The things I pay for every month
My little black book of subscriptions, bookkeeping process, and downloadable spreadsheet
"It's rude to discuss finances."
Is it? Maybe.
I don't find money-talk to be offensive. I find it to be boring.
So, while you may think it's odd that I, a creative person, am crafting a post that reeks of math, we're not going to bother with the dull parts.
Juicy details only
Many of you know that I've been working on a book. I'd classify it as Women's Fiction, but there's a strong romantic plotline, which means that lately, I've been seeing everything through the filter of relationships (see this recent post on The history of my Entrepreneurial Romances).
I thought it would be interesting to pull back the curtain and give you a look at the list of business-related services I pay for each month. And once I began to break them into categories, four clear relationship statuses formed:
On-again-off-again: The services I keep paying for, breaking up with, and backsliding in an endless loop that I just can't walk away from. It's complicated.
Recent crushes: Services I've recently started using. Admittedly, I'm still in the honeymoon phase with several of them.
Recent breakups: The heartbreaking goodbyes with long-term loves and the missteps I never should have gotten involved with (a bit of hyperbole here, there's only one of those 🙏🏼).
Everlasting love: The services I've used and loved for 5+ years. The healthiest of my relationships.
Plus my non-math person bookkeeping system
I try to keep my involvement in finances to a minimum, but I also want to be smart and informed about what's coming in and what's going out.
At the end of this post, you'll also find my once-a-month, four-step process for keeping my business finances in check, and I'll share a downloadable version of the spreadsheet I use in case you're looking for a simple way to get a handle on yours.