Living paycheck to paycheck is a fact of life for many Americans. Many of us simply can't afford to pay all sorts of extra fees on top of our monthly bills. Here are some tips to help you pay on time, every time and make living paycheck to paycheck more manageable.
Make a spreadsheet or written list of your bills and expenses. You may choose to round up each bill by a few dollars to cover slight fluctuations. Some utilities will allow you to pay an average so that your bill doesn't change throughout the year. This can be extremely beneficial in a few ways. For one, it is a much more predictable way to budget. Secondly, you can avoid a large utility bill right at Christmas, or right at back-to-school time when finances will be tighter anyway. Not getting behind is key. If you do get behind one month, you've paid a little more than necessary all along and you may give yourself a temporary break without missing a payment. Most companies will credit you any overpayment toward future months. Just keep paying the same amount, regardless of what your payment due amount is.
Another helpful hint is to call all of your current billing agencies. Ask for due dates late in the month. Pay as many bills as possible in advance, towards the beginning of the month. That way, you are far away from the actual due date and can avoid late fees and month-to-month bill pile-up. Also, you have the rest of the month to save for the following bill. If you have an emergency arise, there is money in the bank to use, and time to replace it before it is actually due. You don't have to wait for the actual bill to arrive, which is generally one or two weeks before the due date, if you over-estimate what the bill will actually be. Then when the bill does arrive, if it is more than you expected, you only have a small amount to make up in a short time, instead of a hefty bill due right now. Be careful not to pay a credit card or loan amount before the new billing period starts, or you may be stuck paying the same amount again within the same month.
If you find yourself out of work or in a financial emergency, you've usually at least got your bills covered for the next month. Just make sure that you give yourself an allowance of what is left after each paycheck for your other expenses so that you don't accidentally dip into your bill money before it is time. Some find it helpful to open a second checking account ear-marked for bills only, and take out in cash what you will need from the bank. You'll avoid overdraft fees as well as late payment fees, boost your awareness of your own personal spending, and put yourself in control of your own financial future.