Paying bills has always been a stressful and a very time consuming chore.  The real stress comes from not knowing if you have the money to pay for the bill.  There are certain elements of this chore that can make it a far easier job.  For instance you could set up automated payments for most or all of the regular bills.  This will save you time and money, as you eliminate the time it takes to draw a cheque, put it in the envelope, put a stamp on it and go to the post box to post it.

Automated payments include standing order and direct debit.  A standing order is an instruction given to your bank to debit your account and credit a chosen account for a fixed amount on a set frequency, i.e. weekly, monthly, quarterly etc.  On the other hand, a direct debit is an instruction given to your bank authorising an organisation, i.e. a utility or insurance company, to collect a variable or fixed amount from your account provided that you have been given advanced warning of the amount and date this will be collected.

Many companies will offer you a discount if you choose to pay them by monthly direct debit, saving you time and money.  Another benefit of setting up automated payments is that you can choose the payment date to suit you.  Most people will opt for their direct debits and standing orders to be debited a couple of days after their salary is paid.

Automated payments have taken the work out of bill paying.  That said, it is imperative that you do not forget to keep track of your bills.  It is important to budget your bills and know how much money you have to spend after your bills are paid and provided for.   BillsManager.com have made this easy for you.   Register your account and BillsManager will guide you through the set up of your budget.  Monthly updates will only take 15 minutes  and keeps  you on track of your bills and your money.