How to keep track of who owes you

With thirty clients, some monthly and some per visit, some paying cash and some by Venmo, it’s easy to lose track. Money you forget to ask for is money you worked for and never got. Here’s a simple system that works with a notebook or an app.

Write down four things for every job

1. Who: the client’s short name or street, like “Hansen” or “Oak St.”
2. What and how much: “Wash + wax, $65” or “October, $120.”
3. When: the date of the job, or the 1st of the month for monthly clients.
4. Paid? Leave it blank until the money arrives. Then write the date and how: cash, Venmo, Zelle, Cash App or check.

Do it the same day, in the truck, before the next job. If you wait until Sunday night, you’ll forget something.

A notebook page that works

Example notebook page with sample clients

Date	Client	Job	$	Paid
Oct 1	Hansen	October	120	Oct 3 · Zelle
Oct 2	Ana L.	Wash + wax	65	Oct 2 · Venmo (+$13 tip)
Oct 2	Park	Cleaning	140
Oct 4	Morales	Extra trimming	40

Any row with an empty “Paid” box is money someone owes you. On the back cover, keep a short list: who owes, how much, since when, and when you last asked.

The 10-minute Friday check

• Go through the week. Every empty “Paid” box goes on the “who owes” list.
• Send a friendly reminder to anyone you asked more than 3 days ago. (Need words? Use our payment reminder messages.)
• Count the cash in your pocket and compare it with the cash payments you wrote down.
• Look at who owes the most and for the longest. Start with them.

Monthly clients

On the 1st, write one line for each monthly client with the month and the amount, before anyone pays. That way a client who forgets doesn’t disappear from your list. When they pay, fill in the box.

Partial payments and tips

• Partial payment: write what came in and what’s left. Keep the date of the oldest unpaid job; “owed since September” is what matters when you follow up.
• Paid more than they owed: it’s usually a tip. Write it separately, so you know what your prices bring in and what came from tips. If the client meant to pay ahead, write it as credit for next time.

At tax time

Keep your notebooks or export your records. A tax preparer will want to see what you earned through the year, including tips. This guide isn’t tax advice; ask a preparer what you need for your situation.