Andrea Dekker emailed me the other day with a great money-saving tip. She gave me permission to share it here:
I was randomly thinking about your 52 ways to save $100 series, and I thought about how much money you can save just by automating your payments or paying online and not needing to pay for stamps (and envelops and checks).
I figure if you pay 10 bills per month online, you’d save about $50 per year just on stamps — that’s not even including the potential cost of envelopes and checks (if you don’t use the free checks).
I realize this isn’t $100 over the course of a year, but I still thought it was an interesting concept. A great way to reduce paper clutter, simplify your finances, and save money. 🙂 -Andrea
Sara says
If you call the companies to set this up, some of them may also give you a promotional credit. I just called Direct TV yesterday and got $15 off my bill each month for 12 months…excellent.
Jenna says
Add to this list a trick I learned a while back. I have grown children that see me for Christmas and the 4th of July. I take with me items I wish to give them that are clutter to me but I use to mail them to the kids. I no longer do this. I give these items when I see the people I wish to give them to. I have a closet in my home and I have lined it with a bookcase. I label the shelves with names and I place items on the space. As I go about my year, I am able to save a ton on postage by giving items when I see them. I also give gifts ahead if I can as well. It save us a ton of postage.
Allie says
Bill Pay or paying online though convenient, saves money, paper, and such is not all what its intended to be. Beware one day you will wish you weren’t so foolish to buy into things that look like there all that. Many advantages to mailing your bills via postal service or in person. I plan my trips/errands/bill paying in accordance to which sides of town I will be going to on my way to or home from work. Being careful to plan accordingly to which side of town and the days bills are due. Ex: Monday could be the North side of town, Wed/South side, etc. Saves gas and time.
Allie says
I am also aware of the tantics that are so irresistable. Such as insurance policies offer payment plans, some with fees, some not if you pay in full of course, but the savings if you do automatic pay are crazy, crazy enough to question how can they afford to offer a policy at that savings by having automatic bill pay and still have the same coverage. Same with some cable companys. Makes you think how thats possible and why?
Lacey says
You’re an there are still people that mail their bills? I thought my parents generation was the last one to keep doing that.
Crystal says
😉
Suzanne says
Using your bank’s online bill pay (usually) saves money on postage, checks, and envelopes. It also saves trees and reduces gasoline usage. Both of those are major pluses!
NaDell says
In addition to paying bills online, mail postcards instead of an envelope for thank you notes, invitations, and the stamp costs much less!
NaDell says
We use postcards for our Christmas card and while we probably don’t actually save anything because we just make our send out list larger all the time, it’s cheaper than it would be if we had to use a full price stamp.
Kim M says
Some companies will reduce your monthly payment if you enroll in AutoPay. We have DirectTV and Geico, and they take $$$ of each bill for me since its an autowithdrawal. That in itself is worth the extra $15 per month I save by autopay. I too used to work for the USPS, but they downsized us not so much because of lack of mail, but because machines were replacing us in our particular field. The sad truth is that technology is taking over everything, and there’s probably not a whole lot anyone can do about it.
Anna says
Another thing to think about is that there could be fluctuations or discrepancies in certain bills that you want to check for. Say you have a gas leak or your attic light is left on for half the month (guilty)… if the bill is automatically paid online (no bill mailed out) you won’t necessarily be able to catch that. We have the option for automated payments but after the attic light incident we always take the mailed bill instead. And don’t worry, now I always triple check the attic light. 🙂
Sarah says
We already do bill pay, it is much easier and is less likely I will forget to pay! However, I do make sure we use stamps & support USPS for letter writing. My 2 year old helps me by coloring pictures and we have a rotating list of people we send pictures to. Our mailbox flag is up almost every day. =)
Julie C says
We use online bill pay but send cards to our 50+ cousins, brothers/bil, sisters/sil for their birthdays. I purchase our postage stamps at Office Depot or Office Max with my store credits from the free after rewards offers they have.
Amy says
Julie, that’s a great idea! I’ve been looking for ways to save on postage. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
dee says
I love my Post Office and will keep sending bills and letters thru the mail as I want to do my part to hang onto a wonderful American institution. Who doesn’t like to get mail?!
