Most of the time, automatic payments can make your life a lot easier, especially when you’re trying to keep an eye on your finances. But there are some bills for which autopay might not be your best choice for one reason or another. Here are 18 bills that you probably shouldn’t use autopay for and why.
Utility Bills
Year after year, your electricity and water bills can vary a lot based on how much you use. If you leave autopay on, you won’t be able to catch any crazy changes or mistakes in your bill. Spotting a leak early could save you more than just money, so make sure you turn autopay off unless you want to pay extra.
Medical Bills
Sometimes, it feels like you need a doctor just to understand your medical bills because they can be a real puzzle. After all, they’ve got a ton of codes and charges that might not even belong there. You should probably skip autopay so you can take time to review each charge and only pay for what you received.
Property Taxes
Property taxes come around just a few times a year, but they can hit your savings hard. If you’re not careful, you might end up auto-paying for them when your bank account’s not ready. This can lead to overdrafts or even penalties, so you’re better off checking this bill manually so you’re always ready for whatever comes in.
Credit Cards
If you put autopay on your credit card, this can make it far too easy to ignore your spending habits. Instead, you should take a moment to go through your statement each month because that’ll also help with your money management skills. Plus, you’ll be able to notice any charges before they become big problems.
Subscriptions
We’ve all been there, where we signed up for a free trial and forgot to cancel it. Autopay makes it far too easy to keep paying for things that you don’t even use anymore, like magazines or streaming services. You should check these bills manually to help you decide if they’re really worth the cash.
Variable Loans
It’s smart to avoid autopay on any loans with a changing rate, even though some will give you a discount for autopay. After all, interest rates are always changing, and that means your payment amounts will, too. Reviewing your bill each time will help you stay on top of these changes so that your bank account doesn’t get hit too hard by these payments.
Rent Payments
Most of the time, doing autopay for rent is a good idea, but there are times when you might want to avoid this. For example, if you’re in the middle of a dispute about repairs or services, holding off on autopay will give you something to bargain with. You don’t want them to get all that money when you’re still arguing over who should fix what.
Insurance Premiums
Insurance isn’t set in stone, and that means your coverage can change or your premiums can rise. If you’re not looking, you might miss out on the chance to dispute or switch to something a little cheaper. Manual insurance payments mean you’ll see every update before it hits your bank account.
Childcare Costs
Kids’ schedules change a lot; one week, they’ll be doing after-school soccer, while the next is piano lessons. With childcare costs, you need the flexibility to adjust your payments as their needs and hobbies change. Autopaying these expenses won’t give you the freedom to deal with any quick changes.
School Tuition
Similarly, school costs can change with your children’s course loads. When you settle this bill by hand each term, you’ll avoid any surprises and be able to plan better for your kid’s education expenses. You can also review any new fees or tuition cost changes so that your education budget always stays accurate.
Home Services
If you have people coming over to clean the house or mow the lawn, autopay could mean you’re paying for a mow when it never happened. Keep those payments manual so you can make sure you’re only paying for the actual service dates. This way, you’re only paying when the job’s actually done.
Tax Preparations
Tax isn’t something you have to pay every day, so why put it on autopay? It could leave you scrambling if the payment hits before you’re ready, and you might want to plan your finances around tax season instead. You also won’t forget to check for any changes in your taxes or any new deductions that could save you some money.
Legal Retainers
Legal stuff can get pricey and complicated pretty fast. Even retainer fees can change how much help you need each month, which could mean you’re paying too much for some months. You should probably pay these fees manually so you can adjust them on the fly, and you’ll also be more connected with your legal issues.
Online Shopping Accounts
The fewer places your payment info is stored, the safer you are from hacks, so you might want to skip autopay for any online shopping. It could mean you’ll think twice about any impulse buys, as you’ll have to manually enter your payment details each time. You’ll be saving money in more ways than one.
Elderly Care
Caring for an aging loved one won’t always cost you the same, as the services or hours that you’re paying for one month might be very different from the next. With manual payments, you change your spending to focus on care that’s actually necessary. You can also make sure these services and care quality actually match your standards.
Seasonal Equipment
Even if it’s sitting unused in your garage, autopay could mean you’re paying for equipment you’re only renting for part of the year. Manual payments mean you’ll only pay for when you’re actually using that snow blower or lawn mower. Doing it manually will also help you get those off-season deals or skip the rental altogether when you don’t need it.
Boat or RV Club Memberships
Boats and RVs are great sometimes, but they’re hardly things you need to pay for year-round. Keep any memberships off autopay because it’ll prevent you from paying during the off-season. You should always manually check each year to see if you’re actually getting your money’s worth to make the membership worthwhile.
Custom Fabrication Services
Any custom projects that you’re working on, like building furniture or metalwork, won’t have standard costs. These will change depending on materials or time, and setting up autopay for them could mess up your billing. Paying for them manually will help you keep everything just right.
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