Hello,

Today, I’d like to discuss how to effectively manage all your payments, including utilities, subscriptions, and loans, to avoid missing or making late payments using a planner book. You can use a planner for the entire year of 2023, which typically includes some blank pages. I’d like to share a practical way to make the most of these blank pages.

Based on my personal experience in tracking payment due dates for each month, I’ve recently settled on a method that works well.

You might wonder why not use a calendar or your phone for this purpose. I’ve tried a few approaches, including adding payment due date reminders to my calendar as all-day events and setting them as reminders.

While these methods involve using your phone, which is okay, I’ve found that constantly checking my phone can consume a significant amount of time each day.

So, I tried writing each due date on my monthly calendar. However, I found that writing each due date on the monthly calendar became repetitive work for every month, and the limited space on the monthly calendar quickly fills up.

Recently, I discovered the effectiveness of listing all payment dues, including items and amounts, on a blank page in my yearly planner.

On a blank page in your planner, start by writing down the due date, item, and amount for each month. Here’s an example:

• Every month, 1st day: Mortgage, amount
• 1st day: School, amount
• 1st day: Piano, amount
• 10th day: Electricity, amount
• …
• 27th day: Donation, amount

For now, list all your utilities, mortgage, loans, and credit card payments, including auto-payments based on subscriptions linked to your credit card or Apple Pay.

Let me share the benefits of this approach with you:

Pros:

• You get an overview, a big picture of your fixed spending. This helps you identify subscriptions or expenses that can be discontinued. Personally, I’ve canceled a few subscriptions recently.
• It keeps you away from your phone. Opening your phone can lead to time slipping away quickly. You’ll realize that 30 minutes have passed without you noticing.

So, what should you do when you receive a notification of a bill payment on your phone? When you receive a notification, whether it’s a text or email, immediately open your planner and record the amount under the correct month. For example, if you receive a text about an electric bill of $100 due next month on October 11th, open your planner and write “$100 for October Electricity.” Put your phone away; you’re done.

What about automatic payments? It’s still great! When you receive a notification, mark the payment as completed—circle the amount. This indicates that the payment has been processed. If you don’t have your planner with you, jot it down in your journal book. If you don’t have a journal book, take a picture of your phone screen for reference. When you need to find the notification later, you can refer to the photos. We often forget whether the notification was a text or an email, so avoiding checking them individually is advisable.

Conclusion:

You don’t need anything special, just a pen and your yearly planner. This method allows you to see the big picture of your fixed monthly expenses and due dates with their respective amounts. It helps you identify areas where you can cut costs, and you won’t miss any due dates. Your planner and journal books are always with you.

Happy journaling, and enjoy a more organized and happier life!