First thing first... True story, I was doing work for someone who hated paying bills, and would just refuse to do it until the bill collector would call. She would stash all of her bills in a shoe box and when the box was full, she would shred the contents and to the recycling bin they would go.
Whether or not you pay your bills is your own business... she inevitably came to me and wanted a system and that's what I'm here to offer you.
This is my simple solution... it's what I've been doing for years, and it's proven to work pretty well for me... and the best part- you don't have to be super neat, or overly organized to make it work!
I bought an envelope sized accordion file folder and labeled each tab with my bill title (i.e. Arbella, The Limited, Amex, Sallie Mae, etc.). Each month when the bill comes in, I record when it's due on the front calender page of my planner, and then submit the bill into the file folder in it's respective slot. I like having a snap shot of when my bills are due, how much they are, and what the minimum due is- and keeping it in my planner makes it really easy to find and refer to frequently.
Twice a month I go online (usually the middle and the last week of the month), and I pay all the bills that are due within the next two weeks. Paying them in advance gives me a peace of mind that they will get to their destination on time, and also keeps my credit score in good shape (did you know even paying on the day things are due can have a negative effect on your credit score?! ).
Once the bill is paid, I like to slip it into the back of the accordion file- when that slot gets too full I go through and save necessary stubs for tax purposes, and shred the rest!
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