How to be a savvy spender with your time

As a savvy spender, there are a number of small ways that I save money each and every day. The one thing I haven’t talked much about in any of my blog posts is how to be savvy with your TIME. I like to spend my free time searching for the next great travel deal, so if I can find efficiencies in my daily routine my non-work hours are freed up for more fun activities.

Let’s address paying the bills. Capital B—BORING. Not to mention it can take up to 30 minutes to complete on a Sunday afternoon if you are writing out checks, balancing your checkbook, looking for stamps, addressing envelopes and walking that stack of bills out to the mailbox. Save your time and energy by paying your bills online and/or setting up automatic payments. Not only are you saving time and money (paying electronically means you shouldn’t be late on any payments—so no fees!) but it’s good for the environment.

In just one year, by switching from paper to electronic billing, statements, and payments, the average American household would:*

• Save 6 pounds of paper
• Save 23 pounds of wood
• Prevent the production of 29 pounds of greenhouse gases, which is the equivalent of:

o Driving 30 fewer miles
o Not using 2 gallons of gasoline
o Planting 0.4 tree seedlings and allowing them to grow for 10 years

Plus, if you pay 5 bills a month online, you’ll save over $25 a year.

There’s actually 8 ways you can pay your TDS bill (electronic options first, of course). I’ve included the more traditional ways to pay your bill as well, for your reference:

To pay electronically:

1. Enroll in TDS ePay. It’s our free online bill payment service and you can enroll at www.TDSepay.com. You control how you pay each month and eliminate paper bills from being mailed to you. You can also set up automatic payments, so you never have to worry about paying your bill on time. You’ll receive all communication from TDS electronically.
2. Use your bank or financial institution’s electronic bill payment service. Allow adequate time for processing. A fee may apply, depending on your bank’s rules. Ask your bank for details.
3. Use Sav-a-Check. It’s a free service that automatically debits your checking or savings account each month for the exact amount of your bill. You will continue to receive paper bills with this option. To sign up, call 1-800-696-0889.

To pay by check:

Mail your payment and bill stub using the envelope provided with your TDS bill (allowing 10 days for processing). Don’t have the TDS-provided envelope? Here’s the TDS bill payment address:

TDS Payment Center
P.O. Box 94510
Palatine, IL 60094

To pay with cash:

1. Use a Western Union Agency. Allow 3 days for processing, a fee may apply.
2. Make a payment at a Wal-Mart Service desk. Present your current remittance stub (cash or PIN-based debit card required; a fee may apply)

To make a rush payment:

1. Speak with a TDS Advisor by calling 1-877-239-1600. Requires a bank account, debit card, or credit card. A fee applies for this service.
2. Choose the “Rush Payment” option online at www.tdstelecom.com/MyAccount. Requires a bank account, debit card, or credit card. A fee applies for this service.

*Source: payitgreen.org