Organizing Bills & Other Action Items

Have you ever lost an invitation and had to make the embarrassing phone call to retrieve the details? Ever misplaced a bill and then forgot to pay it? Couldn't find the tickets to an event the day of? And in all of the chaos, felt panicked, stressed, mortified?!

Being organized eliminates all of the above. How nice!





Items with due dates (i.e. bills, invitations, renewals) must be tended to regularly and should be easily accessible.

First and foremost, establish a home for your action items. Whether it's in a tray on the kitchen counter or in a magazine file on your office desk, you must have a spot for action items and put them there as soon as you come across them (like when you open the mail). This ensures you can find them when it comes time to actually do them.

Once you've figured out a location for your action items, utilize one of the following methods for help with getting them done on time.

By Date
Use a binder with dividers or an accordion file or the like to file your action items by due date. Every morning check the appropriate day for things that need to be done and do them.

NOTE: Bills need to be paid and mailed at least few days before they are due. Be sure to put the invoices in your action file accordingly and NOT on their due dates.

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By Item
Use stacking letter trays or the like to sort your action items by category (i.e. bills, upcoming events, phone calls). Each morning tackle a few items from each category, especially those that have upcoming due dates.


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By Time
Utilize magazine files or the like to file your action items by how long they take to do. For example, one magazine file could be for urgent items, another for things that take less than 10 minutes to do, and another for items that take more.


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Some Other Things To Consider
Sign up for automatic payments for recurring monthly bills like for your cell phone and utilities. This takes the "bill paying" out of paying bills and saves you time.

Opt out of paper billing. Paying bills online is much quicker and cheaper than filling out a check and using a stamp.

Have a system for the action items that come to your email inbox. Most simply, set up a folder to deposit emails that require your action and tend to them daily.

Have a Fool Proof System for Organizing Action Items?

How do you go about organizing bills and other action items? Share it!

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