Escapades in Adulting - Paying Bills

 

One of the inevitable things that comes with adulthood is paying bills.  So much fun!!!  I never really got a good handle on that for years as a young adult.  I wish we could have had some life experience classes in high school to prepare me a little better.  Ah, well.  Still, when I was in my 20s and early 30s, paying bills was something I was not good at.  And I was worse at budgeting!  However, through a series of financial mishaps, I have learned how to better pay attention to my bills and try my best to actually stick to a budget.  

I actually now look forward to making my monthly financial plans.  I am now at a point where I pay my bills well in advance most of the time.  Sometimes, however, I do forget, and they creep up with some kind of reminder to pay them. I am proud to say that I have not paid a bill late since I have been single.  Now that may not seem like much of an accomplishment to most people, but it is huge to me.  Knowing that I could live on my own and take care of my own finances is pretty satisfying.  I do have a roommate now and he contributes each month his half of everything, which is good because more utilities are being used LOL

I have also started paying more than is due on some of my bills.  I know that may sound crazy but let me tell you, it isn't.  While I have a credit card that always has a minimum payment due, I always pay more than that so that I can slowly chip away at that one.  But I am on several equal monthly payment plans.  They are very helpful when it comes to my monthly budget, but at the end of the 12 months sometimes there is a HUGE balance due.  I do not want to deal with that again so now each month I pay more than the monthly amount to give myself credit.  That way, when the balance becomes due, it will not take such an enormous piece out of my paycheck. 

It's just interesting to me in life now that at one point paying bills was something to dread and I often avoided it. Nowadays, I enjoy paying bills and doing the math and making sure everything is set.  It's these little things as an adult that I find satisfying.  That is all.