WHEW. Ya know...I'm a pretty particular record keeper, but even I hate tax time.
For those of you who dread it, I've been doing this a LONG time. Way longer than beads. The easiest way I've discovered to keep track of this crap is with an envelope system.
At the beginning of each month I write the date on the front of a huge manilla envelope. All through the month I slip receipts and odd pieces of paper into that envelope. At the end of the month, I print out a paypal sales report, calculate my total shipping for the month. Add up my fees and expenses and write it all on the outside of the envelope. Last thing I slip into it is that month's utility bills (because I claim home office and there is nothing more frustrating than trying to find a 10 month old electricity bill), then I close it up and start the next month.
At the end of the year, I total up all the envelopes, print out a year end paypal report and hand it all over to my accountant. Takes me about 2 hours at the end of the year to double check my totals, calculate my inventory (I do this by weight because there's no freakin' way I'm counting all those rods of glass. I just weight it all and multiply it by $10 a pound) and that's it. What a relief.
It's gone off to the accountant now, I've done all I can do. Either I'm doomed or I'm not, but it's done. Good thing I have so many kids because I didn't pay quarterlies this year. Praise kid deductions! LOL
For those who don't know about it- I have a super cheap tutorial as a Valentine gift in my etsy shop---the bleeding hearts. You oughtta pick up a copy! ;-)
I want a cuppa joe REALLY bad. Why? Because my husband broke the coffee pot (AGAIN). So now, all I can think about is coffee. I even have myself convinced that I can smell it occasionally. I just know I'm gonna be in that McD's drive through gettin' a latte before the night is over.
How did he break the coffee pot (AGAIN) do you wonder? Oh, well let me tell you. It is very original, much improved over the last time when all he did was smack the pot up against the counter and smashed it. No, this time he got creative. He put on a pot of coffee, but left a pound of butter sitting on top of the coffeemaker. The heat from the brewing coffee melted the butter which proceeded to drain and drip INTO the coffee machine, ultimately getting pumped through the system and forcing it all to a grinding halt.
Not to mention all the melted butter that ran across the counter and down the side of the cupboard. Now all the coffee maker will do is gurgle and smell funny.
Who does this? Who????
~~Mary
Mary, I'm so glad you shared how you total up your glass inventory! I did the same thing only with a smaller per pound amount (I have no silver or special glass to speak of) and was worried I'd done it wrong.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the coffee pot. My husband and I bought one of those commercial bunn double burner models a few years ago and if anything happened to it the household would come to a screeching halt until a replacement was found.
~Wendy
bluejeangirlnc (LE)
Hi Wendy!
ReplyDeleteGlad I could be of a little help. Yeah, I figure I buy glass by the pound so I should keep inventory by the pound. Most of effetre colors run between 8-12 bucks a pound, some of the glass I have I bought on sale so it was less. Some of it is silver glass which was more. Some of it is frit, which was more. Some of it is 96coe which runs about $10/pound. Not to mention freebies, scrap and stuff I give away. I figure it all works out in the end. The only time I would actually divide it out is if I were working both soft glass AND boro. The price difference there is more of a span and I might keep track of those separately if I had a stash of both.
The envelopes really save me. Lots of people like to input/import all their transactions into software programs and databases but that has never been good for me. I needed a way to integrate my paper receipts with my digital receipts and this was the easiest I could come up with. Plus, if I ever get audited I like that the sales reports I use weren't generated by ME. They were provided by a third party (paypal) that has no interest in fudging anything for me.
I like having a tangible stack of paper trail that I can lay hands on immediately.
Take care.
~~Mary