That $50 bookkeeping spreadsheet I bought off Etsy actually saved my tax prep this year

I was super skeptical when a buddy in my coworking space kept raving about this spreadsheet template she got from some rando on Etsy. Thought it was just a waste of money and I could do the same thing in Excel myself. But after scrambling for 3 days straight during last year's tax season with my own messy system, I finally caved and bought it for $50 back in February. The thing had built in formulas that tracked my income, expenses, and even auto categorized stuff like my home office deduction and internet bill. I didn't have to think about anything it just worked. Now I actually know exactly what I earned each month and what I owe in quarterly taxes without guessing. Has anyone else found a random cheap tool that ended up being way better than the big paid software options?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan_anderson406d ago

Honestly that sounds way better than the chaos I have with five different apps right now.

wade_anderson6d agoTop Commenter

Oh man I feel you on that. I went through the same thing a couple years back with like four different apps for notes and tasks and calendars and it was a mess. What finally worked for me was just picking one - even if it wasn't perfect - and sticking with it for two weeks straight. Got way easier once I stopped jumping around.

henryr456d ago

Five apps sounds like a NIGHTMARE honestly, I barely have patience for two. You really don't need all that extra stuff if you just pick one solid option and learn it well. Spreading your work across different platforms just means more time logging in and less time actually getting things done.