Becky says
I think this is a great way to save some money, we do it too, but the long term affect on the Post Office is kinda sad. It’s been around longer than I have and some Post Offices have closed due to less volume of mail. So many people send an email instead of a letter nowadays. Kids these days have little clue to writing and sending a letter :/ Online Bill Pay kind of takes away some of the punch of seeing your money go out for bills because there is not as much effort to click as there is to mail it in or even take it to the counter and pay. I miss much from the “good ol’ days”.
Sol says
This post is just another sign of the times. I’m sorry for people who have lost jobs and I hope things turn around for you, but this post was not personal. It is just a reality of how technology and culture have evolved and will continue to change. I’d argue that as more and more people become comfortable with shopping online, more jobs will be created in that sector.
We have automated everything possible over the last 10 years because we can’t risk a penalty for being late on something. Honestly, I’d rather not have to worry about having stamps, envelopes, and checks. I like the convenience of e-mail, e-vites, and all the other forms of modern day communications.
Jodi says
Well said!
Kay says
+1
Meredith says
Where I live, this isn’t an option unfortunately. Our HOA bill has to be paid by check or it’s a $15 fee to do it online. The electric bill is 10% of your bill if you do it online, gas is $2.50 online, and water we can’t even do online. Of course I do the house payment, taxes, and internet. But that’s it. So here in this area of the South, we are still check writing people!!!
Sarah says
That’s crazy! You would think these companies would encourage online bill paying because it is easier to process these payments. Instead they see it as a source of revenue.
Micki says
You need to do online BILL pay through your bank – The companies will charge you, but if you go through your bank (instead of thru the company) it doesn’t cost you anything. AND, if whomever you are paying isn’t set up to accept them electronically – then the bank sends a check. Most of the big companies and banks are set up for it, but for our dr. bills and random payments – I just set it up and then they send out a check.
Challice says
My mother does this and she has saved even more because her bills are paid on time and she doesn’t have late fee’s.
We have never had a bill late. However, neither hubby nor myself are comfortable with all our banking information available online.
We also need to be careful because unless you are on top of what money is coming out of your account, you can overdraw.
Living in a small town, we are blessed that everything is within 5 minutes. On my husband’s way to work he can drop off 3 bills locally (water, gas, electric) We mail 3 (credit card, mortgage, and verizon/phone/internet bill)
Hubby keeps a meticulous balanced check book.
Cheryl says
We do this. We also put in a monthly minimum payment on our utilities and charge card so we won’t get a late fee if we forget to pay it.
Heather Webber says
I have also started to use Evite for party invitations – saves on stamps and keeps guest list organized.
Tracy Snedeker says
I pay our bills over the phone. I call the 800 number on the bill and using that companies automated computer system, I have the bill deducted from my checking account. You can choose to have the company retain your checking account information for future use or not. No stamps, no checks, and no need to set up automated payments thru your bank. I pay our electric, gas & cable bill this way. Easy : )
Danielle says
We have been paying bills online since last may-SOOO very easy! My bank offers online bill pay where certain companies payment is more like using my debit card. But for others, like individual people or lesser known/smaller ones, my bank actually sends them a physical check. I don’t have to pay for the check OR the postage OR the envelope… Still all done online!! It’s been such a blessing!
I know of 2 different banks that offer this, I’m sure many others do too!?!
Tammy says
I rarely comment on any blog but this touched a nerve. I agree that we can save money by paying bills on line. However, by not supporting the US Postal Service, thousands of hardworking men and women are losing their jobs. My husband was one of them. I hope people will consider that perspective.
Emily says
I hadn’t considered that, so thank you for bringing it to my attention. I pay a few bills online, but still send most of them in the mail myself. I think I’ll continue to do that.
Tammy says
@Emily – thanks for your feedback. Very appreciated.
Sarah says
I’ve been doing online bill pay for years. The only time I use the post office is when I’m selling something online. I think the postal service is a useless institution. I’m sorry your husband lost his job but I have to worry about my finances first before I worry about other people. I save money and the environment by paying online which no offense is more important to my day to day well being than a post man losing his/her job. Maybe your husband should get a job at a restaurant or grocery store.
