An extended absence, such as a summer vacation or a year-long business trip to another country, requires that bills be taken care of in advance.Mortgage or rental payments, household utilities, health insurance, tax payments and/or storage costs are some of the bills in need of attention.Automatic payments through the company or the bank, paying bills in advance, or asking friends or relatives for assistance are some of the arrangements made.You can use any of the different payment methods.
Step 1: List your bills.
A thorough list of all possible expenses can be created by reviewing your online bank accounts as far back as a year.You should include expenses related to your home.Expenses include mortgage or rent, property insurance, utilities and lawn care.There is an account for expenses.If you keep your internet and phone service activated, you can avoid reconnection fees.
Step 2: When they must be paid by, mark on a calendar.
If you mark the due date on a calendar, you can see when each bill has to be paid.You can make notes on how the bill will be taken care of.Marking the bill on the calendar will help you identify when you need to pay or sign checks, if you will be away for several months.
Step 3: Contact the companies.
If you don't know how to take care of a bill, contact the company associated with the bill and explain that you will be away for a while, and ask how you can pay them the money you owe.The company can make different suggestions about how to pay the bill, or it can already have a convenient method in place.
Step 4: Service should be halted when possible.
If you will be away for many months, some companies will allow you to suspend your service.There are phone companies and internet companies.It will save you money and make it easier to set up bill pay when you are away.You may be able to set it up online, but you can also call these companies to inquire if they offer such a service.If you want the service to be turned back on, you will need to provide the date when you are leaving.While you are away, the company may or may not ask you to pay a reduced fee.You can either pay the fee upfront or set it up so the amount is deducted from your account each month.You will still be saving money even though you will have to pay the bill.
Step 5: Review accounts that accept online payments.
Most of the bills you pay can be taken care of without you having to ask someone else to do it while you are away.A good internet connection is all you will need to pay your bill.The company may have a telephone number that you can call to make a payment.If you will be in a foreign country, you should consider using an internet phone service.If you don't already have an international calling plan, this can save you a lot of money.If you're going to use an internet phone service, you should check to see if the company has a 1-800 number.Most internet phone services will allow you to make free calls.
Step 6: Contact the companies that offer it.
Call the company and tell them that you want to be able to make online payments, if you don't already have it set up for certain accounts.You might be able to make payments over the phone if they don't offer the service.
Step 7: You can mark due dates on your calendar.
You will need to make sure you keep up with your payments since you will be paying yourself.The due date of the bill should be written on the calendar.It is a good idea to keep a note of this on the calendar if you have to call to make the payment.
Step 8: You should check your email a lot.
It is a good idea to check your email regularly in case you forget about a bill, as many companies will send an automated email a few weeks before your bill is due.If something unusual happens, they will email you.If your credit card company notices unusual activity on your account, they may send you an email to confirm that you made the charges.
Step 9: Pay your bills over the internet.
When the bill is due, log into your online account and follow the instructions on how to pay it.If you pay the bill with a credit card, some companies will store your payment information so you don't have to use it.Paying bills in an internet cafe is a bad idea.You run the risk of getting your computer hacked if these connections are not always secure.Call and pay your bill over the phone if you can't find a place where the connection will be secure.
Step 10: Please call the company.
If your company has an online account feature, it may be easy to set up automatic debit transfers on the website, but if it is not clear to you, a simple phone call will help you figure it out.You can set up the automatic bill pay over the phone, or they can walk you through it online.
Step 11: Automatic payments should be set up.
You have to pay a bill for each company you do this for.It may be tedious and time consuming, but it will save you a lot of time later on, and give you peace of mind.On your list of bills, make a note of when you set up bill pay, how you do it, and who you spoke to on the phone.Take an hour or two to double check each account to make sure the bill pay is set up correctly.
Step 12: Talk to the landlord.
