chillin' with the billin'

I've been doing something sort of weird lately. Well, let's get real .... I do a lot of weird things all the time! This one's about money.

Paying bills used to suck for me. I would sit down with a big ol' pile of 'em and a very small checking account balance, and start juggling accounts and transfers and due dates, often hedging my bets by mailing a check in before I had earned the money to cover it. It worked - I always made the deposit in time and have never bounced a check. But, lemme tell you, it was freakin' stressful.

Then I read a tip in one of those prosperity consciousness books, probably Busting Loose from the Money Game.

Now I make bill paying an event. I gather up my favorite calculator, my big purple gel pen, a nice cool beverage, and put on some music. Then I open each bill, and read the itemized statement. If I see a charge for Target, for example, I think fondly back to that errand and remember what I bought, appreciating the joy or efficiency or nourishment that each item has contributed to my life.

If I can't remember exactly what I bought, I just remember the feeling of putting things I want into my cart, and the joy of seeing abundance in my cupboards or new clothes in my closet. If it's the electric bill, I think about how comfortable my house is, and how much I love having light at the flip of a switch. If it's the water bill, I appreciate my long hot showers and indoor plumbing.

Then, while feeling awash in gratitude, I write that check. And in the memo line, I write a big THANKS!! in my purple pen, and underline it for emphasis. Then I seal it with a kiss, and add it to my pile of outgoing mail.

It sounds kinda silly, but this simple little change in my routine has made a huge impact on my attitude toward bills.

Instead of dreading feeling the pinch of money going out, I revel in the richness of abundance that has come in. And without even noticing it, I have eased my way into not needing to do the transfer game anymore.

Now the money is already there when I need it... sometimes there's even some left over! Might be a coincidence. I dunno. But I can't deny that long before I noticed that the money was where I needed it to be, I was feeling much better about paying bills. And how can that be a bad thing?