End of Month Bookwork -- Vent

[Miss A]

Can I just take a moment to share how much I hate end of the month Bookwork? I run a super organized system, as I am slightly OCD about all things. I love how organized my books are, I love my Excel spreadsheets and my highlighted calendars detailing attendance, hours worked, and meals served, and I live preparing bank deposits (I mean, who doesn't like to see money go into your account?!?) But actually sitting down at the end of the month, and inputting the expenses into their correct spots on the spreadsheet is grueling work for me. Adding up all my miles, and making sure my bank account statement matches my records is so stressful for me, as I am so afraid I will miss something and will make it harder for my new accountant come tax time.

But, no one ever said being a business owner is all fun and games, right? 😉

[daycarediva]

THIS is why I started doing my paperwork every week. I get up early Sunday morning, I make myself a cup of fancy coffee, I sit in my pj's in the sunroom and enter everything in. It's quiet and peaceful and I actually find myself looking forward to it now. (How sad is it that it's essentially my only alone time?!) LOL!

I hear you though! I am very type A. Every NEEDS to be perfect and organized and up to date.

[AmyKidsCo]

I try to do mine every Thursday night, unless something else comes up. :: If I do it 2 weeks a month I don't get too far behind.

[Snowmom]

Wow, you guys are good. I'm feeling slightly inadequate right now.

[Miss A]

I enter receipt each week, so at least I don't have that to do all at once. It is just the stuff that can't be done until the end of the month and I have a final total that I hate entering.

[Thriftylady]

I have a month's worth of receipts to do. I try not to get that far behind though. I was trying to pretend they don't exist, but you ruined that one for me. My problem is that now that DD is away living at her summer job, I have had to add mowing the lawn to my never ending list of chores. I just don't have enough time. Add to that buying and installing a new washer and blah blah.

[wonderfullisa]

I already use a program for my personal budget (ynab, youneedabudget.com), so entering receipts hasn't been a challenge for me. I just put them in my 'daycare' category if they are 100%, then run my reports at the end of the year.
The proper meal tallies and hours worked has always been my nemesis. This year I vowed to stay up on it, and I have. Every week, I announce to my friends that I am up to date on them, to hold myself accountable.
In previous years, I'd always forget to check which numbers I actually needed for taxes, and I'd end up doing more work than I needed.
I'm also very excited for 2016 taxes, because this will be the first time in three years that we didn't move!

[Play Care]

I feel your pain

[childcaremom]

Wow, you guys are good. I'm feeling slightly inadequate right now.

Right?

I have good intentions but always end up doing the entire year at tax time.

Makes for a stressful few days.

I have this summer off and my intention is to get up to date and then set up a system so I don't get too far behind. If I took the hour I spend on here Sunday morning and used it for bookkeeping, it could probably happen. ::

[CityGarden]

This is one part of the business I am not looking forward to. I LOVE organization and you describing your excel spreadsheets excites me however the accounting part not so much..... are there programs or apps any of you use that helps make this easier???

I have not decided if I will be on the food program or not. I know I will not be offering lunch but I have not decided if I will be on it for morning snack (breakfast) or afternoon snack. I know the food program adds more paperwork and some additional tracking.

[wonderfullisa]

I just made a VERY basic spreadsheet to track my hours and meals.
For the meals, one side lists the total meals served (this is higher than my reimbursed meals, so I cant just use that), and the other side the meals I claimed for my own children.
For hours worked, every week I just tally how many hours I worked each day of the week. At the end of the month, I save the total, clear it out, and start the next month.

(huh. words dont work well to describe it. )

[Miss A]

This is one part of the business I am not looking forward to. I LOVE organization and you describing your excel spreadsheets excites me however the accounting part not so much..... are there programs or apps any of you use that helps make this easier???

I have not decided if I will be on the food program or not. I know I will not be offering lunch but I have not decided if I will be on it for morning snack (breakfast) or afternoon snack. I know the food program adds more paperwork and some additional tracking.

I use and love QuickBooks Self Employeed. It tracks my spending, helps me organize Schedule C deductions, and pays my quarterly federal taxes. I still have to figure state out at the beginning of each year and pay in quarterly using vouchers, but that isn't so bad.

I am looking forward to tax time this year though, now that I am so organized. Last year felt like a Cluster, and I was determined to not feel that way again. My old account also took 3 months to finally work on my taxes, and files last minute and I was so stressed. Switching accountants this year to the one SO uses so that they are used to my taxes too before we are married.