I have tweaked the way I pay bills and automated my finances to the point where I am now bored. I do not ‘pay’ bills because they are all drawn off my rewards earning credit cards. I then have ING push a payment every week to the credit card and by the end of the month the card is paid in full and I have not incurred any interest.
Paying the card four times a month ensures that my card is always paid on time regardless of what happens. One card is paid via paper checks sent out by ING and since there may be delays or lost checks I prefer to have the four smaller payments (which are always MORE than the minimum due) than one big payment just in case.
I do log in every day periodically to check on my balances just to make sure everything looks okay but I really do not have anything to do other than stare at the screen and nod happily.
I wish I could be bored like that! Sounds like a great way to stay on top of payments and stay out of debt. Great post. Thanks.
I am not complaining…I love having my finances under control now since I used to be so frazzled trying to get everything organized. It has taken me a long time to get it set up the way I want it..but I still find myself making minor tweaks every now and then.
Like when I paid off a card in full then I had to tweak the budget to reflect that so at least I had something to do.
Wow! It really does sound like you are on top of your money even despite being bored… Would you recommend automating finances?
Yes I recommend automating your finances!!! It helps you to focus on the things you need by freeing up some of the mundane tasks.
But just remember, even when you automate you still need to check on things to make sure they are running smoothly. It does not mean that you set and forget.
Thank you for the advice! I may just try that for the New Year!
I feel the same way. Most of my bills are automated and it’s hard to get excited about my financial goals because I know I’ll accomplish them.
Everything we do automatically makes us bored but this surely have a lot of good sides. You don’t have to work on those things every month and you can spend your free time on other activities that you like more.