Posted by Elizabeth Soliday on 1/6/08 11:28pm
Msg #229172

? for full timers

What kind of bookkeeping system do you have? I am getting quite busy and my books are all screwed up the last few months. I still have new companies calling, so every time I have to enter all their information into my database. Then when I get checks in the mail, I have no system of recording invoices as paid. I am ashamed to say that sometimes I don't even know who has paid me and who hasn't (because the checkstubs are in various places). My new years resolution is to quit neglecting my bookkeeping and get a system in place, any suggestions?

Reply by Stamper_WI on 1/6/08 11:42pm
Msg #229174

I use Quick Books Simple. I staple the check stubs to the confirmation which then goes into a file folder marked "Paid" either by month or quarter.
Rather simplistic but it works for me.

Reply by DonR_NYC on 1/6/08 11:56pm
Msg #229177

I've been using QuickBooks Pro for several years. It's a little pricey but it handles everything I need it to; including interfacing with Turbo Tax for the dreaded tax filings.

Reply by BarbaraL_CA on 1/7/08 12:33am
Msg #229178

I just purchased Quickbooks Pro the end of the year and started using it Jan. 1st. I figured enough out to know what's going on. I've created invoices from it and received payments into it (it marks the invoices as paid), and I enter my mileage and it takes care of that. I think I'll like it! It should definitely save me time and be more efficient than the separate spreadsheets I used for the last 4 years, and ACT which I used for customer information.

Reply by Joan Bergstrom on 1/9/08 1:11am
Msg #229771

I use Quicken Home & Business and I put an * in the middle of the companies name after they pay me.
Then I run a "report" every month to see who doesn't have an * in a company's name and deal with it on a case by case basis.

If it's a public notary work job I put the * at the end of the person's name or the company. .
I'm sure everyone has a way of keeping track and this works for me.

Reply by Julie/MI on 1/7/08 6:18am
Msg #229183

Excel spreadsheet

Excel spreadsheet.
Column for mortgagor, company, mileage, file # for invoicing and amount of closing.

When I get payment, I make the line green. If I have any white spaces, I can quickly catch any deliquencies before they spiral.

Check stubs go into a shoe box with "posted on them" and I don't print confirmations.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 1/7/08 7:14am
Msg #229184

Re: Excel spreadsheet

I use Quickbooks and an Excel spreadsheet. I keep the spreadsheet icon on my desktop so it is easily accessible. I use it daily. With quickbooks, I pretty much do it monthly and match it to my spreadsheet. This way I know that I have not missed anything. My headings on the spreadsheet are Date, Time, Borrower, City, Miles, Hiring Entity, Title, Lender, Amt, Amt Pd, Date Pd. At least twice a month (depending how ambitious I feel) I invoice and receive payments into quickbooks. Works for me. The reason I keep the spreadsheet is because I can look at an entire month instantly or the previous month etc. With quickbooks, I have to open it, wait for it to load, then go to reports, put in the month I'm looking for etc etc etc. It's easy to do, but takes longer. If you need any help with Quickbooks, let me know. I have been using it for years and years and know it like the back of my hand.

Reply by Steven Carter on 1/7/08 7:21am
Msg #229185

Check you private messages

Reply by OR on 1/7/08 11:52am
Msg #229240

I use Quickens for home and business and I always back it up. I too staple the conformation with the check and it goes in my hard copy file that way if my system crashes for any reason I don't loose my reccords.

Reply by CJ on 1/7/08 12:00pm
Msg #229244

I have one file for current orders, and one file for paid orders.

I put all my confirmations by company in current orders. When I get the paystub, I staple it to the confirmation, and put it in paid work orders.

I use reqular Quicken. I put the company name in the Paid To catagory. I put the borrowers name in the check number area. When a job is paid, I put R (reconciled) in the colum. I can sort by payee (company), borrower, or recociled (paid). And I put the check number I was paid with in the memo column. I never took accounting, but this has worked for me for 7 years. I can sort and print reports for my taxes. I also can catagorize notary and non notary fees for my taxes. In the catagory, I put: Notary:Bancserve:Notary Fees. Then for taxes, it sorts it all out for me.