How do you keep track of your bills?

[BaDaBing]

Hi just need some tips on paying and keeping track of my bills.

Financially we live week to week so some times I bpay bills over a few weeks. At the moment I try to keep a tally in my diary of bills in and how much I pay each week and how much is still outstanding but it doesn't seem to be working.

How do you keep track of your bills. What works for you is it a spreadsheet, a diary or can you manage to pay them in one payment.

Also do you keep these bills. I mean electricity, phone etc how long do you file them before you chuck them out?

Thanks so much

[HarvestMoon]

I BPAY money onto all my bills each week so that way when the bill comes in it's usually paid or very close to it.

I don't really keep bills for that long anymore but i do keep a record of all the BPAYments i've made just in case there is every a dispute and i'm accused of not paying or whatever.

[LizzardLover]

I use a spreadsheet for my budget. My smaller bills like phone's/internet/water I can pay when they come in usually and since I know pretty much when they will come I can put the rough amount they will be into the spreadsheet and just update it when I get the actual bill, but the bigger things like gas/elec I have called up the company i'm with and they have worked out a fortnightly payment amount for me to pay on each that will keep them all paid :)

Any unexpected expenses that come up I come straight to the computer for my budget spreadsheet to see where I can slot them in and if they will be paid late I can call with lots of notice to make a late payment arrangement.

[LizzardLover]

forgot to say as for keeping the bills, I check over my bills pretty thoroughly to make sure they are right (i even go check the numbers on my meters as i've had them "guess" my bill once before and it was WAY out). As soon as I know they are right I chuck them in the bin. I used to keep them longer, but I really cant see any point so now it's one less drawer full of **** I have in my house LOL!!

[shelle65]

:wave: I have a spreadsheet where I keep track of what I have paid, and plan payments in advance. Do you know how to use Microsoft Excel? If so, just set up a table and play around with it.

I keep my bills in a filing cabinet. I find it helps to keep them on hand at least for a few months, so you can compare later bills to see why they are more expensive, and to plan how much bills are likely to be so you can make advance payments (for example, my gas and electricity bills are always higher in winter, so it helps if you have last years to use as an indication).

HTH :thumbsup:

[Thermolicious]

I use microsoft excel spreadsheet too do my budget

here is a link to the icoice budget planner (http://www1.infochoice.com.au/distributions/ASIC/calculators/budgetplanner/index.asp)

[mummeeto2]

I have a budget spread sheet that has a few different pages. The first is for the current payweek & lists all incoming & outgoing expenses for the week with a left over amount so we know how much to spend

The second is a long term bill budget. I've listed all our bills and their totals then across the top all DH's pay dates. Then I've shaded the due date boxes for the fortnight each particular bill is due. I've worked out how much each bill is, then split into how much to save each pay to pay that bill, that amount gets transferred to our internet saver account.

I've also done a calendar to mark all the bills on so I don't have to turn the computer on if I just want to check what bills are due. This also makes it easier when doing up the spreadsheets for the new year.

It's taken a while to get it all worked out, but it seems to be running pretty smoothly ATM

[elissas]

We use a cashflow spreadsheet, one account to each page (ie. transaction acct, visa, mortgage, sub-account for savings).

Keeps records of actuals, including all receipt nos for payments etc, and we use it to project a couple of months into the future and make sure that all our accounts balance (historically and projected), that they are always going to be in the black, and that the Visa can be paid out each pay day.

We can then see if we're going to have a tight spot at any stage and allow for it (tighten the belt or put some things on eBay for some extra cash).

We've been doing it for years. I keep all the data entry up to date and do the physical paying of the bills, but DH and I sit down the night before he gets paid and look over it together.

[subaruforestermum]

We also live week to week, but I have the rest of the financial year budgeted for..

I pay $50 - Electricity and $25 Internet one week, then the next week I pay $40 mastercard and $25 phone the next week for example....so I prepay money onto the bills before recieving them, which has been great in cutting down the lump sum payment on the bill..This is set up automatically to come out of DF's account through Bpay.

The budget is done up on a spreadsheet, but I also have a spreadsheet, which has ammenities, amount, amount paid etc...

In regards to 'keeping' bills, I keep mine for the full finanical year. They get filed into a Binder folder that our mortgage broker gave us, and the amounts are highlighted and put in order of date, newest first, for easy reference.

[tired*mummy]

We dont really have a budget but i don try to keep track of what needs to be paid & by when etc. We only pay our gas & elec every fortnight & pay the other things when they come in.

I have a folder with the clear pockets in it. The first pocket is for bill to be paid & then i have a pocket for each bill, for example... one for Rent, one for gas, one for electricity, one for phone/net... & so on. Each pocket is labelled. I even have one for fuel & grocery receipts. At least if i need a previous bill or recipt no i can just get the folder out & i know its all there. I have been doing it for about 18 months & its been alot easier.

[OJandMe]

we put money aside each fortnight into a bills and occasions account, so that whenever a bill comes in, or a birthday comes up there is already ther money there.

We know roughly how much the bills are each month/quarter... so we split that over 26 pays....

we put aside $200 a fortnight into bills/ocassions... and always have money for the bills as soon as they come in.

We sit down at Christmas and work out how much we're going to spend for everyone for Birthdays and Christmas.. and then stick to that.. so it all gets factored in.

[tyler's mum]

I paid my bills weekly at the end of the month they are noramlly paid. The money comes out of my bank every payday

[JATS]

Much like subaruforestermum we have Bpay set to automatically pay a set amount onto each bill every week, so when we get bills if anything there's not much to pay.

We do have a budget on spreadsheet but only really use that when looking at major changes in our regular monthly/fortnightly incoming/outgoings.

When we get a bill if there's anything that needs to be paid it goes on the fridge until it's paid (so it doesn't get forgotten about) then into a folder for 6 months, then chucked.