How to Track Your Bills So Nothing Is Late

By Cedar & Ledger

Late fees usually don't come from not having the money. They come from forgetting, or from a due date that slid past during a busy week. A simple bill list that you check on a schedule fixes most of that.

Step by step

1. Make one list of every bill. Rent or mortgage, utilities, phone, internet, insurance, car payment, minimum debt payments, subscriptions, and anything paid yearly. Your bank and card statements from the last two or three months will show what you're forgetting.
2. Write the due date and normal amount next to each one. For bills that change, like electricity, use a recent average.
3. Note how each one is paid. Autopay, paid by you online, or paid by check. Autopay bills still go on the list so you can check the amount and make sure the money is there.
4. Pick one check-in time. Once a week (or every payday), open the list, see what's due before the next check-in, and pay it or confirm it's scheduled.
5. Mark each bill paid. A checkmark and the date. At a glance you can see what's still due this month.
6. Start a fresh column or sheet each month. Same list, new checkmarks.

Ways to make it harder to miss a bill

• Set calendar reminders a few days before big due dates, not on the day. How to Make a Bill Payment Calendar (Example Month) shows how to lay every bill out by due day and week.
• Ask to move due dates so they line up with your paydays. Many companies allow this.
• Keep a small buffer in checking so an autopay doesn't overdraw the account. How to Set Up Autopay Without Overdrafting shows how to match autopays to paydays with example numbers.
• Watch for yearly bills. Put them on the list with their month so they don't sneak up on you.
• Check the prices once a year. Internet, phone and insurance bills often creep up; How to Lower Your Monthly Bills (Call Script + Checklist) walks through asking for a lower price.

If you already missed one

Pay it as soon as you can, then call and ask whether the late fee can be waived, especially if it's the first time. How to Ask for a Late Fee to Be Waived (Script + Steps) has a short script. Then add the bill to your list and a reminder so it doesn't happen again. If you're behind on more than one, Behind on Bills? How to Catch Up and What to Pay First walks through which to pay first and a catch-up plan by paycheck.

Tools

Paper, a notes app, or your calendar all work if you check them. If you'd like a spreadsheet, the Monthly Bill Tracker ($5, Excel and Google Sheets) keeps every bill in one list with its due date, lets you check them off each month, and shows what's still due and the yearly totals by category.

This is general information, not financial advice. Cedar & Ledger makes plain spreadsheet templates for money and small business: cedarandledger.vercel.app.

Try the free subscription cost calculator →

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Try the free late fee calculator →

Related template: read about the bill tracker template

See all Cedar & Ledger templates

Also see: December bills calendar

Also see: Winter heating bill budget