How to avoid late payment fees and fines with admin nights

Bills and other financial responsibilities can sometimes seem like an overwhelming task to deal with.

However, a concept called ‘Admin Nights’ has gained traction on platforms like TikTok this year to help deal with that.

The basic premise is that you meet up with your friends to get through all your tedious bits of admin.

It provides an opportunity to get all these bits done in one go, with the idea that you all help each other out if needed.

Lora Rowley, personal finance expert at Starling Bank, has shared that there are multiple things to bear in mind when taking part in one of these meet-ups.

What four steps should you go through on an admin night?

Focus on a specific topic at a time

Lora explains that looking at your finances as a whole can be “overwhelming”, but you can break it down.

She said: “To make things easier, I’d first draw out a specific topic, e.g. budgeting, or reviewing subscriptions.

“This will focus your attention as a group, allowing you to delve into the details and make greater progress, and you can then move onto the next topic.”

Tackle the important things first

Lora advises prioritising actions like paying bills or preventing a fine if you take part in an admin night.

She added: “Let your admin night buddies know you have something important to do first, and use the spirit of community to break the procrastination cycle.

“Tackling something bigger or more important to start with is also a great way to kick off the event with a sense of achievement, or relief!”

Set the tone of the evening

Keeping focus during an admin night is crucial to making sure you tick a few things off your list.

Lora suggested: “When guests first arrive, set a 30-min timer for a focused boost and make sure you’ve got the creature comforts like snacks or drinks if you want them – this will start the evening off right!”

Create a to-go list

Once the admin night ends, Lora suggests making sure it doesn’t falter in the long term.

She said: “Set reminders to check in with your friends in between admin nights, or schedule regular admin nights instead of it being a one-off occasion.

“External accountability can be a great procrastination breaker, so it’s important to keep up the momentum.”

This advice was echoed by Vicky Reynal, financial psychotherapist and money columnist for The Times and Sunday Times.

She said it was important to “shift your identity from avoidance to agency”.

Recommended reading:

Vicky added: “Every time you engage with your finances you are giving yourself the experience that you can deal with it.

“Confidence comes from repeated exposure and experience, it doesn’t come from knowing everything or having it all sorted. Over time, what once felt overwhelming becomes familiar.

“So basically, overcoming paralysis is about creating the conditions that make follow-through easier and reminding ourselves that we pay a high cost for avoidance – and not just in financial terms.”

Have you tried out an admin night yourself? Let us know in the comments.