Getting a third bi-weekly check next month?

**JodiRoyer** · 06-04-2009, 04:18 PM

Hello everyone,
I've been lurking here a while but this is my first time posting. I absolutely love the community and have learned many things from it.
But on to the question. My husband gets paid bi-weekly, but when I was doing my July bills, I realized he would get getting a third check on the 30th. He will still be getting his normal two checks in August.
I normally take the monthly bills and split them in two and decide what will get paid with either of the two monthly checks.
I'm wondering how will this third check effect my usual routine?
Is it just going to be like an extra check that will have no effect on the bills?
As of now, we have been living check to check. He was cut from 12 hour shifts to 8 now and it's really hurting us. I'm wondering if maybe this check will be something extra to help us out a bit? Maybe get ahead on the nexts months bills so we won't have to be so check to check.

Thanks ahead of time everyone!

**Denvergirlie** · 06-04-2009, 04:31 PM

I would just push it forward. Pretend that it's the first check of July and pay bills like normal.

Often people will continue to push them forward like this and use the "extra" check towards X-mas and such.

**justpeachy92** · 06-04-2009, 05:25 PM

It is like an extra paycheck, since you are used to only 2 checks per month. We always use the extra check that comes in the summer to fund what the kids will need for back to school supplies. You will also have an extra check in October, this one we will use for most of the Christmas shopping. If I was you I would use the extra check to get caught up on anything you are behind on and set the rest aside for the start of an emergency fund.

**McD** · 06-04-2009, 06:32 PM

OOOH, this is exciting. Hubby and I both get paid biweekly! That means two extra checks!

**JodiRoyer** · 06-04-2009, 11:23 PM

^You lucky dog

**JodiRoyer** · 06-04-2009, 11:25 PM

I think I'm going to catch up with a few things and put the rest in a savings for an EF. This check only will fulfill my goal of setting aside a $1000 EF. I'm SO excited now!
This means that when my hubby gets his bonus this yaer, we can pay off more debt with it instead of having to put it in the EF right away!

**lilk** · 06-05-2009, 03:27 AM

Great plan, puttting a 1000 in an emergency fund. Look around the village for more ways to cut corners, and to help you get out of the pay check to pay check cycle. Good luck and welcome to the village.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 06-05-2009, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by JodiRoyer

Hello everyone,
I've been lurking here a while but this is my first time posting. I absolutely love the community and have learned many things from it.
But on to the question. My husband gets paid bi-weekly, but when I was doing my July bills, I realized he would get getting a third check on the 30th. He will still be getting his normal two checks in August.
I normally take the monthly bills and split them in two and decide what will get paid with either of the two monthly checks.
I'm wondering how will this third check effect my usual routine?
Is it just going to be like an extra check that will have no effect on the bills?
As of now, we have been living check to check. He was cut from 12 hour shifts to 8 now and it's really hurting us. I'm wondering if maybe this check will be something extra to help us out a bit? Maybe get ahead on the nexts months bills so we won't have to be so check to check.

Thanks ahead of time everyone!

We are in the same situation. DH is paid biweekly and we usually split our bills in half. We pay half in one paycheck, the other half in the second paycheck. For example, if our cable bill is $150 then we pay $75 each paycheck. If there's a third check, we tuck that cash into savings (except for groceries and other necessities). We just deposit what we would normally be paying on bills into savings. That way, it's there if we need it.

You could also theoretically pay ahead on bills. For example, if your cable bill always is $150 and you pay $75 each paycheck, you can pay $75 again and be $75 ahead. They'll just give you a credit on your bill and even though you may owe less the next time, chances are that once you keep doing it for long enough then you'll be pretty well off.

**tervsforme** · 06-05-2009, 11:46 AM

I get paid bi-weekly as well. I love it when the extra check comes. I usually put half of it in my EF and the other half to my snowball. But if you don't have your EF funded yet, I would definitely put it there!

Great job!

**Sassyclass** · 06-05-2009, 01:53 PM

Last week was one of our extra pays. We both get paid bi-weekly. I used the second check of the month for our usual bills just like normal.With our extra pays my check went for our usual..
$100 to go on for 2 weeks, this is our allowance
$100 for gas in vehicles for 2 weeks
$180 for groceries, usually $150 but I needed extras

the rest went into the bank and we paid off the doctor bills and slammed $700 on our cc's. Our next extra pays are in October and I'd like to use them to pay off any cc debt we have left, or pay a nice chunk on the TransAm payment.

Cat

**cheles2kids** · 06-05-2009, 03:00 PM

We're the same way. We are also getting 3 checks as well.
My plans are to take 1/2 and add to the EF & the other 1/2 and put towards our next debt.

Yes, it's basically like an extra paycheck. Or at least for us it is, I guess it could also depend on your normal payday cycles as well?
We don't get paid on the old military schedule, which used to be on the 1st & 15th.

Now we are just on a every 2 week schedule, so that's why it makes it an extra check, hope that made sense?

**knitnmom** · 06-10-2009, 12:35 PM

We are using our first extra pay check to pay our son's tuition in full for next year! It is so nice to know that that is taken care of for the school year and we don't have to worry about a payment!

Our next extra check comes in December, and we haven't decided where that will go yet. I'm guessing half in savings and half to debt.

**elphie** · 06-10-2009, 03:44 PM

Dh gets paid weekly so he gets four extra paychecks per year (months with 5 Fridays) and we have a plan for all of them. This year the extra Fridays fell/fall in January, May, July, and October.

January: buy ds's birthday gift and party supplies, buy whole processed hog we buy every year, any left goes into savings
May: buy dd's birthday gift and party supplies, make 1/2 of our normal checking deposit, rest goes into savings
July: pay for 1/4 beef we buy every year, make 1/2 of our normal checking deposit, any left goes in savings
October: Christmas, rest goes in savings

We only deposit exactly what is needed to pay our monthly bills in our checking (use cash envelopes for everything else). We divide those bills by four so our deposit is the same each week. By making 1/2 of an extra deposit twice a year we already have it covered when we go on vacation and dh doesn't get a check at all.

**cheles2kids** · 06-10-2009, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by elphie

We only deposit exactly what is needed to pay our monthly bills in our checking (use cash envelopes for everything else).

We've just started using the cash envelope system this month, and I'm actually really loving it.

I posted in my blog about how it's almost foreign anymore to pay for your groceries with cash, or anything else to, for that matter.

It wasn't that long ago that everyone either paid by cash or checks, now it's debit cards for everything.

**MaryCarney** · 06-10-2009, 06:30 PM

Our situation is a little different, as we have no debt (not even a mortgage

) and I hope you will hold this in your memory for when YOU are out of debt, too!
1st extra check paid for our yearly vacation
2nd funded Christmas

Using them this way, we ALWAYS knew what the budget was for those big ticket events, and made the event fit the budget. It's very freeing, knowing just what you have to work with!!