I just got back from vacation last night. I retrieved all of my held mail. Over $1000 in bills were waiting for me. Some of these are for things I paid off months ago or they're on closed accounts. Now I have to backtrack and see if these were just the last bill that was sent out before I paid it off, or if they're new and whether they should or shouldn't be. I'm so sick of this.
This year has been the worst year for me as far as finances are concerned. I keep on thinking I'm staying on top of things and keep on getting slapped in the face.
I'm using tools such as auto-bill pay both for who the bill is from, or through my bank. I use calendar alerts. I choose to get the paper bill so I have a physical reminder. I have people remind me.
I seriously don't understand why I'm fucking up. Will someone please tell me, so I can fix myself and stop this from happening. This has been going on from last year and no matter what I implement to stop it, it keeps happening.
Comments
Sounds like
a bad case of life, it does this from time to time. I'm sure things will sort themselves out at some point in the future, just keep plugging away at it and try to believe it will resolve itself in time.
Angharad
I have no idea what I'm doing.
I'm such a mess right now. I can't focus on anything for the life of me. I've had what I think is the worst vacation ever, and now I have money problems again.
I'm like 98% sure I have ADD which is one of the biggest causes of my problems. People here at BC, and elsewhere have suggested it. I don't get to see my psychologist till Tuesday, and my psychiatrist till Thursday to work it out. I don't have the time to deal with these money problems I create for myself, so I have to cut corners on everything to find it. That's if I don't get distracted and forget.
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Stardraigh
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I used to have bill paying issues
I would put them aside to pay and forget about them. Now I have all my bills sent by email and I pay them electronically immediately I receive them. If they are in my inbox they are unpaid. If they are a folder they are paid. It means I sometimes pay before I have to but I have the advantage of no surprises.
Paper bills
Write on them the date you paid them and ALSO the date the payment cleared your bank.
Once a month write on your bank statement what each outgoing was for as a cross reference.
Then when companies send you a bill for something that was paid months ago, send back to them a photocopy of your bill and bank statement with the item hightlighted PLUS a bill for $100 for your time. Then if they try again then increase it to $500 and threaten legal action for harrasment.
As long as you know that you paid the bill then you can sleep soundly knowing that whateve schenanagins these companies get up to you are in the clear.
finally, keep all your bills filed away. I use a 4in ring binder, one for each financial year. Then I keep them for 6 years. After that all the old paperwork gets burnt.
So in essence, get a system. Either pay the bills the day they arrive OR allocats a fixed time each week to deal with them all in one go.
Once established, you will know that you are on top of them.
Samantha
Look around
Look around in your area for "free" services that help with money management... Get independent references on them (don't trust the ones they provide). There are some in various places around the country that will work with you to figure out why your finances seem to be a big mess. I suspect there are similar services up there in BC. (After all, you're more civilized than we are down here in the states.)
Another thing - talk over this with your therapist! (and after that with other doctors). If you are on any form of medication (including HRT) it CAN impact your ability to manage things! (If you're in your first year or two of HRT, I've heard horror stories from folks on things they are sure they did, yet can be shown they missed.) But, many medical things can contribute to problems.
Best wishes,
Annette