Trying to fix my own books after a bad year took me a full week

My record keeping got really messy last year, so I decided to sort it all out myself before tax time. I thought it would be a Saturday job, maybe two. I was so wrong. I had to go back through twelve months of bank statements, find receipts I'd lost, and figure out which payments were for work and which were personal. It was a huge mess. The worst part was a $2,500 payment from a big job that I had totally forgotten to write down. I finally got it all straight, but it took me seven full days of work. Has anyone else had a simple money task blow up like that? What do you do to keep your books clean?

3 comments

3 Comments

mitchell.avery8d ago

Wait, you found a whole $2,500 you forgot about? That's insane. I'd be having a small heart attack, but in a good way. That's a huge chunk of money to just fall out of your records.

joseph_green138d ago

Finding a surprise $2,500 is the financial version of discovering old fries in your car. Not exactly pleasant at the time, but you'll take it. @mitchell.avery is right, that's the kind of heart attack you want. My own record keeping is so bad I consider a misplaced coffee receipt a cold case. The only system I have now is sheer panic every Sunday night.

alex8208d ago

Actually, that kind of surprise sounds like a sign of a real problem. Forgetting that much cash means your money is a total mess, which is pretty stressful. I'd rather know exactly where every dollar is, even if it's never a fun surprise.