Please Don't Put Me In Charge of That!

[JollyBadger]

My SO of three years has been in the hospital these past two weeks - hopefully he will be home Tuesday. But, in the meantime, he asked me to "go through his bills" and make sure he doesn't have any immediately due, and to be sure he has enough money in his bank account to pay the ones that are due.

Okay, I know my own billing "cycles," which days my credit card and phone/internet and car insurance payments are due. But I feel totally overwhelmed at being asked to keep track of his bills, especially since he has had some additional bills come in for medical office visits that are not "routine" bills. And, although he gets paid every Friday, he has been on ST disability and I don't know how that is affecting his pay.

More generally, I just don't like being put in charge of other people's money or bills because I am convinced I am going to screw it up. It's not that I don't want to be able to help him out. . .but I'm afraid I'll just screw it up and make things worse for him. At the same time, I hate feeling like I'm not dependable for managing what he seems to think should be something very simple.

[Drewbacca]

I just now realized that my cell phone was two days past due! doh! thanks for the reminder.

[sarek]

Is there any way to automate this? Banks in my country have started a system where the company who is sending you the bill sends it directly to a mail box in your electronic banking account. That lets you see and OK the bills directly from there.

[meadd823]

Does he have a system of keeping up with his bills - a calendar or ledger of some sort? Some computer programs also have ways to keep up with due dates and the like.


I understand nervousness but in this situation not doing any thing is possibly worse than doing some thing -

He sounds like he is "with it" {mentally alert and aware of what is going on} perhaps you can offer to bring his files, banking necessitates, bills, ect . . to the hospital and you and he can go through them together - That way you would be helping him without having to handle his money without him.

[Abi]

Recurring bills [Rent, Utilities, Phone, Internet, Insurance] --> Debit Order!

[Asier3d]

In my country bills are sent directly to your bank account. You don´t need even to confirm it. Just take a look sometimes to see if everything is all right…and to be sure that there is enough money!

[AbsentMindProf]

Ouch. When I was single I couldn't even keep up with my own bills. The very thought of having to deal with someone elses' might give me some sort of empathic meltdown.

[LaMbaL]

I hear ya. Everytime I check my mailbox I pray that it is empty, because mostly when there is something in there it requires a response or some kind of payment from me.

And how the hell does anyone manage tax returns? I currently have a +/- 500 euro monetary incentive to do mine, but I still cant get myself to do so