I cannot tell you how much of a mess I used to be. I'd pay some bills when I remembered, some I'd wait 3 months, some I'd pay 3 months ahead, and then forget to pay 3 months later ... seriously, I was a mess. Constantly paying late fees, over fees, shut off fees etc. My life has become so much easier since I became somewhat organized.
The first thing I did was to set up folders for each monthly bill, and then a folder for each other-than-monthly bill (like car registration, property taxes, etc). I set up a section in my desk at work where my personal files go.