{31 Days To organize the "hidden" areas of your home} Day 2~ Bill Paying

I don't know about you but I have tried umpteen financial programs to organize our bill paying...workbooks.....computer programs....you name it. (Let's not mention the money I have spent on said programs.) About 10 years ago, the pastor of our church asked me to assist his wife with the church's bookkeeping. I had no experience whatsoever, but I did have a willing heart and a teachable spirit. Sister Ginger trained me in each area of the church's books. I assisted her for about 3 years before her husband got sick and she turned all of the bookkeeping over to me. By using the system that I used at the church combined with a computer spread sheet I found on the Internet, I have finally found the system that works for us. 

You will need a few supplies to implement this system:

* Manila Envelopes

* Excel Spreadsheet on your computer

* a file box or drawer

* your monthly bills.

First- take all of the bills and alphabetize them, in their original envelopes. As you open each bill, on the outside of the envelope write the due date and the amount. 

On one of the Manila envelopes write "Unpaid Bills",on one write the year, and then write the name of each company/bill on their own envelope . I keep these Alphabetical. 

Each month when your bills arrive, open them, date them, and put them all in the unpaid bills file. When you pay each bill, write on your stub the date you paid it and check number or online confirmation number, the amount paid, and then file that stub in the appropriate envelope. I file my envelopes in my desk drawer where I pay bills.   I also keep my adding machine in the same drawer.                                                                    

Now comes the computer work. You could just use this simple system without the excel spread sheet but I like to use both. I have made this picture really large so you can see all the columns I have set up. Once you have set your spreadsheet up like this you will need to format the "Balance" column to subtract the amount paid from the amount due. I also formatted the "Amount Due" column to give me a total of what I owe each month. 

                          

Type in all the appropriate information in the columns when I get/pay a bill. Use the "sheet" tabs at the bottom and cut and paste your template for each month. At the end of the year I take all of the "stubs" out of each envelope and file them in the envelope labeled for this year and start the whole thing over again for the next year. I usually keep the records for 3 years. Tax records we keep longer. We also backup the computer data at the end of the year as well. 

This doesn't take much time to set up and maintain which is one reason it works for us. It also give us a picture of where we are financially each month.