Bills can add up quickly, especially if we don’t stay on top of them. Some people buy subscriptions and services only to forget about them in a few months. Billing companies won’t forget to charge for them, and these expenses can put you in debt. Organizing your bills has advantages, and we’ll share some bill organization strategies to help you capitalize on them.
Why is it important to organize bills?
Organizing bills keep your expenses in check. Some people spend more than they make because they don’t stay on top of bills. A surprise bill can charge more than what you currently have in the bank, resulting in an overdraft fee.
You can also manage future expenses with your current bills in mind. You’ll know if you’re overextending or have room for the extra costs.
11 easy ways to organize your bills
Bill organization habits put you in a better position to cover expenses. You won’t get surprised, and you can make smarter decisions about your money. These 11 tips will help you master organizing bills.
Create a detailed monthly budget
A detailed monthly budget caps your expenses. Establishing a monthly budget below your income gives you extra money to invest each month. Investing is critical for long-term wealth, and a budget helps.
Bill organization provides deeper insights into budgeting. You’ll know how your money gets spent and discover opportunities to trim your expenses. Put every expense item in your monthly budget and continue tracking your expenses. Your credit card statement is a great place to review how you spend your money.
Some expenses stick with you while others come and go. A monthly budget gives you clarity on each one.
Use a bill checklist
A bill checklist helps you organize monthly bills. These checklists provide space to input the following information:
- Expense Items
- Prices
- Due dates
- Months you have to pay
You can print out a bill checklist or use a spreadsheet to track your expenses. A bill checklist provides a visual representation of your bills. Keeping a physical copy on your desk ensures your costs stay front and center. This setup makes you less prone to surprises.
Set up automatic payments
Even the most organized people can forget to cover their bills. Setting up automatic payments takes some of the hassles out of billing. Even with automatic payments, you should organize your bills.
Automatic payments remove manual payments, but they’re still problematic if you don’t have enough funds. Organizing monthly bills and reviewing funds leads to smarter decisions and fewer fees.
Track your receipts
Hold onto those receipts and store them in a folder. You can use them for tax season, and they help you track expenses in real-time. Check the receipt to see the payment is due or if you have already set up an automatic payment plan.
Use budgeting tools
Online apps, spreadsheets, and templates simplify budgeting. You can input expenses into these budgeting tools to map out your expenses and create a plan. Some budgeting tools provide insights to assist with bill organization and saving money.
Create a bill command center
A bill command center is a place in your home to store your bills. A bill command center keeps you organized, whether it’s a home office, cabinet, or another part of your home. You don’t want to fish through draws and rooms across the house to find your bills, tax documents, pay stubs, and other vital records. Bill command centers keep your paperwork organized for easy reference.
Use a binder
You can store paperwork in a binder and create categories for expenses like housing, business, and personal items. Categories assist with tax season and can also help you lower expenses.
You don’t have to use a binder. A bill folder or trapper also works with bill organization.
Download a bill storage template
Downloading a bill storage template makes your bills easier to access. You can open your computer and find your bills. This structure lets you organize paying bills or review documents during vacation or anywhere else.
You can download a free template and edit it online or print it out. Some people edit online first and then print the updated version. This system allows bill payers to have identical digital and paper versions of their bills and other tax documents.
Use a cash envelope system
A cash envelope system can help you track expenses and spend less money. You categorize envelopes based on your budget items. Then, you put some money into each envelope based on your budgeting needs. Depending on your preference, you can put enough cash into each envelope to cover a month, quarter, or year.
A gym membership envelope with $60 would cover three months of a $20/mo membership. Storing money in these envelopes makes them inaccessible for other expenses. You can rest assured that future dollars you earn can go towards investing or other expenses. Some people put their extra dollars straight into envelopes to expand buffers.
Bill organization and budgeting journey
Documenting your journey puts you in sync with your thoughts. You can clarify how you feel about money and your current bill organization efforts. A budgeting journey also lets you track expenses and identify recurring costs.
Consistently writing in a budgeting journal provides many long-term rewards. You can retrace your thoughts from several years to remember what worked and didn’t work for your budgeting.
Track recurring and upcoming bills
Some bills never go away. Tracking recurring and upcoming bills avoids unnecessary surprises and extra fees. Budgeting apps help you keep an eye on these bills and pay them when they’re due. Combine this strategy with automatic payments, and you’re less likely to miss a single payment.
Organize Your Billing Now for Long-Term Savings
Organizing your billing saves money in the long term. You remember to make your payments and avoid overspending. Setting up your bill organization system may take some time, but it gets easier after the initial setup.
You can choose from a pen-and-paper approach or a digital organization. Both choices help you stay on top of bills and your finances.
FAQ
How do I organize my monthly bills?
You can organize monthly bills with a spreadsheet, template, or another resource. Pick the choice that best suits your preferences.
Where should you store bills?
You can store bills in a place you can easily access them. Some people like to store bills electronically while others opt for a bill command center.
How do you store bills and receipts?
You can store bills and receipts in categorized folders or binders.
Written by Marc Guberti Marc Guberti is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author with over 100,000 students in over 180 countries enrolled in his online courses. He hosts the Breakthrough Success Podcast where he teaches listeners how to grow their businesses and achieve personal transformations. He frequently writes about personal finance and covers investing on his YouTube channel.
