Okay, all of you big-time minimalism/simplicity gurus are probably going to laugh at me but I have a confession to make: I am afraid of automatic billpay.
It’s not like I don’t have the money but I always worry about the month I won’t, you know? Or the month this bill or that bill hits my account for a really big fee for some exotic reason I cannot fathom—thoughts like this make me really nervous.
However I am not the best at remembering to pay all of my bills every month. Invariably I forget at least one every month or so and end up a day late and an outrageous fee short so I’m going to take a baby step today.
My Wal-Mart credit card is the first credit card due every month and I always deduct it from my checking account. It doesn’t have the lowest balance, but it always hits before the other bills arrive so no worries about my bank account being short when it is due.
Right now the payment is $19 a month for the minimum. Yeah, I know I could save money by paying more than the minimum but I need to build up a savings account first, so the minimum is what will get paid right now, wrong or right.
I am going to take a big deep breath and set this bill up as autopay for the minimum every month with my checking account.
You gurus are probably rolling in your chairs right now, but this is actually a frightening step for me and runs counter to everything about money I was ever taught my whole 40 years of life.
I want a simpler life! The fact is that I will have more money and more time with less stress by automating these annoying bills!
So okay, it is finished. I have instructed my bank to automatically pay the minimum 10 days before the due date every month on my Wal-Mart Card.
Why do I feel so nervous? It isn’t even 20 bucks a month for goodness’ sake!
*Sigh*
Once I get comfortable with this bill being automated I will target another bill for automation. Which one? Who knows?
Heh. “target another bill for automation.” Kinda reminds me of a Terminator movie!