For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned – Ben Franklin
On the first of the new year, it is time to put the past year to bed and to waken the new year. Since I am not much of a night owl it is not hard to get up early on the first day of the year and plow into the new year by organizing!
First things first and that is cleaning out my oldest file storage box, in this case, it is from 2001 and placing my 2017 files inside the box. The files are left in their file folders so that they will be easy to find if needed. The settlement sheets, as well as bank documents, will also go into the box. As the 1099’s come in and other forms needed for our taxes they will be copied with one copy going into the box and the other placed in a file for our tax accountant.
As the old files are filed away new ones are created using my handy dandy label machine that I was given one year for Christmas. The file cabinet will be almost empty as it waits for the new year to start, receipts created and then receipts to be filed.
Once the files have been created work begins on the computer to save the prior year’s spreadsheets and to create new ones. One sheet that stays the same is our fuel mileage sheet as that will stay with the life of the truck. This year, 2018, we will be getting a new truck and that will need a new spreadsheet page to track fuel. Over the years I have basically used the same base spreadsheet and have added little tweaks and taken away information that is no longer needed.
Work is also done on the monthly planner. First using the P & L sheets created each month as well as the yearly P & L sheet a total of expenditures is created of fixed costs, repair and maintenance costs, truck supplies, truck washes, etc. and compiled. This total number is divided by 12 and added as a line item to the monthly planner. The total expenditures of this number will not be reached each month and the extra will be placed in savings to be used when needed.
Being on the road for months at a time requires a workable plan to keep up with receipts. When a receipt is created it is first entered into Quicken, given an identifying number as well as a category, placed into an envelope, and at the end of the month usually on the first scanned into the computer. Once the receipt is scanned the original receipt is placed into a file folder to be taken into the house when home. During the month, all like receipts are placed together to make filing easier when we get home and the receipt is placed in its permanent home.
Having a plan on how to handle receipts for the year and not letting them build up unorganized saves time as well as money.