Quicken slogfest

[cjsmith]

I've been busy and have fallen behind on stuff like Quicken. The self-flagellation finally got to be too much for me to take, and I got off (on?) my butt and started doing the work.

Yesterday: updated AND reconciled my checking account and its companion savings account from last June to the present.

Today:
1) Categorized every mystery ATM deposit. This is important; if the money came from, say, square dance calling, I need to report it on my taxes. Fortunately, I keep notes on everything. Unfortunately, this makes for a godawful big pile of notes to digest into Quicken. This step was time-consuming. This is one area where I actually think my pre-Quicken recordkeeping was a better system.
2) Updated cash. Gawd, I hate doing that, but every last bit of info is in. I'm only missing, oh, the equivalent of a week's wages. (Ugh.) That one hadn't been done properly since May. I suppose a week's wages missing since May isn't too bad, but I really want to keep better notes, otherwise what's the point?

I'm now working on the one credit card I use, which also hasn't been updated or reconciled since May. My goal is to finish that one tonight. Maybe I can even do the other credit card, which has very little activity.

Later:
Update my payroll form for the new 2x/mo pay period starting this year
The Rob account (he pays a lot of the bills and I pay him, and this keeps track)
Investment accounts (401(k)s and suchlike)
Debt accounts (eg mortgage)
Property accounts (eg car and house). Yeah, I'm a dweeb: I had an asset account for my car. Not any more, monkey boy! Now I need to wipe that out appropriately (linked with the ATM deposit of the check from State Farm) and make a new account for the new car.

*sigh* Enough procrastination...

Comments

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

I force myself to update all my personal books at least twice a month, if not every week. Had to form that habit when I found out that a mortgage payment I had made in 1987 FELL BEHIND A TABLE and never made it to the mortgage company. Mercifully, it was a payment on a bank trust (not a real mortgage)...I got a handwritten note from the person at the bank that I had...uh...neglected to make the Feb 1987 payment (this was April 1988), and would I be so kind as to catch up?

It skeert me enough that I made it a habit to do the updates, so that I can just review and pop the info out when it's tax time. I had stopped reconciling my bank statements, since I was 'flush with cash' at the time. Stupid me.

Oh, I actually found the stamped envelope containing the 2/87 payment sometime in 1989, when I was doing some major housecleaning. Sigh.

I commend you for snapping the whip on yourself!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, do I ever know the feeling! I have an illusion that I'm "safe" because I look for cleared checks online. That would have helped you in 1987, but it is certainly not a complete answer. It doesn't help at all when Rob and I are trying to figure out a budget so we know when we can (or can't) retire, nor does it help me with taxes!

The scariest thing I ever found while doing major housecleaning was a stock certificate. It was a really freaking big stock certificate, representing, oh, at least four months' salary. I just... found it one day. It was a couple years old. I about had a cow.