Bill payments are a huge burden for anyone trying to practice frugal living. When your life revolves around saving, it’s really frustrating to have these constant monthly payments. They can be hard to pay, and you might end up missing a few payments now and then.
Naturally, if you want to save money, the last thing you need is to owe it. Therefore, paying your bills on time every month is a major priority. I’ve compiled some thoughts to help you do just that:
Budget Your Money
First thing’s first, you have to ensure you have enough money every month to pay your bills. The only way you can do this is by working out your budget. I’ve been reading a lot of articles on womenswealth.money recently about learning how to master your money skills, and I think budgeting is one of the key skills to learn. By working out a budget, you figure out how much spending money you have, how much money needs to go on bills, and so on.
The best place to start is by subtracting your bill payments from your monthly income. This shows you how much income you have left over for everything else in your life, and exactly how much you must set aside for bills. Now, you can limit your spending and ensure you’ve got the money to pay your bills, meaning you never miss a deadline.
Automatic Bill Payments
A very easy way to maintain regular payments is to set up automatic payments for as many of your bills as possible. Most utilities and other generic bills allow you to pay via a direct debit. This is where they take money directly from your account every month, without you needing to do anything. It’s by far the best way of guaranteeing you don’t forget to pay your bills.
Setting Reminders
In instances where you can’t set up automatic payments, then setting reminders is the next best thing. Use your smartphone and find out when all your bill payments are due, then set reminders a day or two before. You’ll be reminded that a bill is coming up, and you can send the money over without any worries. I still much prefer direct debit payments, but some companies might not allow them.
Lower Your Bills
Finally, one way of attacking the problem is to try and lower your bills, meaning you have less to pay. You can find loads of tips on sites like realsimple.com that break things down and show you how to save on individual bills. My personal advice is to try changing service provider for various bills like your phone and utility once your contract ends. You could find a cheaper deal or the threat of you leaving forces your current provider to slash the costs of your existing bills. Either way, you can save money and make your bills easier to pay.
It’s evident that you can pay your bills on time if you approach them in the right way. Use these tips, and you should never miss a payment again.
