MONEY SMARTS: Pay your bills on time

No one actually likes bills. That said, we still have to pay them and pay them on time. Look, don't ignore your bills — they aren't going to go away. In fact, they will grow and this is the last thing that you want to happen.

So set a time each month to sit down and pay all of your bills. Put it on your calendar or set an alarm so you don't forget. Make sure you give yourself enough time, too. (A few days early for mail payments and a day ahead for online should be good.)