A Word of Caution: Read Your Bills Carefully

Many people receive their bills in the mail and don’t take the time to read them carefully. Like so many others, I used to do the same thing until recently. I discovered that I was being charged for services I hadn’t ordered on a few of my bills. My cable bill was one example; when I noticed the extra charges, I called immediately to cancel the items listed.

Years ago, I had a property I owned demolished, and I was not prepared for the large bill I later received from the city. I arranged to pay it in installments. When reviewing my payments, however, I found discrepancies in the total amount owed. Initially, I hadn’t examined the bill closely, but when I did, I discovered it was incorrect and didn’t reflect all of my payments. After calling the responsible department, I learned that some of my payments had been held in escrow without my knowledge. These escrow payments were supposed to be applied to my balance but hadn’t been. After a follow-up call, I confirmed that more than a few hundred dollars should have been deducted from my balance, which has now been corrected.

I’m sharing this experience because we often overlook the importance of reviewing our bills carefully. It’s essential to ensure that all payments are accurately credited. Mistakes happen, and I was disturbed to find that some of my payments had been held in escrow without my knowledge. This raises the question: what was that money being used for? My advice is to check all of your bills closely. Read every line to understand the charges, and if you spot an error, contact the department or company immediately to request a correction. If you have a close relative who is a senior citizen, try to help them with their bills if possible.

Also, be cautious with the interest rates on credit card accounts. I paid off three credit cards after noticing how much interest I was being charged. It wasn’t worth keeping these accounts, so I closed them. I feel relieved not to be paying such high interest rates. Cutting back on unnecessary expenses can provide peace of mind, knowing you’re not spending money you can’t afford. Closing those three accounts has allowed me to save more each month, which has been a great relief.

I’m sure many readers remember the television show, Fight Back and Don’t Let Anybody Rip You Off. This is still good advice today!