Tammy says
If saving that $30/year is that important to your family’s well being then of course you should do so. I wasn’t suggesting that everyone should only use the Postal Service just offering an firsthand account of what can happen. I certainly was not asking for sympathy. I believe you might feel differently if it was your husband that lost his job after dedicating 15+ years to his career.
Laura says
Hugs, Tammy…I hope your husband lands a great job soon!
I can’t believe the harshness of the above reply – wow! One should always be a wise steward of resources, but humanity should trump financial gain. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Tammy says
@Laura, thank you for your kind words. My husband is back to work. I was also shocked by the angry tone of the comment above. I was simply offering a different perspective not bashing someone who thinks differently than I do.
Carla says
I think you need to learn to bite your tongue! Your comment was rude.
Micki says
I have to agree with Sarah… unfortunate consequence of me saving money and time is that the poorly managed post office is laying people off. In our business and in my personal life – online bill pay has made for a huge savings – cost of checks, envelopes, and stamps. Add to it all my time in A/P and A/R because they are automatic. I don’t believe it is my job to support another person’s job just on principle. Everyone should by a new car b/c hundreds of people are being laid off in Detroit. NOT. I should buy things because THEY need me to spend money (that I probably don’t have). NOT. Sillyness.
August says
I’m with you Tammy. If people keep up with the mindset that it’s every man for himself, our entire nation will crumble. We have to come together in order to work as a group.
Tammy says
@August – thank you. You are so right. It seems that no one cares until it changes their own life. My family still uses the USPS as we know dozens of people that still have jobs.
Ashley says
Great comment! You seem like a very kind, wise person.
Kay says
August, many money saving tips are at someone’s expense. Do you eat out more frequently to support the local economy and waitstaff? Or do you cut back on eating out to save money for your family? It’s a similar principle.
August says
It is, so that’s why we do BOTH. We eat at home 6 nights a week or more depending on our situation, but regardless, we eat out about twice a month.
That’s more than I’d like, but we do it because we need dates and because it supports the economy. Sure, we could stop to save even more money, but I’d personally rather struggle a teeny bit than cause someone to lose their job and struggle horribly.
It’s also why we try to buy American made and shop in store vs. online as much as possible. I would feel horrible about myself if I knew that someone couldn’t feed their children anything simply so I could feed mine more. I wish more American’s realized that it’s not just about them, it’s about all of us. We wouldn’t have a fraction of the problems we do now if people would stop being so selfish and learn to help each other out.
Michelle says
I pay as many of our bills on-line through our bank as I can. The only ones that I don’t are if it is a one-time billing. Our bank will even print the check and mail it if it has to. No postage or envelops for me any more! Love it!
Terry says
I agree that paying bills on line saves stamps…..but my husband is a mailman and when I pay on line, I feel like I’m taking money out of our pockets! I will save in other ways! 🙂
Patti says
Me, too! I value our Post Office and am willing to pay for their service.
Tammy says
Thank you! If more Americans felt that way, my husband would still have his job!
nicole says
actually if it is a small business you are paying such as a local company the bank still mails a check to them. but they usually come in a big group of checks from one bank. Still using the post office! it does create more work for the small company though because people don’t mail back the payment stubs so they have to match it up with the right account.
Chelsea says
I suppose one could switch their bills they mail in to online pay, but to combat this issue you’re talking about, use the money saved to mail cards/notes instead. It would brighten somebody’s day, help the local post office, and would probably feel like a more worthwhile way to spend that $30-$50 a year. You don’t have a spend a lot on cards- I used to get a lot of notes written on paper torn out of a pad. 🙂
Crystal says
I love this idea!
Mmartin says
We are a USPS family, and I always take into consideration, the fact that less mail volume is leading to so many USPS employees losing their jobs. Yes, I can save $50.00, but I rather save my husbands job by using stamps and USPS services…
Darlene says
We are also a USPS family and I couldn’t agree more that my husbands job is
at risk by doing everything online. I too would rather have my husbands job than save
$50.00 on stamps and USPS services.
Jennifer says
Very true! We are hoping to have less than 10 bills a month soon though once we’re debt free (in just a few more months) and can get online bill payments down to mortgage, Home Owner’s Association, and utilities only!
Marion says
We personally bill pay everything. This also saves on the cost of checks.
Michelle Smith says
I think the best way to do this is to set up Bill Pay with your bank if that is an option.