L. Barger Bookkeeping

This week’s One Thing to Fix was simple: put a recurring 15-minute money date on your calendar.

Now let’s make sure you know exactly what to do when that reminder pops up. Here’s the checklist I use with clients. Print it, keep it by your desk (or in the truck), and work through it top to bottom.

The Weekly Money Date Checklist

Step 1: Balances (2 min)

• Checked business bank balance
• Checked business credit card balance
• Noted anything that surprised me

Step 2: Transactions (5 min)

• Categorized this week’s transactions
• Attached receipts for anything I have them for
• Flagged anything I’m not sure about (and moved on)

Step 3: Invoices (3 min)

• Sent invoices for all work finished this week
• Checked for past-due invoices
• Sent one friendly follow-up on the oldest past-due invoice

Step 4: Upcoming bills (3 min)

• Looked at bills due in the next two weeks
• Confirmed there’s enough cash to cover them
• Noted anything that could be tight

Step 5: One question (2 min)

• Wrote down one thing I noticed or wondered about this week

Once a month, add these:

• Picked one question from my list to dig into or ask my bookkeeper
• Reconciled bank and credit card accounts
• Reviewed my Profit and Loss statement
• Compared last month’s profit to my bank balance change

How to use it

Go in order. The steps build on each other. Checking balances first tells you what to watch for as you go.

Don’t get stuck. If something takes more than a minute to figure out, flag it and keep going. You can come back to it, or ask about it later.

Done is better than perfect. On a rough week, just do Steps 1 and 3. Checking your balance and sending invoices still counts.

Keep your old checklists. A stack of completed checklists is a nice reminder that you’re actually doing this. And your question list turns into a great agenda for your next conversation with your bookkeeper or tax pro.

A follow-up message you can copy

Step 3 is where a lot of owners freeze up. Here’s a short, friendly reminder you can copy and paste:

Hi [Name]! Just a quick reminder that invoice [#] for [service] is still open. Here’s the link to pay: [link]. Let me know if you need me to resend anything. Thanks so much!

No apologies, no awkwardness. Just a reminder.

Hear the full episode

The checklist goes with Episode 2 of The Business Break: The 15-Minute Weekly Money Date. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or iHeartRadio. Next Monday, we’re talking about being behind on your books, and how to catch up without the shame spiral.

If you’d rather hand the whole money date off, I’d love to help. Reach out at LBargerBooks.com or send me a message on LinkedIn.

Focus on what you love. I’ll take care of the rest.

This article is for general education, not tax or legal advice. Every business is different, so check with your tax professional about your specific situation.