Been trying to streamline my accounting process for overdue invoices. It’s a bit of a mess right now. Anyone have a simple system they use to mark these without creating extra work? Feels like I’m spending too much time on this part of bookkeeping.
Don’t bother with all that. I just remember who owes me. Works fine for small jobs.
I use a simple spreadsheet. One tab for current invoices, another for overdue ones.
When payment’s late, I move the invoice to the overdue tab and highlight it red. Easy to spot at a glance.
I check it weekly and send reminders. Keeps things organized without eating up too much time. Focus on getting paid, not paperwork.
I just use a red marker on late invoices. Circle the due date. Works for me. Don’t need fancy stuff. Maybe set a phone reminder to check 'em once a week.
I’ve tried a bunch of systems, but here’s what finally clicked for me:
- Color coding in my invoicing software
- A dedicated ‘Overdue’ folder in my email
- Weekly 15-minute review session
I tag invoices as green (paid), yellow (almost due), or red (overdue) in my software. Takes seconds.
For email, I made an ‘Overdue’ folder. When I send an invoice, I BCC myself. If it’s not paid by the due date, I drag that email to ‘Overdue’.
Every Monday morning, I spend 15 minutes:
- Checking the red tags in my software
- Glancing at my ‘Overdue’ email folder
- Sending quick follow-ups
This way, I’m not constantly thinking about it, but nothing slips through the cracks either.
Bonus tip: I set up email templates for follow-ups. Saves a ton of time and mental energy.
The key is finding what works for your brain. Experiment a bit, but keep it simple. You want to spend your time on billable work, not admin stuff.
I hear you on the messy process. Been there.
My system’s pretty basic but it works. I use a regular calendar and some post-it notes.
Every invoice gets a post-it with the due date. Stick those on your calendar. When the day comes, if there’s no payment, move that post-it to a ‘late’ board.
I review the late board weekly. Quick glance tells me who’s behind.
For really late ones, I started adding a bright orange sticker. Can’t miss those when I flip through my files.
It’s low-tech, but I don’t spend more than 10 minutes a week on this. Leaves me time to actually follow up with clients instead of fiddling with complicated systems.
Just make sure you have a backup of the important info somewhere else. Post-its can fall off sometimes.
Look, here’s what works for me. Soon as an invoice hits 30 days late, I slap a big red ‘OVERDUE’ stamp on it. Then I file it in a separate folder. Once a week, I go through that folder and send reminders. Keep it simple. No fancy spreadsheets or software needed. Just a quick visual system that takes seconds. Spend your time chasing the money, not messing with complicated tracking. If they still don’t pay after a couple reminders, might be time to have a chat with the client or consider dropping them.