Why don't we open envelopes?

[Anonymous]

I should take care of that stack of mail on my clothes washer, now that you mention it! or make it down to the mailbox to see if I have more to throw on my clothes washer.

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[Anonymous]

Monika, how I deal with the bills is to set them up for payment right away using online banking (I don’t pay them early but I set the payment up to come out on a certain date). Then they go into a file folder for filing later (usually when the file folder is so full it can’t hold them anymore, or when we need to look something up and can’t find it). If I don’t do that, then the bills get lost and paid late – when I get the next bill with overdue charges.

If your financial situation means that you can’t pay them on time, that’s a whole different issue, can’t help you there.

So I basically treat the bill like a hot potato – handle it with care and get it out of your hands as quickly as possible.

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[Bill]

I think this also applies to voicemail.

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[Monika]

Hi No_Dop,

I love online banking too. And I do well. Although, I have been known to pay twice on my house phone bill and miss a cell phone payment (curse you AT&T same but different). If I can’t find a bill which truthfully doesn’t happen often-I still know when it needs to be paid via on-line bill pay and tend to over-pay just to make sure I’m sending enough. I’m probably the only person who does that.

I am learning, doing and LOVING Dave Ramsey’s My Total Money Makeover. I am becoming a much better steward of our money and am learning “to tell my money where to go instead of wondering where it went.”

It’s a great financial babystep tool for any other distracted souls out there who are in charge of the checkbook.

Thanks for the tip though, I’ll try to notice if I start doing the “let sleeping bills lie or wander” instead of “hot potato bill” treatment.

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[Anonymous]

I hate voicemail, I’m a bigger procrastinator when it comes to that than mail. I just hate to talk on the phone and will avoid it when I can. And I REALLY hate it when people push the URGENT button when their message is not urgent.

I’ve also paid bills twice (it once happened when we used two different client cards to pay bills and I didn’t notice it had been set up to be paid), and I’ve also frequently paid the wrong vendor. But at least I’m better than my husband, who is the classic “throw-it-in-a-pile and try remember it – that is if nothing else interesting comes up” kind of guy.

I’ll have to check out Ramsey, thanks, never heard of him.

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[Anonymous]

I loathe voicemail with a passion. I really hate making phone calls at the best of times so I tend to ignore the messages with the understanding that if it’s important enough, they’ll call back. At least I have got over my answering the phone phobia I had when I was younger. It’s just making calls I hate now. Which is why I am posting online instead of trying to set up an ADHD assessment for myself with a psychiatrist. It was easier when it was my son, but even that appointment was made impulsively in a moment of anger and despair after a long time debating the need for it.

Ooops, just remembered my cuppa….

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[Anonymous]

Everything here goes for me too, email, voicemail, talking on the phone. But I do also get online to pay my bills, that contributes to me not opening mail, because I have already paid so why open anything?

LOVE~ LOVE~ LOVE Dave Ramsey, I highly suggest for anyone and everyone to use his program to get themselves financially secure!

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[Anonymous]

hello new member here. me too! I’ve spent so much money over the years by not dealing with stuff. like p in p everything! hello to everyone

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[nellie]

Hey everyone!

Just back from two weeks away and reading this as I avoid getting started on my massive to do list to get ready for a big party on Sunday!

Voicemail? Well had to check and found 21 messages waiting for me – no one here bothered to check while I was away! Apparently no one got the mail since last week either & the heat pump is on the fritz -did anyone call a repair man? You can guess the answer

And to boot one of my voice messages was to request payment for a really old bill – one I had marked as payed and noted with a check # months ago and had even double checked before I went away . AAAGGGHHH, I have a feeling I won’t be opening any envelopes when I go get the mail later

Krazy Kat,

I can relate to the not making phone calls! I used to do that before my assessment .I think it’s the steps. Even a restaurant reservation would turn my stomach. You have to find a number, decide on the time etc before you even make the call. That bill I mentioned up there – just the thought of having to retrieve the paper work, and then check my bank statement etc before I make the call is giving me heart palpitations already!

As for the friendly competition of what you find when you open stuff that we all toyed with earlier on in the post:

Before I went away on vacation I did a massive re- shifting of stuff in the basement so that in the case anyone needed to call a plumber they could access the water heater. I found the following in little boxes and purses:

1 400$ gold pen ( in a box with kid’s markers) missing for 3 years and a gift to my husband from a family member.

300$ in a wallet ( left over from a vacation in a purse not used in 3 years)

I’m on a personal clean up mission that needs to be done before the beginning of July. Anyone up for the challenge to see what more we can find in un-opened boxes, bags and envelopes ?

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[memzak]

I got over the phone thing by sitting down when I had a call to make, getting everything organized so I would have all the facts then i would call time and weather and then i would just call the number I needed to call. Calling time and weather are non-threatening and once I started dialing them the necessary call became non-threatening and I could do it. I still use this trick but they stopped giving the time and weather in my area so I just laugh at the message they have and then do my calls.

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[Author]

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