My friends and I have a running joke about the fact that I have a need for order. I like to have plans, I like to have organization, and I like to be prepared. Sometimes they like to make fun of me, like the time I asked if there were "cleaning zones" for VBS cleanup. (It seemed reasonable enough.) There was much laughter and joking over the time I spent planning out our vacation down to an itinerary with the daily maps and coupons we needed for the planned activities. Now, mind you, I am very flexible about making changes to itineraries, it is just that I like to at least have some kind of a plan.
But there is a reason for all of the need I have for order. I hate chaos. I hate not knowing what is going to happen, I hate not knowing what to expect, and most of all I hate poor outcomes. And yes, I realize that those are some real life situations, but I try to minimize those experiences as much as I can. (Um, see my profile on the sidebar...organizing is one the things I like, just after shopping and singing....it is a very serious thing!)
When Gary and I first moved here one of the most unexpected changes we experienced with small town life is that we have, like many of our neighbors, a mail slot on the door. That means that our mail is thrust through a tiny opening all over the entry way in a scattered mess. And occasionally mail would end up temporarily lost because it had gone flying past its counterparts. For the entirety of our marriage one of my jobs has been to pay the bills. At each home we have had I have had a different, successful, system. But when we first moved here, I found myself in panic mode each month that I would forget a bill, or that it had slid under the entry table and was lost, or whatever situation I could fabricate at three in the morning. So to remedy this problem, I devised a spreadsheet. I sat down and wrote out every single bill that we pay each month, whether I write the check or it is debited from our account, then I added four or five miscellaneous blanks to add other sizeable monthly expenses, such as getting my hair done or paying the insurance. That way I not only could keep track of the bills but also exactly how much we spend each month and on what. (We put almost all groceries, gas, eating out, etc. on our credit card and then just write one check a month to pay it all off.) This has taken an enormous burden off of my chest because never again do I panic that a bill has been forgotten. I pay them when they come in and mark them on the spreadsheet (amount, date and check #). I put all of the bill stubs with the spreadsheet into a hanging file folder and then keep them in the cabinet. It has worked really well, and has certainly made me feel much more at peace about the bills.
What great tip do you have that makes your life run more smoothly?
2 comments:
Let me just say its a good thing you are not married to Trent Phillips where there are NEVER any plans or if an actual plan is made it will definately at some point be changed! I used to be a major planner but have finally given in to the Phillips family. I am not relaxed about it yet but not so vocal anymore! You are awesome with those bills! At one point I did them and it was needless to say chaos so now Trent does them at his desk, mostly online. We have records of everything and can print them out. No more office in our house so there is no file cabinet anymore either. I REALLY WISH WE COULD MOVE!!!!! Someday maybe.......
Let's see. . .a bill comes in the mail, I leave it on the bar so Honey can see that it came. He opens it, gasps at how much it is, and throws it back on the bar. Around dinner time, I move the mail to the dinning room table so the kids can sit and eat dinner at the bar. At some point during the week, usually when guests are comming over, I clean off the dinner table and sort through the mail. If it's a bill or something else I need to pay attention to, I put it in the top tray of the plastic IN/OUT box type stackable trays I have near the computer. Twice a month I pay bills. And whatever bills are in the tray at the time, I pay them. When the bill is paid, I put the reciept in the bottom tray until it is so full I can't stuff another piece of paper in it. Then, about 3 times a year, I punch holes in them and file them in a 3 ring binder. If I feel like I've forgotten a bill, I look through my checkbook register at the same time last month and see what I paid then. (Or I wait and see which utility gets shut off and then I am pretty sure which one I didn't pay. Just kidding, I've never done that!)
I do habitually check our balance online. And I do usually pay bills online as well. About 5 years ago I would have never done that!
We run a cash system at our house. Twice a month I get a certain amount of cash for gas, groceries/house/toiletries, and eat out. The theory is when the cash is gone, stop spending until you get paid again! So I pretty much know how much we spend in those areas every month.
The cash system works pretty well except for extra things like family b-day parties where we cook for 20 people, special meals we eat out like anniversary, date night, etc, and road trips we take that require more gas than a normal month.
Since Honey started his new job, I keep a spread sheet of his expenses. Right now we are buying his gas and he is never home for lunch, so I just enter his receipts every couple of days and after 2 1/2 months, I pretty much know what that is costing, also. I am in the process of deciding what I need to keep for tax purposes and what I can trash.
Anyway, I am so not as organized as you, but with a little effort, I can tell you pretty much where every penny we spend goes!
Have a great weekend!
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