I really hate paying those larger bills that come up quarterly, semi-annually or annually. Bills like the property taxes, house insurance or car insurance. One day my wife came to me and said we couldn't spend any more money that month because the car insurance bill was due and she needed all our money to pay the bill. I thought there must be an easier way to pay these bills. After a little thought I came up with a system where I added up the total of all these bills. Then I divided the amount by 26, which is the number of times we get paid each year. I set up an interest bearing savings account and direct deposited that amount from my paycheck every pay period. When one of those bills comes, I transfer the money to my checking account and write the check. The money is always there. This system works so good, I use it for all my expenses now. I deposit the money in my checking and I keep track of the escrowed amounts on an Excel spreadsheet. Why set up a payment plan with electricity or gas, when you can do it yourself? Plus you make interest on the accounts.

By a WIFR.COM visitor