I like to pay my bills when I get them, vs. when due. Creates a positive float I guess, because I know from my maternity leave days and other tight times that I can pay most of our bills late and no one would care. Exeptions being cell phone, mortgage & credit cards. Oh yeah - they care a lot - hehe. But even so, I generally pay those long before due - so still a lot of "float" if something happened and we were out income.

So today I called to put the diaper service bill on my credit card. That one they ask you to pay ahead for 4 weeks. I am usually lazy and pay at the end of the month - no one cares. So I called today and they said I was paid through Monday. So close to the next bill I thought, gosh, should just pay 2 months! I thought about it, and the reason I have been waiting to pay is because I usually get the bill around the 20th and I decide to push off to the next credit card cycle.

So as I hesitated to double up this month when I Could just call back after the 1st, but I quickly changed my mind. This is silly. If I pay it now, then next time I can pay it the day I get the bill! No more of this "waiting for the next c.c. cycle" stuff. Which in the end I put it off, then forget, and then pay a month late. They have never charged a late fees so I figure they don't really care. But it is still nice to pay when they say is due I guess.

I think this squares me away and that officially in 2007 I will be paying all my bills when received - that is nice.

The next step I would really like to get to is to "prepay" my c.c. every month. I probably wouldn't give it to the c.c. company, but just set it aside the first of the month to pay the bill. Until then we are kind of operating on credit to month to month. I say we aren't because we pay it in full every month. But in a way we are putting off 1 month paying for all of our purchases...

I go back and forth on this because because I get paid on the 1st for the prior month, which pays the c.c. bill for the prior month. So it is mostly cash basis. I Earn the money as I spend it though I don't get it or pay it until the 1st...

But the more I can prepay the more "float" I have too. Which is a good thing.

Well when we build up cash a little more, a goal for 2007 I guess...

None of this really matters in the long-run I guess. BUT we have been deep into juggling the bills before. It is nice to be far on the opposite side of juggling bills, not waiting to be able to pay them and such... IT's just been a way of life in recent years but I am glad to move past! I don't think doubling up the diaper bill this month will amount to a hill of beans. & that feels good!

It is going to mess up my pretty monthly reports, but I will survive - hehe. The bookkeeper in me does not like doubled up payments. Bah!