Calendar Girl

My very first job was in an office, so I’m super organized about filing and paying bills.  I have a fool-proof system to help get your clerical life in order once and for all.  Being disorganized can keep you from paying your bills on time, and there is absolutely no excuse for late fees.  They are a huge waste of money and do nothing for your credit. 

Here is a summary of what I do to keep my bills managed and under control. 

The second that a bill arrives, I open it, put the return portion in the envelope, and set the statement aside to be filed.  I have a mail caddy inside my pantry door where I keep bills that are to-be-paid as well as statements to-be-filed.  I write the due date in the stamp section of the bill (so it will be hidden later, and so I don’t have to open the envelope to double check). Next, I write the due date on the calendar, which is hanging on the opposite pantry door.

You can pick up caddies like this at places like Ross & Marshall's or even thrift stores.

The most important tip here is not to just write down the date when the bill is due, but to make a note of when to mail it.  So if American Express is due October 15^th, then I write “mail AMEX” on October 7^th.  Give the payment at least a week to arrive at its destination on time.  Also, when you are calculating the timing….exclude weekends, this will ensure that you aren’t late or that a business isn’t closed.  If you pay bills online, throw away (recycle!) the actual bill afterwards so that you don’t get confused about whether it is taken care of.  Note: If AMEX was due on a Saturday or Sunday, I would make it due on the Friday before.  Weekends and holidays are your enemies!!!

I keep the bills organized by their due dates and pull them out as necessary.  Don’t leave your mail lying around….it’s an eyesore and it can make you feel frustrated and overwhelmed just looking at it.  Throw away any junk mail right away, as well as all the extras that come in a bill.  The calendar system allows the bills to be out of site but not out of mind.

Go to http://www.ecocycle.org/ to find out how to opt out of junk mail.

In my mail caddy there is a section where I keep the statements to-be-filed…and I just file these when the caddy gets too full.  I use fabric storage boxes filled with file folders for filing the statements.  Alphabetize all your bills….adding in folders for other helpful items such as receipts, tax info, and menus. 

Set of 3 Storage Bins/$20/Walmart 

This calendar system is also great for remembering birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, and parties.  Just use the same method of writing down the date of the birthday, then going backwards a week to remind yourself to mail a card.  Another tip with birthdays…make sure to write these on your calendar at least a month in advance so that you aren’t late for the people who have their special days the first through the fifth.

I look at my calendar every morning to see what needs to be mailed.  This may seem slightly OCD, but I haven’t had a late bill in like a hundred years.  Once you try this system, you won’t believe you ever lived without it!

The Art of Elvgren Pin Up 2011 Wall Calendar/$19.95/Amazon.com