Smith 
When it comes to paying bills, I’m terrible! Thankfully, I’ve managed to delegate the task to my wife. She’s a pro at keeping our bills paid on time and won’t tolerate any late fees. Unlike me, she doesn’t need an app to remind her when to make a payment. She simply uses a sheet of paper pinned next to our home computer. It’s quite impressive.
For those who need a bit more than a sheet of paper, I’ve asked Miranda to share some great tips on setting up bill reminders, ensuring you never miss a payment again.
Whether you use old-school checkbooks or online payments, it’s easy to forget when a bill is due. This can lead to late fees from companies like credit card issuers or utilities. Consistently missing payments can cost you thousands over a lifetime. To ensure you’re always up to date with your accounts, setting up bill reminders can be very helpful.
How to Set Up a Bill Reminder
There are several financial apps that allow you to set up bill reminders. Some can be integrated into your personal finance software, while others are more generalized. Here are some popular options to get you started:
Google Calendar: This is a widely-used tool to remind you of due dates. You can set up reminders in Google Calendar that pop up or get emailed to you on the day you need to pay a bill. Just enter the details, and you’ll get reminders as you check your email—or even on your phone if alerts are enabled.
Mint: If you use Mint.com, you’ll receive bill reminders directly to your phone or email. This top-tier online budgeting tool lets you schedule bill pay reminders. Simply go to Mint and "Add a reminder." You can even set them up to recur monthly.
What Bills?: This web-based service sends email notifications to remind you when bills are due. It also keeps track of what you’ve already paid, giving you access to completed transactions.
Services That Offer Bill Reminders
There are plenty of other services that offer bill reminders, including Quicken, YNAB, and other major finance software applications. However, some reminders only appear when you open the app, so make sure you receive email, text, or mobile notifications.
To reduce the need for reminders, you can automate some bill payments. Recurring bills, in particular, can be managed by setting up automatic debits from your account each month, ensuring they get paid without you having to remember.
How do you keep track of paying your bills? Have you set up a unique reminder system?
Final Thoughts
Managing and tracking bill payments is something everyone has to deal with. It’s crucial to establish a system so that no bills are missed or paid late. Whether you prefer traditional methods like calendar reminders or modern digital solutions, finding a system that works for you is key. This strategy not only helps maintain financial health but also provides peace of mind by ensuring all obligations are met on time.
