Technology+Learning+Cycle



Awareness: For years, I sat down at my desk at home, checkbook in hand with the usual pile of bills to pay. It took me 30 minutes to an hour to pay the bills, balance the checkbook, and figure out what I could or couldn't afford for the next month. Then about three or four years ago, I started recieving inserts with my bills offering me a way to pay my bills online using my credit card. That sounded pretty risky to me. I had paid my bills the old-fashioned way with check, stamp, and envelope for over twenty years. I didn't know whether or not I trusted putting my personal credit information out in "cyberspace".

Exploration & Filtration: I'm a slow starter, so I begin by having my monthly insurance premiums and electric bill withdrawen from my checking account by bank drafts. That was very easy. I always knew what day of the month they were going to be withdrawn and the premiums were always the same amount. The electric bill varied, but they still sent me a statement. I just didn't have to send anything back to them.

Learning: After I enjoyed the ease of the bank drafts for a few months, I thought I would jump on in and try paying my bills online using my credit card. These included my land-line telephone bill and my cell phone. It wasn't long before I was even paying my credit card through a funds withdrawal from my checking account over the Internet. Last summer I bought a new car and the first thing I did was set up an online payment system to make my monthly payments. It's a way to "go green" by saving a paper trail of both sides.

Personal & Professional Application: I do live in a small town and bank at a small-town bank, and sadly they have not caught up with the times and incorporated online banking into their system of doing business. I would be checking into it all the time, as that's how I figure my account now--by going to the ATM and asking it for my account balance. Although, once a month when the statement comes I do put items onto my Quicken program. But I do enjoy paying my bills online. I encourage others to do it. I believe it is quick, eases the mind, and is safe. I have set up my son's school loan payments and vehicle payments. I've tried to convince my mom, but I just can't teach that dog new tricks.

Sharing and Reflection: Probably the thing that really drove me to online bill pay was that I'm cheap. I don't like buying envelopes and especially stamps. It seems stamps are always going up in price. But, now even if envelopes and stamps were free, I wouldn't go back. Lately, I've branched out into the world of ebay. That's not really a good thing for me. It is very easy to find something I like, click on the "Buy it now" button, and with one easy click, charge it to my credit card through Paypal. That's an example of technology that may have made it a little too easy for me. I need to learn how to become a seller and make some money on there.