Nine Easy Tips to Automate Your Finances and Avoid Late Payments Consider this quick step-by-step guide to put your bill paying and personal financial management on autopilot.

I'll confess: More than once, I've been late to pay a bill simply because it slipped my mind. I've tried several methods to solve this problem. I used to pay my bills on the day they arrived, which was effective despite being a pain in the neck. But over the past few years, I've embraced the joys of automation. It's given me a little extra free time and eliminated the possibility of late payments.

Although there's no one right way to automate your finances--each person's financial infrastructure is different--the following arrangement is close to ideal.

Related: How to Regain Control Over Your Personal Finances