its features.
I push all my bills to be due on the same week or day to make it easier, the piece of paper lists which amounts are due and are scratched out as time passes. It also includes my income total for the month
I made an Excel sheet with all my financial info, FICO scores and notes, etc. on each account. I have my bill payments scheduled in my google calendar (in green). They repeat on the payment date each month with scheduled reminders a few days before.
I automated all the bills and just transferred a chunk of money into the account that ONLY pays bills. Then I reconcile weekly (sometimes daily) with Every Dollar to "Track" it all. I also print a small paper with the due dates and keep it near my PC so at a glance I can see what's due. I hate filing so I've gone digital on most statements BUT I do use a system that is drag and drop and it makes it super easy at tax time to pull info together. The system is call Freedom Filer.
I've done all of these things at one time or another, but the one that has always remained consistent is to log into ALL of my accounts every payday and pay anything that is due before the next payday.
I use Banktivity and Quicken. (A bit of overkill, I know.) Can't be too careful planning is my perspective. I plan ahead a year with Banktivity then download Quicken ever day or so. This helps me with both long term and short term planning. Whatever you use, the planning and staying current is the key imho. Good luck!
Agree. I track in Every Dollar daily and it keeps me on my toes! So worth the 5 minutes a day to stay on top of things!
I'm one that likes to write everything in a log/journal book. I have colorful gel pens (have to keep life interesting ay?) and write the month. Underneath that, one column is for the name of the payment (auto, electric yada yada), the column next to that is the due date, and the next column is the amount due. On the opposite page of the journal I break the month into weeks (Friday 'payday' date through Thursday date of the following week). I write my projected income for each week, peak at the other page to see where the automatic payments come out and write them in their week under the projected income, then subtract. Then then apply the non-automated payments depending on their due date, and then subtract again. What is left is my spending money for that week. I've done this for many years and works well for our household :-) I also keep all the log books and its kind of neat to pick up one from years ago and see how far we've come ;-)
I actually don't use a formal app at all: all my bills except 3 are auto-paid by credit card, and generally one of two credit cards at that, all within the Chase app along with my primary banking and investing accounts; I have only two other recurring payments one landing on the old Zync to hopefully keep Amex happy, and one on BOFA which is my oldest tradeline.
The other 3 bills currently are paid off bank ACH (mortgage, auto, and my condo's gas bill which I should see if I can dump on a CC too).
That basically keeps my bill worries down to about once a month personally which works out for my own management without much notification; I do check my credit reports fairly often and if some unexpected balance comes up I just kick a payment to it.