A few questions about bills???

Just a couple of questions today...

Where do you store your bills? Do you file them, lay them out over the kitchen, or have a simple system? And for that matter - if you DO have a system, does that make it easy to pay them on time and juggle what needs paying when? Let's face it, not many of us these days find it easy to pay all our bills at once...

This is Katrina's system....



Yep, chuck them all in here.. so no it's really not a system - more of an "out of sight out of mind" approach. Don't think it works too well though as I am HOPELESS with bookwork or paying bills... (this is probably why the bank runs for cover when they see my name hahaha!).

Then I came across this photo:

Really? Check. it. out. There were some serious hours that went into that drawer! Shesh... could I do this? Hmmm... doubt it!

This is the best system I have ever heard of- it's from Lanne on the Decorating Forum.

What do you do with your bills?

17 comments:

Jules said...

What are bills?!!!!!

I once had a lovely bank manager who tried very hard to explain that just because I had cheques left in my cheque book it did not necessarily mean I still had money in that account!!!! hahaha!

Your system is just, and only just, slightly better than mine!

Jen said...

Just looking at those beautifully organized & colorful folders makes me want to break out my check book and start paying bills...lol..well maybe Im exaggerating a little...
I have a small filing system but nothing as pretty as that..I nver thought to make mine look pretty...Wonder if that would help me feel better when I'm writing out all those checks??? Hmmm....

roseroomnz.com said...

totally and utterly hopeless at it so all mine are paid by automatic payment otherwise it wouldn't happen. I do have a filing cabinet but it looks nothing like that one! Rachaelxo

Jenny said...

My system is a folder with the clear pockets inside. First I remove all envelopes and then store the 'to be paid' just inside the cover. They get filed once paid. I usually sit down once a month and pay the lot. Being paid monthly makes you a little more disciplined. ;-)

My Casa Bella said...

In our home office we have a desk with small cubbies above computer so I store my bills in one of those so that I see them whenever I go in there and so far that's worked well, but today I gave my self a HEART ATTACK!! I went to put in a new bill and saw two sitting in there, whew, they're both due 9/01, that was a close one!!!!
MCB

Natasha Burns said...

LMAO! i have that SAME tin to keep Leroy's loose bits and pieces so they aren't all over the coffee table~!

The House That A-M Built said...

The problem with being self employed is that automatic payments don't work if you don't make any money that month! I save mine up until the very last minute. Store them in a box from a wedding present 14 years ago.. then attempt to reconcile on the last day of the month... aka today! Blahhh, not fun. A-M xx

Emma Burgess said...

Ooo, the draw looks awesome...not sure I'd maintain it very well. Just an in and out tray for me, then file it away (one day when the pile is huge)! Emma.

Alison Gibbs said...

Oh that filing cabinet drawer does my head in. Must admit I file them away similar to that once they are paid.
When my bills come in they go on a bulldog clip in date to be paid order and sit on my desk and then if they are really lucky they get done by Bpay the day before they are due. As a paper waster... I print out a receipt, staple them together and have another bulldog clipped pile ready to be filed. Then of course I have yet more bull dog clips in my pantry door holding the bills/mail of #1 son and fiance living with us while waiting for town house to be built and also #2 son & fiance (used to live with us 12 months ago) cos they haven't changed all addresses. So hey - I am the Queen of Bulldog Clips.....
Alison

Anonymous said...

My bills are opened, dated on my calender to be paid, then stored in 1 drawer of a 5 drawer filing system I got from Big W, which is located in my shelved robe in my office...simple and inexpensive, btw the other 4 drawers are used for Misc,childcare stuff,resumes and hubbies interests.....

Hancock Creative said...

Oh dear, I think my system is worse. When we open the bills they just sit on the kitchen bench in a pile of random other mail. From time to time we sort out the pile, find the bills and pay them all at once in a fit of panic.
www.wastyle.blogspot.com

iheartart said...

throw them in husbands towering "in" tray & pretend I never saw them......

Cherie said...

Ah love the system, a little to much work for me though. I have a tray of 'to be paid' bills and every Friday morning the first thing I do is pay any bills that are due before the next Friday. They then go into another tray to be processed in MYOB and then my lovely assistant files them away.

I think the trick is making a regular time to make the payments.

marĂ­a cecilia said...

Hola Katrina and Julie-Anne, I have loved your blog, there´s so much inspiration and wonderful homes!!!
Greetings from Chile,
maria cecilia

Lindsay said...

Aha, my second favourite obsession... organisational techniques!! Bill paying - courtesy of Peter Walsh... I have a "bills to pay" file that all the bills get put in. The 1st and 15th of every month (religiously) I sit down any pay all the bills due in the coming 2 weeks (ie due before I next sit down to pay them). This works really really well for me. I am always on the look out for good organisational systems, as I am definitely not "born organised". Currently trialling the S.H.E system (side tracked home executives)... enough now... I will go back to looking at all the lovely interior design pictures and ideas :) Lindsay

brismod said...

We have a filing cabinet for all our bills but it certainly doesn't look as neat as the one in this post!

Home Envy said...

Hi there - great blog! I look forward to following it! Regards, Mel :)

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