by JA Harned

Created on: May 09, 2008   Last Updated: June 11, 2011

I have done the bills since we were married over 20 years ago, been out of debt before all but the house, when I shattered my ankle and the house needed major repair, so we started all over again. We finally after several years got it all paid off for the ankle and now working on the house.

I use to use a pad of paper, write down all my monthly bills in order of priority and anything pass the usually household bills of mortgage, rent, utilities, groceries and gas for the car went on to stuff like credit cards, car payment, or other loan payments.

Anything pass that I saved, but a lot of time nothing was left to save, so I flipped it around and open a savings account, you have to pay yourself first before you figure your monthly bills, otherwise you will not ever save and have money aside for emergencies.

I used the check ledger when I remembered to keep track of my expenses. Not writing everything in leads to bounced checks and fees. Now I am on line every morning to see what has cleared in my bank account and to put it on my microsoft money, lot less problems with the bank now.

I had several things happen over the past 8 years that kept pushing us back, we saved up to 5,000 between an account on line at ing, and our regular checking and savings to start our own trucking business. Our daughter died, another expense the funeral. Truck drivers who don't take their job seriously that they mess around on my time, destroying equipment. You get the idea!

Through it all we have come close to closing the business like right now! were struggling to just make the insurance payments because I had to take my savings and pay out to have vehicles towed, repaired for stuff that should of never happened. It put a strain on us, but I will work it out and get us back and running full blast this year. My company will by the end of the year be totally debt free on the plus side.

Now I have paid off 3 credit accounts and working on paying off a trailer right now. I list my bills from smallest to largest with monthly payments, due dates, balance to keep track of how much is paid. I do this still on a pad of paper!

As the bills are paid off I cross them off and mark pif paid in full. I don't do my regular monthly bills unless I am behind, then I add them in to the list of bills to pay. If you are behind in bills get them caught up first. I have a savings account at the bank and I am trying to save 3,000 for an emergency fund for the trucks, road repair can get very costly. Pay your minimum on your bills and put extra on the top lowest bill to pay it off and take that monthly payment when it is paid off and apply it to the next bill, and so on down the list.

While you are paying down your bills put aside each week for an emergency fund so you won't have to search around or go to a pay day loan center to get the money to take care of the problem put at least 500 - 1000 aside for this fund.

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