Get Organized and Get Out of Debt
Getting out of debt is much easier when your bills and statements are organized and easy to get to. Set aside a place to keep your current bills and mail that is easy to get to and safe from children and pets. Keep a calendar close by and have a place to store postage. Having a file cabinet really helps keep past bills and statements organized and easy to access for reference. These simple organization methods will really help you get organized and get out of debt.
Get Out of Debt with a Place for Bills and Mail
When you have a place to keep your bills and mail it is easy to pay your bills on time and get out of debt. A desk, even a small desk, is a great place to keep your bills and mail. A desk with a file cabinet or file drawer is even better for keeping files and statements close by. In addition to a file drawer, a desk with a small drawer will have the extra space to organize pens and store extra postage.
A counter area or small table are other good examples of places to keep your bills and mail. Being organized with your bills and mail really simplifies getting out of debt. Make sure children and pets are unable to disturb the area. Selecting a location away from sources of heat and water or wind from open windows.
Get Out of Debt with the Help of a Calendar
Always hang up a calendar where you pay your bills and keep your mail. When you have a calendar close by, you know what day of the week your bills are due and have less of an opportunity to send a bill in late or miss a payment. A key to getting out of debt is paying all of your bills in full and on time or just a few days early.
You can also write on the calendar which bills are due on what day of the week or month. In addition to writing the name of the bill, you can include the amount of the bill. Example, November 12, Gas $112.56 – Keeping a calendar and writing which bills are due is a great way to help get organized and get out of debt.
Get Out of Debt Organization Tip – Have Your Bills Due on the Same Day of the Month
Paying your bills and getting out of debt is easier if most of your bills are due on the same date. Credit card companies often change the billing cycle and due dates as consumers will make late payments with assessed fees and penalties. Likewise you can contact your creditors and utilities and request your billing date changed. Most companies are understanding to varying customer budgeting and paycheck cycles and are willing to accommodate your needs.
A File Cabinet is a Great Way to Get Organized
Using a file cabinet and files is a great help to get out of debt. Having your bills and statements organized in files makes paying bills an easy task. You are able to check last months payment amount with ease and keep your records up to date. In addition to getting out of debt easier, a file cabinet will make budgeting a snap.
Make sure your file cabinet or file drawer is large enough. You will need plenty of room for all your bills and statements over the course of the year. If your file cabinet is too small, the drawer will difficult to use, files and statements will be difficult access. Just keep in mind – the bigger the file cabinet, the easier it is to get out of debt.
Get Out of Debt Tip – Annual File Cabinet Clean Out
Getting out of debt is about keeping your bills and statements organized. Make sure not to overstuff your file cabinet with old files and statements. Every year, simply remove last year’s files and keep them in a storage box. You may need to keep your records for up to seven years for tax auditing purposes. An organized, roomy file cabinet will make getting out of debt faster and less stressful.
Keep Extra Postage On Hand
Having extra postage on hand prevents a run to the post office and late payments! After a long day or stressful day, if you don’t have any postage it may be easy to say, “Oh, I’ll just mail this bill late, just this one time.” Less than a dollar in postage may cost you $20 -$50 in late fees and penalties, much less the possible and likely negative effect to your credit sore. Getting out of debt is easier with extra postage on hand.
Debt and Credit Disputes are Much Easier if Your Are Organized
Occasionally creditors or utility companies will error when posting your payment to your account. Whether the date was incorrect or the amount was not posted properly, if you are organized disputing the debt payment is much easier if you are organized. The credit or debt payment dispute many times can be resolved by retrieving your records and payment information. Having your payment history easy to access and organized will help resolve the dispute in your favor. Getting out of debt is much faster without credit disputes, late payments and additional fees from creditors.
Get Out of Debt Organization Tip – Never Store Bills and Mail Out of Site
Out of Site and Out of Mind – this popular saying also applies to where you keep your bills and mail. Never keep your mail in a dresser drawer or other hard to access location that is out of site. Having your bills organized, in a safe and open location will help you get out of debt and make your payments on time. An exception might be a roll top secretary style desk that is closed, but very easy to access with excellent storage for postage and office supplies.
Being Organized Helps Your Credit Score
Having good organization with your bills and mail help you get out of debt and indirectly helps your credit score. When you are organized and have excellent payment history of on-time and in-full payments, your credit scores will go up and up.
