Among Friends

[dex]

When you go on extended vacations how to you keep track of all of your home bills?I am hoping that everything can be accessed online.i prefer a mailed statement and haven't ever tried online payments.

[CatLoverDogsToo]

I do all payments online and have done so for years. If I know I am going to be away, I set up the payments to disburse on the due dates. I keep a record of all confirmation #"s and dates the payments are scheduled for. It has worked great for me.

Edited to add: You can still receive paper statements even if you pay online.

I didn't like relying on the post office to get a payment to a business on time. Several years ago, I wrote a check to pay a credit card and mailed it 10 days before the due date. That bill went to California, Texas, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and then finally back to me in Georgia 6 weeks later. It was supposed to go to Delaware. Needless to say, I was aggravated.  My handwriting is legible, the address correct, so there was no reason for any of that. I went to the post office to complain and they said and I quote:  "Oh well, It happens."  I was just glad the credit card company didn't charge me a late fee after I explained what happened.  I realize the post office generally does a good job, but I have a few other "horror stories" about lost or delayed mail, just not with payments.

[sunshine45]

i usually take my checkbook and my computer with me, along with any bills i receive in the mail, stamps, envelopes,  and return address stickers. i can then pay them online or by mail while i am away. i have been away this past week and actually had some time to get some paperwork done.

[Kachina624]

I've used automatic online bill pay for years.  Have never had a missed or late payment.  I never pay bills by mail as it's expensive and dangerous to leave checks in the mailbox. 

[Tinkrbl44]

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@dex wrote:

When you go on extended vacations how to you keep track of all of your home bills?I am hoping that everything can be accessed online.i prefer a mailed statement and haven't ever tried online payments.

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@dex

It's time to dip your toe in the water .....  set up one bill on your checking account for online payment ....  your gas bill, for instance ....... and get used to the ease and reliability.    Any changes that need to be made are as simple as logging in to your bank account and doing a few clicks.    

Once you see how easy it is, and how much time you save, you'll wonder why you took so long to set online payments up. 

[Nataliesgramma]

I was reluctant to pay my bills electronically but I started small like the other poster suggested and now I LOVE it.

I had one or two times where my payments never made it to their destination. My Life insurance company claimed my ins lapsed when I had gone there IN PERSON with a check. They called me the next day that they 'found it'.

I have done Bill Pay with my bank for 3 years and I wouldn't go any other way....never had an issue.

[AuntG]

The people I wonder about are those that have no permanent home and travel in large camping trailers.  How do they get their mail if they stay two weeks here and two weeks there?

[Financialgrl]

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@CatLoverDogsToo wrote:

I do all payments online and have done so for years. If I know I am going to be away, I set up the payments to disburse on the due dates. I keep a record of all confirmation #"s and dates the payments are scheduled for. It has worked great for me.

Edited to add: You can still receive paper statements even if you pay online.

I didn't like relying on the post office to get a payment to a business on time. Several years ago, I wrote a check to pay a credit card and mailed it 10 days before the due date. That bill went to California, Texas, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and then finally back to me in Georgia 6 weeks later. It was supposed to go to Delaware. Needless to say, I was aggravated.  My handwriting is legible, the address correct, so there was no reason for any of that. I went to the post office to complain and they said and I quote:  "Oh well, It happens."  I was just glad the credit card company didn't charge me a late fee after I explained what happened.  I realize the post office generally does a good job, but I have a few other "horror stories" about lost or delayed mail, just not with payments.

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This is what I do - I no longer want "stuff" in my mailbox.  I don't want paper bills - I do auto pay but I just moved and want autopay and budget plan but I have to wait until I have a few months worth of history to figure out my budget figure.  I travel a lot and don't want to have to worry about missing payments.  I also have stopped ALL bank and brokerage statements coming to the house - if I need a copy of a statement my credit union maintains 3 years online.  

[KentuckyWoman]

We pay everything online.  Our utilities are automatic pay by the utility companies.  We do get paper bills for those.  All other bills I pay online.  We have iPhones and iPads so we can access our accounts anywhere, anytime.  You can still receive paper bills in the mail and pay online.  We are paperless except for utilities.  I can go in and print a statement for bank statements, credit card statements whenever I choose.

[chrystaltree]

Our vacations are a week or two; so that has never been an issue for us.  But even if we did go away for months, still wouldn't be an issue because we pay our bills online.  The only check I mail out is for our condo fees.  Honestly, I can't even imagine going old school and writing checks and paying by mail.   Can't you have your bills fowarded to you?   Before they moved permanently to ME, my inlaws spend spent the summer/early fall months up there and they had all their mail fowarded to them.  That's what people do when they are away for an extended period of time.