Simplifying Your Bills

I don't know about you, but when I first got married and all our bills doubled, I suddenly felt quite overwhelmed. My husband and I were always flipping through the stack of bills making sure we weren't going to be late on any payments. It was tiring trying to remember what we needed to pay, what we already paid, what was due when, and how this all laid out as a monthly schedule.

Well at work one day I decided that some simplifying of my bill payment process was needed STAT! I had a few problems when it came to bills. I'm sure others can relate. Basically I lacked, like I think most people in their crazy lives lack, a tad bit of simplification. So my solution was to create a calendar. And it has worked wonderfully. Below you will find my process in organizing my bills.

Step One: I gathered my bills and I organized them by date.

Step Two: Canceled everything that was on automatic payment through all the different companies.

• I found that I had everything set as an automatic payment through all the different companies, my car company, my insurance company, my student loan company, my telephone company etc. This made it hard to regulate what was going to come out, when, and how much etc.

Step Three: I set up my online banking.

• Through my bank (Chase) I have online banking. It allows me to store all my bills and then it lets me pay them right out of my bank account. I simply enter my payee's name, payment address and account number and then when the time comes to make a payment I can pay right out of my account and it is delivered in 1 business day.

Step Four: Made a Calendar

• My computer comes with a Microsoft Works Calendar. If your computer doesn't come with one, then you can print free month to month calendars off line.
• I then entered all of my bill's due dates onto this calendar 2 days before they were due. My bank pays in one day, but I wanted to give myself one extra day for delivery of that bill. I also added all my pay days and extra income days.
• I then printed a copy of my calendar and highlighted everything. Bills that need paid, income and bills/credit cards that are up to payment. This calendar is hung on a white board in my kitchen.

Step Five: Check my calendar daily.

• I check my calendar once daily and pay what ever bill is due. If there is nothing due then great. But if there is then I log into my bank account and pay my bill. It takes me less than 3 minutes a day to keep on top of my bills. The best part is that I don't have to remember 40 different log on's to different companies, just one.

The beautiful thing about my bill calendar is that I now know when everything is due. I know how much is due, and I can better save to pay off what debt I have. It also really helps me when we aquire a new bill, and they ask me when I want my due date to be, I can space it out because I know when everything is due. I hope you put this or a similar system to work in your life. It has been such a time saver for me.

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Summer Reading List

Are you looking for a good way to relax this summer but don't want to spend a ton of money? Does the thought of the sitting in the sun, soaking up the rays, with a glass of lemonaid and a good book sound like a good place to start? Well I have compiled a list of books that are sure to keep your attention and make your summer just a little more exciting.

My Fav's

The Goddess Summoning Series by P.C. Cast

• In this series P.C. Cast retells the ancient greek myths of Persophone and Hades, The twins Apollo and Artemes, The Water Goddess and Mermaid Udine, The Goddess Hecate and her Realm of the Rose, The goddess of Love, Venus, and the ever handsome Achilles. While retelling these well known myths, Cast puts her own spin on them by bringing mortals from the modern day world into the greek realm. Filled with the empowerment of women, love, and a little sultry fire, this book series is sure to set your summer a blaze.

The House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

• Mother and Daughter take on the adventure of putting their very own, VERY unique spin on the ever popular and in some opinions overdone culture of vampires. In this 8 book series, Zoey, a normal highschool student, has been marked by the goddess Nyx. Chosen by the goddess to become a vampire, Zoey moves into the Tulsa House of Night to take on the change from mortal to immortal. Little does Zoey know of the ancient danger that is lurking right around the corner, threatening all she loves. Filled with rich native indian history, love, hate, good and evil and spell binding mystery, this series will keep you entranced.

A Painted House by John Grisham

•  This well written tale set in the 1950's, is a tale of a boy's transistion from ignorance to understanding. 7 year old Luke Chandar lives with is family in his grandparents house. A house that has never been painted. As generation cotton growers his family rents 80 acres of land for cotton growing. Each summer they hire a few mexicans and hill people to help them harvest their cotton, but in the year of 1952 along with the mexicans and hill people they hired a little traveling family from the Ozarks. Intrigued by the family and by the beautiful daughter, Luke discovers his first feeling of love and understanding. A mystery ensues when one day, Luke finds that someone has started painting their house. This novel is as sweet and heart felt as can be, make sure to pick this up so you too can follow Luke on his journey of innocence to experience.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

• Kostova tells the all too familiar tale of Vlad Tempes, nicknamed Vlad the Impaler, or as we in modern historical pop culture like to call him, Dracula. In this thrilling and some what terrifying novel, the Narrator, her father Paul, and the father's Professor Bartholemeu Rossi each carry a narrative of their own through letters and stories. Each, driven by different motives,  find themselves on a path that will ultimately lead them to an unexpected and stomach turning reality. In this heart racing story, follow the Narrator, Father, and Professor on their quest to discover the real answer behind the lore of Dracula. Does he really exist? By the end of this novel, it will even have you second guessing.

The Splinter Cell Series by Tom Clancy

• Sam Fisher (whom I think is sooo sexy) a highly trained agent on a secret black-ops team within the NSA, is called to action by the director of Opperations Irving Lambert. With the help of Anna Grimmsdotter or "Grim" the NSA's Technical Director, Sam is sent in to remote places of the world undercover and unseen, to discover the truth, gain intel and collect documentation against enemies around the world. Even if it means breaking and entering, blowing things up and causing all sorts of disguised trouble. This series will keep you on the edge of your chair. You simply can't turn the page fast enough.

The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris

• Sookie Stackhouse, a Louisianna Bartender who can read peoples mind, is waiting tables one summer night when a sexy stranger walks in the bar. She soon finds out that Bill is a vampire and from that moment on her life is changed. Soon she will find that not only are vampires real but everything that she presumed folk lore really isn't just ancient stories. Charlaine Harris is a brilliant writer, and really puts you in the world she has created. What will happen when Sookie comes face to face with vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, and a beautiful group of people known as the Fae? Pick it up this weekend to find out.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

• Many have probaby read the abridged version of this classic tale, but have you thought to pick up the unabridged? Well I strongly suggest you do.  Edmond Dantes is unrightfully imprisoned on the isle Chateau D'lf by three  friends, one jealous of his love, one jealous of his promotion, and one in fear of his career. Dantes loses everything he had worked so hard for including the love of his life, and because so, becomes bitter and angry. When Dantes discovers a new but very old friend and an opportunity arises to escape, Dantes plans his revenge. Through this twisting novel of aliases, revenge and a quest to gain back what was taken from him, Dantes discovers a hard truth. One that will forever change his life. Pick up this novel for an exciting and mind altering read.

These are just a few of the books that I am recommending everyone put on their reading list. Not only will they keep you entertained, but they are a relatively inexpensive activity to occupy your time with. Especially if you have a library card.

I hope you enjoy, and like always comment and subscribe to my feed if you like what you see!