“Paying the bills” sounds easy enough when you’re younger, but adulthood shows how quickly bills pile up and become unaffordable. Since late payments affect everything from your utilities to credit reports, it’s important to figure out a good system for paying bills.

 Let’s answer a couple questions about bill payments and discover strategies to conquer your bills.

 Q: What if I have too many bills?

 A: Having too many bills can cause serious financial damage. When you have a lot of bills, it’s hard to tell what’s important and what isn’t. The bills overwhelm you, and you end up missing a vital payment that should’ve come first on your list.

 A list is exactly where you should start fixing the problem, too. Make a list of all your bills and rank them based off importance. Put rent, mortgage, utilities and loan payments at the top of the list. Pay those first; then eliminate unnecessary bills (like streaming subscriptions).

 Q: How do I time my bill payments?

 A: Timing your bill payments will depend on your situation:

 1.      Every bill has a different due date. This situation makes it difficult to stay organized when paying your bills, causing you to miss payments. Try calling the bill issuers to change all due dates to a single day.

 2.      Large payments eat up your paycheck. It’s hard to watch your whole paycheck disappear in an instant. Luckily, issuers don’t care how many payments it takes to reach the full amount. Try splitting up your large bills and pay a portion with each paycheck.

 Q: What do I do if I lose my job?

 A: Immediately call your utility companies and lenders to tell them about your situation. They’ll want to help make payments affordable while you find a new job. Don’t be afraid to apply for assistance, too. For example, Arlington’s Care and Share Program helps people with their water bills.

 We’re also here to help. Allied offers CheckFree Bill Pay to help you keep track of your bills and put this advice into practice.