For parents, it can be a challenge to juggle multiple things in a day. The demands for our time is constant. One area that my family does not have to worry about is paying bills. This is because we implemented two simple changes to manage bill payments easier.

First, we pay all purchases with a credit card and pay it off in full every month. Yes, you read that right. We pay credit card for all purchases. We only use one credit card account. We picked one with the best rewards program. By doing this, we are able to track all our monthly expenses and hardly ever carry cash. There are also multiple benefits to using credit card on purchases which I will cover on a separate post.

Second, we signed up for automated electronic payments on all monthly bills.

• Electronic payment by credit card – companies that accept credit card payments are charged through the card automatically each month or when they are due. Medical bills, car insurance, cell phone service and cable can be paid by credit card.
• Electronic payment by checking account – bills that do not accept credit card payments like mortgage, utilities, and credit card are paid electronically through our checking account.

As a result of these changes, the bills are always paid on time. Also, we eliminated the cost of checks, stamps and trips to the post office associated with paying bills. We gained back time spent on organizing bills every week and simplified one aspect of our life. Most importantly, we are able to utilize the time saved with our son.

What about you? Do you have tips on how to manage bills better?