As adults, we are very familiar with the constant inflow of water bills, electricity bills, credit card bills, etc. etc. They turn up with such maddening regularity that it’s enough to give you moments of déjà vu. However much one tries, there’s no escape until you pay them off. By following a few easy steps, you can avoid piling up the bills and take control of your day-to-day finances.

If you are the type who depends on postal checks to pay off the bills, buy a generous stock of files, postage stamps, envelopes and a few folders. This way there will be no excuse to delay payment. A calendar is a must to keep tabs on progress and a calculator will be helpful. To do anything on time, it pays to be organized from the beginning.

First, you need to decide on two days to pay your bills each month. We tend to be more comfortable making payments in the second half of the month, so, for example, the 15th and 28th may be practical. Have two separate folders for these two dates. Label them clearly and keep them in a place where they will be seen by you daily.

Sometimes, mortgage lenders, automobile financing companies and credit card companies change due dates. So open the bills as soon as they arrive, check the due date and put them in the corresponding folder.  Remember to allow a few extra days for the post and for check cashing. In order to synchronize payments, you can talk to the relevant billing companies and arrange to have the monthly due dates changed, for your convenience.

Usually, utility and phone companies are flexible about receiving payments and will extend the deadline by a few days, before sending notices and charging a late fee. Be wary of deadlines imposed by mortgage lenders, automobile financing companies and credit card companies- they are harder to convince.

If you have prepared the checks, deal them in envelopes and keep the envelopes next to your handbag, so they won’t be forgotten.  Mail them on the very next day itself. There’s no point in letting bills weigh you down even one day. On the other hand, if you make automatic bill payments from your account, then there’s very little to bother about. Online payments tend to be fast, safe and free but the usual record keeping must not be neglected.

If possible, arrange to create a separate account just for bills. If your employer offers direct deposit for payroll, have the cumulative amount of all your monthly bills directed to this special account. Automatic transfers can then be made from this account.