Do you put off paying your bills?

Have you ever got a hefty fine in the mail because you ignored an overdue payment? Or maybe you overdraw your account because you don’t regularly check how much money you have.

You probably know that you need to know but you still find it hard to look at your bills or credit card balance and sometimes avoid opening all those envelopes altogether. 

Trying to protect yourself from bad news?

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Many of us bury our heads in the sand so we don’t have to face information that could be distressing. We are trying to protect ourselves from bad news.

But our self-protection efforts can turn into self-sabotage if we put off the things that are important. We can try to ignore payments we need to make but the debt or bills don’t magically disappear.

Instead, the interest piles on or we are charged overdue payments. Debt collectors might even call.

Managing bills doesn't have to be stressful

But there are ways to face up to your bills and upcoming payments, so you don’t ignore or avoid them. If you’re constantly being surprised by the next bill that arrives, find out how to get on top of them and plan ahead for future bills.

You could start by committing to open every bill within 24 hours of receipt and then put a reminder in your calendar to pay them before the due date, so you don’t avoid them altogether.

Try getting your bills predicted

Or there may be an app that could help. If you’re with CommBank, you can organise your bill payments by using Bill Sense in the CommBank app. Bill Sense uses your transaction information to automatically predict your upcoming bills. You can see your bills on a timeline to help you put money aside for upcoming bills, plus you will be able to see which months you often have extra bills to pay.

Seeking expert help?

If you're struggling with utility bills, credit card or loan repayments talk to your credit or service provider. Many companies have specialists who can assess your situation and give you options.

If you’re experiencing financial difficulty, get in touch with us and we’ll help you put a plan in place. Call our Financial Assistance team on 13 3095. If you’re a business customer call 13 26 07.