Green Tip Tuesday: Online Bill Pay

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of mailing stuff.  Like most people prone to procrastination having to do something that takes effort, planning, and stamps, all of which are in short supply in my household, is to be avoided at all costs.   Online bill pay was designed for people like me.  Bonus: it's Green too!

I do all my online bill paying through my bank's website.  I've been doing this for about 10 years, though I will admit that when we moved to Massachusetts and had to switch banks and get a new email address it was a little daunting to set up all the bill paying details again.  Still, it was worth it because it really does make my life so easy.  

A lot of companies with whom I do business have graciously offered to simply suck the money they need right out of my checking account with no effort from me at all.  This method is great for all your super-organized-and-have-a-lot-of-money-in-your-checking-account people, but it would never work for me.  I need to see in one place all the money that is going to be paid out versus the current balance.  I like to move pay dates around sometimes to match up with Steve's every-other-week pay cycle.  I like to move whatever money is "left over" to savings as soon as possible.  Inevitably I would forget about that one little car payment and have no money in the account when they went to make the online transfer.  It's good to know your personality type when choosing a bill-paying method.  Especially if you've decided to live "paycheck to paycheck."

Did you know that most banks will even write a check and mail it for you at no charge?  I don't know how or why they do it, I am just glad they do.  Clearly bankers either 1. always have stamps on hand or 2. don't mind mailing stuff.

I like not having to find an envelope, line up the mailing address in the little window, find a stamp, get my bills out in time for delivery, remember my federal holidays when no mail is delivered, and wait for a check to clear.  I like the simplicity of clicking my mouse a few times and BAM, the bill is paid. 

No environmental impacts from mail trucks, envelopes, checks, or stamps.  And good credit because your bills are always on time.  What could be simpler?