Every household has financial leaks the surprising ways in which money escapes.
The leak:
Paying bills by snail mail.
The fix: The average household receives about 15 bills a month. With stamps now at 42 cents each, you spend about $76 a year just on postage and don t forget the late fees if your checks get lost in the mail. Save time and money by signing up with the billers customer-service departments to have your bills paid by credit card or automatic debit; payments will be documented on your monthly bank statement. If you want more control, almost all major banks offer free online bill payment, which lets you schedule payments in advance.