What's the best way to organize bills? Reader Q&A
Q: I am tired of the piles of bills every month that I have to stuff into a file, cram into my filing cabinet, and never look at again. Can you make any recommendations on tech that can help get them organized? - Sarah Hi, Sarah. Good qu…
By Jeana Tahnk
July 10, 2012•2 min read
Q: I am tired of the piles of bills every month that I have to stuff into a file, cram into my filing cabinet, and never look at again. Can you make any recommendations on tech that can help get them organized? - Sarah
Hi, Sarah. Good question! With the number of bills we all have to pay, it's understandable that you feel like you're getting deluged with paper every month.
Here are 3 things we suggest you do for minimizing the paper trail. 1. Moving Your Bills Online If you don't already pay bills online, now is a good time to start! You can set up automatic payments every month through your bank for fixed payments like your mortgage or insurance payments. Also, set up e-billing with creditors like your utility company or phone service to eliminate paper entirely. Ask for your monthly statements via email and create an email folder (or desktop folder) to file all of them if you'd like--though you should be able to access at least a year's worth of bills directly through their websites.
You'll notice a dramatic decrease in paper mail immediately, and you'll find you're in way better shape to sort through it all come April.
One other benefit: you're less likely to miss payments. In fact one great tip with a credit card with a balance: set up an automatic payment each month of an amount that's at least the minimum due. If you can pay more that month, go ahead and adjust it, but this way you're guaranteed to make your payments on time and keep those interest rates low.
2. Scanning and Filing NeatReceipts (at top) and Doxie Go (directly above) are two awesomely portable scanners we've covered in the past that will let you instantly scan the bill and not only have them on paper, but digitally as well. They scan everything from bills to receipts, even artwork, to free up space in your filing cabinet, your drawers, your fridge. You get the gist.
3. Mobile Scanning through your Smartphone
Along the lines of portable scanners, the JotNot Pro app lets you scan directly from your mobile phone without the investment of a physical scanner. Simply take a photo of what you need to scan and then you can immediately "file" it away (don't you love the cloud?) and even email or scan them directly from the app.
Once you have everything digitally stored, it's easy to shred and recycle all that paper that's tucked away--and remember, for tax purposes, you only need to save bills and receipts up to 7 years. Enjoy those new empty shelves! -Jeana
Hi, Sarah. Good question! With the number of bills we all have to pay, it's understandable that you feel like you're getting deluged with paper every month.
Here are 3 things we suggest you do for minimizing the paper trail. 1. Moving Your Bills Online If you don't already pay bills online, now is a good time to start! You can set up automatic payments every month through your bank for fixed payments like your mortgage or insurance payments. Also, set up e-billing with creditors like your utility company or phone service to eliminate paper entirely. Ask for your monthly statements via email and create an email folder (or desktop folder) to file all of them if you'd like--though you should be able to access at least a year's worth of bills directly through their websites.
You'll notice a dramatic decrease in paper mail immediately, and you'll find you're in way better shape to sort through it all come April.
One other benefit: you're less likely to miss payments. In fact one great tip with a credit card with a balance: set up an automatic payment each month of an amount that's at least the minimum due. If you can pay more that month, go ahead and adjust it, but this way you're guaranteed to make your payments on time and keep those interest rates low.
2. Scanning and Filing NeatReceipts (at top) and Doxie Go (directly above) are two awesomely portable scanners we've covered in the past that will let you instantly scan the bill and not only have them on paper, but digitally as well. They scan everything from bills to receipts, even artwork, to free up space in your filing cabinet, your drawers, your fridge. You get the gist.
3. Mobile Scanning through your Smartphone
Along the lines of portable scanners, the JotNot Pro app lets you scan directly from your mobile phone without the investment of a physical scanner. Simply take a photo of what you need to scan and then you can immediately "file" it away (don't you love the cloud?) and even email or scan them directly from the app.
Once you have everything digitally stored, it's easy to shred and recycle all that paper that's tucked away--and remember, for tax purposes, you only need to save bills and receipts up to 7 years. Enjoy those new empty shelves! -Jeana
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