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  1. #11
    nfceagles's Avatar
    nfceagles is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    I have a few that auto withdraw from my checking. The rest are almost always sent via my bank’s bill pay. Once you’ve added your various payees, it’s really easy to open the app and send them a payment. I prefer that over logging into various payees websites. I sometimes do that though for one off payments (medical bills) or if I’m late and need to pay it NOW.

    Another option I sometimes use is to set up recurring payments from my bank’s bill pay system. So if I know my payment is $X every month but I don’t want them accessing my checking account, I tell my bank to pay the vendor $X every month by a certain day and also tell it when to cease sending payments.

    Lastly, I went completely paperless several years ago because we were moving abroad temporarily. I still wanted to track things so I made a simple spreadsheet. Jan through Dec across the top, various payees down the side, sorted by what day of the month they are due. Every couple weeks I open it up and pay any that are coming up. I search for the email by typing what I know pulls it up. For example, “3734” finds emails from my Chase CC ending in 3734 (fake number for example’s sake). “Eversource” pulls up my electric and gas bill emails. I pay them from my bank app and then mark the amount in the spreadsheet. For the auto withdraw ones, I pull up the email statement and record the amount in my spreadsheet even though I don’t have to do anything to pay it. That makes me feel like I’m not losing track of the spending on those. I never put the amount in the spreadsheet until I’ve sent payment because that’s my method for marking it as done.

    I also use to set up recurring $100 payments to my credit card each month to make sure I never get charged a late fee if I’m running late paying bills. But I have my main cc set up to auto withdraw now.


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  2. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
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    Massachusetts, USA.
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    Our wireless and home internet/phone/cable bills are recurring credit card payments. Electric I pay though my bank's bill pay. Credit cards payments I log into the account to pay every month. The only bill that I need to write a check for are property tax and my life insurance. I can't think of anything else that I can't pay electronically for.
    Mommy to 2 DS's (2003 and 2007)

  3. #13
    doberbrat is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    MA
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    I havent had a physical checkbook in 15+ years. EVERYTHING gets paid through the online bank system. If the vendor isnt in the system they send a paper check. I was incurring late charges every single month b/c I didnt have a stamp, or I'd put the bill in my purse to mail and forget it. Online banking saved all that. Plus, I can put the payment in before 5pm and have it pay the next day (unless a paper one needs to be sent). Finally, if there are insufficient funds, it just doesnt pay. No bouncing of checks.
    dd1 10/05
    dd2 11/09
    and ... a mini poodle!

  4. #14
    JBaxter's Avatar
    JBaxter is offline Pink Diamond level (15,000+ posts)
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    Mar 2005
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    Florida
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    We have a couple auto pay truck payment and cell bill but most DH does only bill pay. He has the vender set up with address and account number and puts the amounts in we have Wells Fargo
    Jeana, Momma to 4 fantastic sons

    Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you're stupid and make bad decisions

  5. #15
    klwa is online now Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Jul 2003
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    NC.
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    5,268

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    I do online payments to my bill accounts through my bank. There are a very few that I either have to send a physical check (our local tax office) or pay through their web site (Target for some reason doesn't have an agreement with our credit union and they would still send a physical check if I go through the bank?). For the ones that I have to send a physical check, I still use our online banking option because they send a certain number a month for free, so I don't have to pay for a stamp.

    ETA: I DO still write a few checks a month, but they're ones that I hand deliver. Church tithes and dance school payments because I don't have an electronic option for either of those. Although, I've considered asking the dance studio owner if I can just have the bank mail her our payment so I don't have to remember it.
    -Kris
    DS (9/05)
    DD (8/08)
    DD (9/12)

  6. #16
    jgenie is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    I pay bills through my bank online bill pay. I have everything set with an automatic payment of a certain amount so we don’t accidentally miss a payment. I like to look bills over before I pay them so I manually adjust the amount each month. I only write checks to a few service providers who request payment on the spot - contractor, sprinkler service, etc.

  7. #17
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by doberbrat View Post
    I havent had a physical checkbook in 15+ years. EVERYTHING gets paid through the online bank system. If the vendor isnt in the system they send a paper check. I was incurring late charges every single month b/c I didnt have a stamp, or I'd put the bill in my purse to mail and forget it. Online banking saved all that. Plus, I can put the payment in before 5pm and have it pay the next day (unless a paper one needs to be sent). Finally, if there are insufficient funds, it just doesnt pay. No bouncing of checks.
    I write more checks now thank I ever have in the past- our high school activities prefer checks for everything. So many checks!

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by SnuggleBuggles View Post
    I write more checks now thank I ever have in the past- our high school activities prefer checks for everything. So many checks!
    Crazy! Our high school activities use Venmo or have some sort of link for payment.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    DD (3/06)
    DS1 (7/09)
    DS2 (8/13)

  9. #19
    AnnieW625's Avatar
    AnnieW625 is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Jan 2006
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    Default How do you pay bills?

    I pay most everything online. Occasionally I will write out checks and mail the credit card bills. Our water/electric/trash (one utility company) I still send out that check monthly.

    I have the following bills on auto pay (debited from my checking account)
    Cell phone (Verizon gives you a 5% discount or something)
    Gas bill
    Cable bill
    Internet bill
    Kids school tuition is on auto pay
    Gym membership
    Auto/Life Insurance
    Mortgage

    I tried the echeck thing through my credit union about 10 years ago and I honestly found that kind of cumbersome to set up so that is when I started just paying directly online for my bills. The downside is remembering all of the passwords. I also found e checks being no faster than mailing a check myself. Maybe I need to try it again since so many of you have had success with it.

    I still get the bulk of my statements mailed to me. I read them and then I shred them most times.

    I still have to write checks for school related stuff, church donations, pool service, and gardener. Other repairs that we have done at the house we also pay by check.

    I bought a big check binder and about 500 checks from Costco three years ago when we moved and we have honestly used more than I thought we would use.

    I do you use Venmo for all of Dd1’s dance fees. (Most of the time I treat Venmo as fun money so my balance is never that high)

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by AnnieW625; 05-02-2023 at 11:29 AM.
    Annie
    WOHM to two wonderful little girls born in April
    DD E, 17
    DD L, 13,
    baby 2, 4-2009 (our Tri-18 baby)

  10. #20
    wendibird22's Avatar
    wendibird22 is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    I use my bank's bill pay feature. All the bills get delivered electronically to the bill pay. I can see the actual bill image so I know I was billed correctly. Utilities, car loan, life insurance, dog license (town bill) get delivered to bill pay monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on the bill. Cell phone is an auto-debit from our checking account because Verizon offers a discount for auto-debit. The various tv/streaming services just get auto charged to our credit card.
    Mom to two amazing DDs ('07 & '09) and a fur baby.

    Gluten free since Nov '11 after non-celiac gluten sensitive diagnosis. Have had great improvement or total elimination of: migraines, bloating/distention, heartburn, cystic acne, canker sores, bleeding gums, eczema on elbows, dry skin and scalp, muscle cramps, PMS, hair loss, heart palpitations, fatigue. I'm amazed.

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