Comments on: Bills-In-A-Box: The Stress-Free System For Organizing Your Finances - Introduction (Step 1 of 5) http://www.ncnblog.com/2008/07/08/bills-in-a-box-the-stress-free-system-for-organizing-your-finances-introduction-step-1-of-5/ Debt Reduction Rocks - We Are Living Debt Free! Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:47:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Printable Calendar Blanks http://www.ncnblog.com/2008/07/08/bills-in-a-box-the-stress-free-system-for-organizing-your-finances-introduction-step-1-of-5/#comment-125464 Printable Calendar Blanks Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:06:01 +0000 http://www.ncnblog.com/?p=1282#comment-125464 You mentioned a how to video at the top of your post but, I cant seem to find it. I check all three pages as well. Do you still plan on including this? If so, I'd like to link to it from my website. As for the bills in a box system....its awesome. I've always used envelopes stuck on the fridge but this way seems a little more secure. Thanks for the post. You mentioned a how to video at the top of your post but, I cant seem to find it. I check all three pages as well. Do you still plan on including this? If so, I’d like to link to it from my website. As for the bills in a box system….its awesome. I’ve always used envelopes stuck on the fridge but this way seems a little more secure. Thanks for the post.

]]> By: MB http://www.ncnblog.com/2008/07/08/bills-in-a-box-the-stress-free-system-for-organizing-your-finances-introduction-step-1-of-5/#comment-120324 MB Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:53:43 +0000 http://www.ncnblog.com/?p=1282#comment-120324 I came up with a similar system in 2003, only I did not use a calendar. As soon as a bill arrived, I would write the check, put it in the envelope ready for mailing. I put the due date on the back of the envelope, and backtracked a week or more and then put that date above the due date. That mailing date would be the date I dropped the bill off at the post office. Credit card companies seem to change their grace periods according to some whimsical pattern, and this method helped avoid late charges. For fixed bills, which for me included things like cable, car insurance, rent, utilities, I would use a steno pad sized sheet of paper that I would keep in my organizer. This sheet listed each fixed expense, the amount, and due date, and I would run this out about 5 months so that at any given time I could see what upcoming expenses were and plan accordingly. I would redo the list every couple months, especially if it got too dog-earred. Now I know some would not consider cable to be a necessary expense, but at that time I lived on the ocean side of the coast ranges in northern CA where one could not get any television signal at all and it was very useful to find out what the traffic conditions on the other side of the hill were so I could plan my trip to work accordingly. For general organization, I used a box and folder system. I came up with a similar system in 2003, only I did not use a calendar. As soon as a bill arrived, I would write the check, put it in the envelope ready for mailing. I put the due date on the back of the envelope, and backtracked a week or more and then put that date above the due date. That mailing date would be the date I dropped the bill off at the post office. Credit card companies seem to change their grace periods according to some whimsical pattern, and this method helped avoid late charges. For fixed bills, which for me included things like cable, car insurance, rent, utilities, I would use a steno pad sized sheet of paper that I would keep in my organizer. This sheet listed each fixed expense, the amount, and due date, and I would run this out about 5 months so that at any given time I could see what upcoming expenses were and plan accordingly. I would redo the list every couple months, especially if it got too dog-earred. Now I know some would not consider cable to be a necessary expense, but at that time I lived on the ocean side of the coast ranges in northern CA where one could not get any television signal at all and it was very useful to find out what the traffic conditions on the other side of the hill were so I could plan my trip to work accordingly. For general organization, I used a box and folder system.

]]> By: gypsyrose http://www.ncnblog.com/2008/07/08/bills-in-a-box-the-stress-free-system-for-organizing-your-finances-introduction-step-1-of-5/#comment-119717 gypsyrose Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:14:37 +0000 http://www.ncnblog.com/?p=1282#comment-119717 where is the calendar you use so we can use it? where is the calendar you use so we can use it?

]]> By: NCN http://www.ncnblog.com/2008/07/08/bills-in-a-box-the-stress-free-system-for-organizing-your-finances-introduction-step-1-of-5/#comment-119698 NCN Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:49:49 +0000 http://www.ncnblog.com/?p=1282#comment-119698 @Livingalmostlarge... YES! I do do most stuff electronically, but the system helps me manage my paperwork... I should have published the video tutorial FIRST, so that folks could see the system in action... it's coming out soon! @Livingalmostlarge… YES! I do do most stuff electronically, but the system helps me manage my paperwork… I should have published the video tutorial FIRST, so that folks could see the system in action… it’s coming out soon!

]]> By: Livingalmostlarge http://www.ncnblog.com/2008/07/08/bills-in-a-box-the-stress-free-system-for-organizing-your-finances-introduction-step-1-of-5/#comment-119696 Livingalmostlarge Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:03:50 +0000 http://www.ncnblog.com/?p=1282#comment-119696 This will sound horrible but have you considered doing everything electronically? I do it electronically, back it up on an external hard drive and a CD in a fire safe. I use a scanner for important bills, receipts, but I use electronic bills for everything else. I have an excel spreadsheet for detailed due dates for all bills like utilities, credit cards, property taxes, mortgage, etc. Everything is electronically mapped out. It's fantastic. I open it once a week and update it. This will sound horrible but have you considered doing everything electronically? I do it electronically, back it up on an external hard drive and a CD in a fire safe. I use a scanner for important bills, receipts, but I use electronic bills for everything else.

I have an excel spreadsheet for detailed due dates for all bills like utilities, credit cards, property taxes, mortgage, etc. Everything is electronically mapped out. It’s fantastic.

I open it once a week and update it.

]]> By: Aaron Stroud http://www.ncnblog.com/2008/07/08/bills-in-a-box-the-stress-free-system-for-organizing-your-finances-introduction-step-1-of-5/#comment-119628 Aaron Stroud Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:50:42 +0000 http://www.ncnblog.com/?p=1282#comment-119628 In the past, I used a system similar to this except with a filing cabinet. Recently, we've been moving towards electronic statements and online bill pay to cut down on the clutter in the filing cabinet. When starting out, there's something special about handling physical bills. It helps to visualize the money going out, especially if money was handled carelessly in the past. Now that we've got a system and budget that works, automating the tasks has saved us a lot of time. In the past, I used a system similar to this except with a filing cabinet. Recently, we’ve been moving towards electronic statements and online bill pay to cut down on the clutter in the filing cabinet.

When starting out, there’s something special about handling physical bills. It helps to visualize the money going out, especially if money was handled carelessly in the past. Now that we’ve got a system and budget that works, automating the tasks has saved us a lot of time.

]]> By: Alisa http://www.ncnblog.com/2008/07/08/bills-in-a-box-the-stress-free-system-for-organizing-your-finances-introduction-step-1-of-5/#comment-119609 Alisa Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:21:10 +0000 http://www.ncnblog.com/?p=1282#comment-119609 This sounds like a neat system. Can't wait to get the details. Be well... This sounds like a neat system. Can’t wait to get the details.

Be well…

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