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Considering how hard it is to find a few minutes to write checks, then mail them - oops, no stamps! - it's a wonder anyone pays bills on time. Register at your bank's site for online bill pay, which will help you avoid late fees, credit-score dings, even the hassle of writing checks.

Gather regular bills and use this time to enter payees' addresses and your account numbers. Have bills with fixed charges debited from your checking account on a certain date each month. For others, you'll go to the site when they're due and just enter the amount.

Easy. Yet surprisingly only 24% of bills are paid this way, says the American Bankers Association. Why not yours?

NEXT: Week five: Simplify your 401(k)