I look over the utility bill, and the whole morning slips by.

I start checking the utility bill, then go through each charge one by one. Before I know it, it’s lunchtime.

Scenes

I look over the utility bill, and the whole morning slips by. — I open the bill and go through each charge. Before I know it, the morning I meant to spend just checking has stretched into lunchtime.
I read one line, then go back to the one above — Even after reading this month’s amount, I compare it with last month’s, and the numbers I need to check keep adding up.
Without a set list of items to check, it takes longer — A bill has many items, but it doesn’t tell you how far down to check.
Try narrowing it down to one item to check — Today, write down the one item on the bill you’re most curious about. Check that line, then try closing the bill.
You don’t have to get the hang of it all at once — If you find yourself spending a long time on the next bill too, start by noticing where you lingered.