My husband and I have tried a lot of methods to balance our bills since we’ve been married. One of our older methods was to cash our paychecks instead of deposit them. That evening we would set aside what goes to what bill and what remains for groceries, gas, etc etc. Well that method didn’t work too well for us because we can’t keep track of where the cash goes and I don’t like that. We spend cash quicker than anyone because it’s there and at the end of the week I can’t figure out where it went!
After that method flopped horribly we stopped using cash all together. And while it is a pain at times to only have a debit card, it stops needless spending and I can track where every penny goes! I write every single debit transaction in our checkbook and balance it a few times a week so we always know what we have.
Our new bill method is also quite a bit more organized and works great for us, so I thought I’d share! I actually write all our bills for the month on a planner we have…It helps to keep track of how many paychecks we have coming in for the month and when each bill is due exactly. Once a bill is paid, I highlight it so I know it’s gone. I’m embarrassed to say we made a lot of mistakes early on in our marriage and this process is helping us eliminate that.
Every Friday (pay day) we also fill up the SUV with gas, I buy all the groceries for the next week and anything else we will need and then set aside a certain amount for more gas later in the week. Once that’s covered we put whatever else towards the most recent bills. We try to make a point to have our basic needs met every week and throw the remainder amount on bills, it’s a lot less stressful paying a bill when you know your needs are already met.
I don’t like to be behind on bills, it actually turns my stomach to see a late notice or something to that effect come in. Maybe that’s why were always broke? I’d rather make sure our bills our paid than have extra spending money to blow on something useless. We have to be tight with our budget and this method works for us!
What methods work for you?
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