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The skill of paying bills

I am not an agent of change. In fact, I’m quite set in my ways. But I made a radical move last month and switched entirely to online billing… doing my bit to save the planet.

It didn’t start off too well. Something went wrong along the way and I nearly got locked out on my first attempt to log in to Contact Energy. But aside from that, I think online billing and me are gonna get along juuuust fine.

Up until a month ago, I used to pay my paper bills on or just before the due date. They would sit in a pile on my desk for a couple of weeks, then I’d trot down to the post office on my lunch break to pay them over the counter. I really don’t know why – reluctance to fork over my money? Wanting it to earn a tiny bit of interest in the bank over the rest of the month?

But now I pay them as soon as I get them. It’s just too easy to forget about an emailed invoice, and I’m paranoid about internet banking and possible payment delays.

Do you pay your bills when they arrive, or on the due date? Why?

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8 thoughts on “The skill of paying bills

  • Reply Veronica May 14, 2010 at 21:21

    Hmmm… well I kinda do both. The way my paychecks are.. they aren’t large enough to cover certain bills (IE: Rent, Car Payment) in one lump payment. So I actually pay my rent weekly. I pay the same amount as if it were monthly, and I’m not so strapped for money at the end of the week.

    The rest of my bills actually go to my mom’s house. She pays them, and whatever payday falls closest to the due date is when I give her cash for paying the bill for me.

    I don’t have checks, debit, or credit cards. I deal only in cash, and it keeps me from over spending.

  • Reply Sense May 14, 2010 at 23:40

    my power and internet bills both get paid on the due date. It is so easy…they debit my account on the due date, without any effort from me at all. If I don’t want the bill paid on the due date, I need to contact them, but I don’t see why that would ever happen.

    My roommate pays back her share of the bills, and all is squared away!

    Welcome to the electronic age! 🙂

  • Reply Fig May 15, 2010 at 06:00

    I pay bills when I get them and do everything online now. A few are set up to automatically come out on their due date or a few days before so I don’t even worry about those beyond making sure I have money in that account. It’s pretty nice to not have to worry about the paper aspect of it all.

  • Reply Melissa May 15, 2010 at 06:46

    I’ve always paid online because it’s a lot less effort! I have the billing agencies connected to my bank account. As soon as I get paid mid-month, I double check the bill amounts and pay them all off. It takes about 15 minutes total and I’ve never missed a payment. Fast and easy! Hello technology.

  • Reply me in millions May 15, 2010 at 09:59

    I get the bills in the mail but pay them online through my bank. I can set the date that I want the money taken out of my account, so I can pay the bills right away but keep the money in my account for as long as possible. Works for me.

  • Reply Kara May 15, 2010 at 14:38

    Usually, I pay my bills when they arrive. I only have one bill come to my mailbox though, other than rent. Everything else is just taken right out of my bank account. I guess once I have more bills that will be a different story.

    I just like getting things out of the way. I’m hugely afraid of the late penalties if I miss a payment!

  • Reply Well, that’s one less headache… « Musings of an Abstract Aucklander May 18, 2010 at 17:46

    […] head over to Canadian Finance to check out the latest Carnival of Personal Finance! My post on paying bills online was included this week Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Malaysia: Tax observers […]

  • Reply You know you’re a grownup when…you have a planner/organiser « Musings of an Abstract Aucklander July 11, 2010 at 14:41

    […] too much of a hassle, as the bills don’t come very frequently. Oh yeah, and I’m paying bills when I get them, […]

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