Ask the Experts

Checks and Balances: Advice for Paying Bills On Time

There is always hope where there are routines and efficient systems.

Q: “I am usually late paying my bills. I either misplace the envelope when it comes in the mail, I open the envelope and misplace the contents, or accidentally put it the recycling pile. Is there any hope for me?”


There is always hope where there are routines and efficient systems. Create an inbox for bills only near where you sort the mail. Schedule one day a week to pay bills; call it “Bill Paying Monday.” On that day, remove the contents from the box, process the paperwork, and don’t consider the task complete until the bills are in the mailbox at the end of your driveway or in the nearest post office. The mail isn’t done until it is posted, because the danger of losing the bills in the interim is too high.

Alternatively, you can pay your bills electronically through your bank. This will take care of lost snail mail, but you will have to sit down once a week and review your finances online.

[The Daily Routine that Works for Adults with ADHD]


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