It is possible to pay your rent in advance so that you don't have to worry about it being paid on time while you are away.Get in touch with the landlords who are open to this.If your landlord doesn't like this idea, you could give a post-dated check to a friend or family member who would make the payments for you.Your landlord might be willing to check on your apartment every now and then to make sure everything is running smoothly.If you want, you can ask a friend or neighbor to keep an eye on your home while you are away.
Step 13: If you can pay in advance, ask other providers.
If you have the cash available to you, you can pay the bills in advance if they remain the same each month.If the company allows you to pay in advance, you will have peace of mind that the bill will be taken care of.
Step 14: Contact your bank.
The easiest way to set up automatic bill pay through online banking is to go to your local branch.Doing this in person will make sure that it is set up correctly, and will give you a chance to ask questions about how the service works.
Step 15: You should have a list of your bills.
You will need the name of the company, how much the bill will be, and any account numbers if you want your bank to give you exactly what you need.It will help you make sure that you have covered all the bills.
Step 16: The bank can mail a check or make a direct transfer.
If you have to pay your bill with a check, your bank may be able to send it to the company on your behalf.Direct debit transfers can be made to the company if online bill pay is offered.Direct debit may be used for bill pay, but not paper checks.Other banks can send checks, but they don't have a direct debit scheme.It is important to clarify this with your bank.
Step 17: The due dates should be clear.
If it is possible, try to have the bill paid a few days in advance of the due date.The risk of late payments will be eliminated.Paying a bill even a day late can be harmful to your financial health.
Step 18: Pick the best person for the job.
You will need to choose a friend or family member that you trust completely if you go this route.This person will have access to a lot of your personal information, so choose wisely.Think about how responsible the person is.You may have a friend that you trust, but who tends to misplace things.The person you want keeping up with your bills is not this one.It's a good idea to have a close relationship with a parent as they are likely to be more concerned with your financial health than a friend.
Step 19: Give them a list of all your bills.
Write down the due date, how much the bill is, and how it should be paid.In person or online, using a check.The company's contact information is included.Too much information is better than not enough.It is better to have the contact information of the company that the bill belongs to.
Step 20: Your bills are due.
When the bill is due, make it very clear on your list.You could give them a calendar that shows the due date of each bill.Paying bills on time is the most important part of the process.If a friend or family member doesn't pay their bill on time, it could hurt their credit score.You may have to find a way to get the late fees taken care of.
Step 21: They should check your mail on a regular basis.
You can receive your bill via the mail.A friend or family member will need to check the mail to get the bill.It is still a good idea to have your mail checked when you are away, even if you don't have any bills.The person checking the mail will be able to alert you if you receive important letters or unexpected bills.You can sign up for a mail forwarding service at the post office.It will be easy for your friend to keep an eye on the mail because it can be forwarded directly to them.
Step 22: They should have access to your online accounts.
It's a good idea to use caution when sharing your online account information.This is usually not necessary because there are other options.If you think sharing your online account information is the best option for your situation, then make sure you choose someone who is trustworthy.If you have accounts.If you pay your student loans online, you should give your friend a list of each website, along with the user name and password for the site.If you really trust your friend/ family member, you could give them access to your email if they lock themselves out of it.If you have access to your email account, it will be possible to reset the password.
Step 23: They will receive signed checks.
If you have to pay your bills by check, you can give them one check for each bill that needs to be paid.It's a good idea to give your friend one or two more checks in case they make a mistake or something happens to the first check.Be sure to sign the check.You could write out the name of the company and person receiving the money, as well as a memo for what bill the check is related to, in order to make it easier for your friend or family member.
Step 24: Provide them with stamped envelopes.
Your friend may need to send you a check and a payment voucher.Don't expect your friend to pay for postage.The name and address of the recipient can be written on the envelope so they don't have to worry about it.Everything your friend/ family will need to mail inside the envelope can be provided by you.If you have a payment slip that needs to be included, fill it out with as much information as you can and put it in the envelope with a signed check.You can write the month on the envelope if you will be away for a long time.If your friend needs to send off a check every month from January to July, then give them 7 stamped and addressed envelopes.Write the month on each envelope.