Managing your bills

Managing money can be difficult, especially if you are on a tight budget. However, if you plan for the month ahead you will be able to manage your money easier. Here are a few simple steps to help you on your way:

• add up all the money you have coming into your household
• add up all the bills that you have to pay for that month
• think about the other things you need to buy for that month like food, toiletries etc.

You can then work out what money you have leftover for anything else you want to buy or save.

If your bills are starting to pile up, a good way of making them easier to understand is to keep them organised. Here are a few tips you can use to help you manage your bills easier:

• have a place where you keep all your bills and place them in a folder.
• open all your bills as soon as you get them
• set regular times to pay your bills
• use a calendar to mark off when bills need to be paid
• if you have a mobile device, you could use the reminder app to tell you when you need to pay your bills
• if you cannot pay a bill, you need to contact the company that issued the bill straight away. The company's contact details should be displayed on the bill.