Create a System

To keep bill paying from being married to a particular room (and feeling like such a chore), devise a portable filing system that will let you work anywhere you like.

Stash a checkbook, pens, stamps, and envelopes in the back pocket of your organizer so you don’t have to hunt for them when you’re ready to go.

Label the file pockets in a way that works for you, whether that’s day by day — labeled 1 to 31 (great for chronic late payers) — or a pay-this-week and pay-next-week system. (Use the Managing Monthly Bills Worksheet to help you master payment due dates once and for all.)

Then decide on a good time to tackle the job — such as during the two- or three-minute commercial breaks in your favorite TV shows, suggests Rita Emmett, the author of The Clutter-Busting Handbook (Walker & Company, $11). Chopping bill paying up into manageable bites helps make shorter work of it.

When you’ve paid the bills, move them to a file cabinet or box (see Important Documents).

Bargain Organizer

Pendaflex Vertical File
This 14 1/4-by-10 1/4-by-1 3/4-inch rectangle of durable polypropylene (shown) opens to reveal four letter-size pockets. An attached clip is handy for keeping outgoing letters in plain sight. Available in three palates: Warm (reds and oranges), Cool (blues and greens), and Professional (grays and maroons).
To Buy: $10, www.pendaflex.com.