Unit 4: Money Management

Lesson 9: Paying Bills

OBJECTIVES

1. Complete steps to writing a check.

2. Complete steps to recording information in check register.

3. Complete steps to mailing payment.

MATERIALS
bills – Have various people associated with the rehabilitation program bring in bills (cable, electric, gas, water, phone) and make photo copies of them.

envelopes

blank checks

check register

calculators

SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES
Writing Checks – A computer-based learning tutorial for $49.95 by Jostens Learning (1800 247-1380).

Deluxe Banking – A $139.95 banking kit that provides checks, deposit slips, a check register, etc. and "role-play" scenarios for making real-life transactions. This product is sold by PCI Educational Publishing (1800 594-4263).

INSTRUCTIONAL FORMAT
This lesson will provide a detailed lesson in check writing and paying bills. People who have check writing skills should have the skills to pay bills. Thus, this lesson will focus on basic check writing skills. The information is obtained from the following source:

       LaCampagne, J. & Cipani, E. (1987). Training adults with mental retardation to pay bills. Mental Retardation, 25, 293-303.

According to the authors of this paper, the student should be able to identify and sum coins and dollar bills and make small purchases. They employed the technique of forward chaining and used instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback to teach the participants.

1. Teach the students to write a check using the following steps:

   • Write the payee on the check.

   • Write the date.

   • Write the amount in numbers.

   • Indicate the amount in writing

   • Sign the check.

   • Write the account number of the bill in the memo section.
     
     

2. Teach the students to record the appropriate information in their check register using the following steps:

   • Write the date.

   • Write the check number.

   • Write the name of the payee.

   • Write the amount.

   • Record new balance based on this transaction (trainer may have to write in a balance if they are using blank check registers).
     
     

3. Teach the students to mail in the payment using the following steps:

   • If required, write the amount paid on the stub. If copies of bills were contributed by staff, the stub may not be available.

   • Put the stub and check in the envelope.

   • Orient the stub so the payee's address shows through the window; or,

   • write the payee's address on the envelope.

   • Write the return address on the envelope.

   • Put a stamp on the envelope.
     
     

4. Remind students that there are other ways to pay bills. They can pay some bills in person, but this can be time consuming and the transportation costs can be more than a stamp. Additionally, bills can be paid directly from your checking account through electronic transfer of funds from the bank to the companies requiring payment.
   
   

5. Don't forget to stress that bills need to paid on time!

SIGNS OF GENERALIZATION
Students are able to write checks for paying bills and making purchases. Students rarely lose a utility because they forgot or did not know how to pay a bill.

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