incoming mail organization

[mek42]

Thanks for the helpful advice - I think we might try putting a vertical slotted organizer on the table with at least 5 slots. One for due dates of this week, next week, etc. and then the last for more than a month away.

My problem isn't the budgeting side so much as the receiving the mail side. I just received two medical bills this week of the "final notice before collections" variety this past week where I'd never seen any earlier billing attempts. This is probably my failure though - I'm not willing to dispute whether earlier bills were actually sent or not. I wish I could receive bills by email.

Self-honesty is painful. The phoenix is reborn through fire; from experience, not even gout is more painful than even a relatively minor burn. I'm allegorically thinking that for us, lifestyle change (rebirth) can only happen through the pain of self-honesty, disciplined deprivation (delayed gratification) and probably a few others I'll learn about soon enough.

[krbshappy71]

You are making good progress, Mek, hang in there.

I touch mail once. Recycle, or file. All bills are paid online.

[mndtrp]

You are making good progress, Mek, hang in there.

I touch mail once. Recycle, or file. All bills are paid online.

Everything I've read about time management has touted this process. Email and mail can be done similarly, touch each item once.

Obviously, some things can't be done once. Magazines will be read later, bills will be paid later. BUT, put the magazines where you usually read them, and pay the bills as soon as possible. If you can't pay immediately, for whatever reason, then I would have an "unpaid bill holder" that is in plain view somewhere. All unpaid bills would be put there immediately, and shredded/filed away immediately after paying.

[pat in east texas]

Monthly bills are mostly paid thru automatic withdrawal or CC, which gets paid when it's received.
Miscellaneous bills get paid when they are received.
Junk mail gets trashed right away.
Magazines, catalogs, other "reading material" gets trashed when we both are finished with it.