PSA - Organizational Advice

For those that need a little help in the organization department......here is what I did to get my bills in 'order'.

I'm the bill payer in the house. If I left it up to my husband we'd be living in darkness every other month and getting collection phone calls out the wazooooh! So, I'd taken it upon my self to handle our bills.
I was good at it.
Everything was paid on time.
Then, "life" got busy.......My brain went on "life overload".....I thought I had it together but it didn't...... Let me explain.

We bought our house via OWNER FINANCE. We rented it for about a year before buying it. Our "mortgage company" is a very nice older couple who live about 9 miles from us, so most of the time I just run the payment over and drop it in their mailbox. Our mortgage is due on the 15th of the month. January 15th, 2011 came and went. I thought I paid it. We went out of town for my DH's grandpa's funeral.
While out of town our "mortgage company" calls, it was January 24th. They just wanted to check and make sure everything was alright. I told them well, not really, and explained where we were and why. They were understanding, and sympathetic, and said they just wanted to remind us about our payment.
MY JAW DROPPED. Payment? I put it in the mail. Right? I swear I did? Maybe?
I let them know that I was pretty sure I'd mailed it and would double check when I got home and apologized a million times before we hung up.
Wow.....what was happening? I forgot to pay a bill. That was SO not me.

I did, in a brief moment of....well.....during a brief lapse in judgement as DH to be responsible for the bills. I did a lot, it was the least he could do, right?
WRONG! I spent the entire month so worried about the bills getting paid I drove myself and him nutso! So, I took back over the following month.

I knew I needed a new system. but what? I googled different bill organization options......most seemed a bit more $$ than I was willing to part with for something I could almost make myself....
I found myself wandering around Wal-Mart (eeks!) the other other day, and came across a clearance section.
What did I find there?
One of those SMALL pocket calenders.....on sale...for a BUCK! YEP, $1.00. or, .100 cents!
The wheels and gears began spinning in my brain. Slowly at first, then the speed increased. I swore for a moment I smelled smoke!
This could work! This may be the solution to my bill organization conundrum!
I had, in the past, brushed these small, sorry excuses for 'planners' aside like yesterday's trash. They were too small, slight in stature.....the minute boxes in which they expected you to write each days activities were quite comical! But one item? One bill? genius!
I happily made my way to the register with my new found treasure, smile on my face, eyes a twinkle like Santa Clause on Christmas Eve. I purchased my prize, feeling like a cat who'd just eaten the Canary.
I could hardly wait until I got home to write down and organize my bills for the month.
And organize I did! This was last week........So Far, SO GOOD! I love it! No late bills, thus far, and it's so small I can just tuck it in the bag or purse and don't even notice it's there.

So, for those of you who are looking for a neat way to keep up with your bills, try it! Go find a mini calender/organizer and keep track of your bills!