I have more than that I can't autopay but I can go on my bank's site and just have them write a check to recurring payees.

> You waste so much time

It's time well spent — making sure I am paying for the things I really need/want.

I still look at the statements. Writing checks and mailing them out is pure drudgery.

Paying "manually" doesn't mean writing checks and mailing it out. You just log into your bank and click pay instead of have it paid automatically.

It's still "manual" work. Why bother? Set it and forget it.

When they aren’t playing games? Sure.

When everyone under the sun seems to be playing games? It’s a good way to get taken advantage of.

Do you not have the option to receive emails and pay online?

All of my "manual" bills work that way. It takes a few seconds of clicking to schedule the payment on the due date for the full amount, and even log it to my software, which doubles as a chance to check that there wasn't something unexpected going on.

I think being fully aware of every bill or credit card you pay is helpful in being full control of your finances. I get that impression that some people using automatic payments don't slow down to review things carefully. That may not be the case for you, but that doesn't mean others don't make that mistake.

I do! I used to pay by check, then "manual" bill pay for a while, then finally I just did auto payment. I pay off my credit cards in full every month. I have zero debt. Believe me, my finances are more than under control. I could FIRE tomorrow if I wanted to.