Since my 1st question went so well, I'm gonna keep going (no whammy's!)

How does everyone keep track of MS, expenses, profit, paid dates, etc?
Spreadsheets? Templates? Quill and ink?
I've started using Google Docs spreadsheet and created a basic template, but it lacks in anything detailed.
Any free templates that might help!

Thanks for your help!

Quill and ink sounds very tempting, especially if it is disappearing ink!

I use an Excel spreadsheet. One of the niceties of a spreadsheet is the ease with which rows can be reordered, inserted and deleted. PM me your email address and I would be pleased to send along a copy of what I used to get started and then customize further for my needs.

Thanks Flash, Excel seems to be the best!

It all depends on what folks are comfortable with. To me Excel seems second nature for this kind of work because of the work that gets inserted into a schedule or cut and pasted to another day within the work window where it will work better. And certainly you can add additional columns for information to track if and as you need them. Rows can be highlighted with different colors to show their status, so one color is work I have requested but not been awarded and that color can be removed when the work is actually assigned (or the row deleted if I was not assigned). Another color is work that has been paid. Other colors could be used for other types of reminders you find you may need.

vandalaybay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Since my 1st question went so well, I'm gonna keep
> going (no whammy's!)
>
> How does everyone keep track of MS, expenses,
> profit, paid dates, etc?
> Spreadsheets? Templates? Quill and ink?
> I've started using Google Docs spreadsheet and
> created a basic template, but it lacks in anything
> detailed.
> Any free templates that might help!
>
> Thanks for your help!


Flash, I was just wondering the same thing. So I came looking for an answer. Looh & Behold here is one! But I do not have Excel and I am not real proficient at that. I am use to the Ink & Quill! LOL So what do you suggest I do? I should have no problem using Excel or any other.

Of course Excel is the name of the Microsoft product that comes as part of its Office Suite. A compatible and perfectly good spreadsheet is available as part of Open Office available as a free download from OpenOffice.org. The spreadsheets save in the same .xls format as Excel. Any software takes a little 'just messing' with it to get comfortable, but there are some free online tutorials to get you going and of course there are going to be 'Excel for dummies' books out there.

But if Ink & Quill is something you are comfortable with, go for it!

The information you want to keep will vary a lot. When I schedule work I put down the date window, the name of the client, the address of the client, the company for whom I am doing the job, the fee, any bonus agreed to, the reimbursement allowed and usually the company's job number. I may make additional notes. When I actually perform the job I note the date performed, the date reported, the mileage and change the reimbursement amount in case it was less than the maximum. When I get paid I note the date paid and the amount paid. The payment should equal any fee + bonus + reimbursement. If it doesn't, I need to figure out where the discrepancy is and whether it is an error on my part or the company's. Because this is the 'contemporaneous record' of my work, it is something which I need to permanently keep in case of an IRS audit.

Excel is pretty easy but if it's not your thing, pick up one of those banker's boxes at Office Depot and get some manilla folders. Put the names of your "clients" on each and put receipts in each. You might want to print out each assignment and then staple stuff to that or to write notes on the sheet. You also might want to make notes on receipts themselves.

It's best to do your bookkeeping after each shop or otherwise, you'll have a pile of stuff with no memory of where it goes.

PS Don't forget mileage!!!! (<:

I print each shop, with name, adress, etc. In it I write expenses, payment and reimbursement and miles to the job. It goes in a folder until it is paid. Then it goes to a permanenet file, divided by MSC.

My first mystery shopping was before I got a computer. Afterwards, I had my own onscreen format for keeping track. It was very easy to understand and for retrieving information, but, as I told my husband, it seemed like a lot of time to keep track of everything. So I went to a class on Excel. I can't think of the name of the company right now, but it was a man's name, and he sends out brochures for various business classes. When Excel was installed on my pre-Y2K computer, it crashed. For a while, I was keeping a daily chart on the computer that had the town I'd be in on it. I was getting so many phone calls while away from home that I had to have a way to keep the information in my personal calendar that I carry in my large handbag. (I spend way too much time each autumn transferring over to the next year's calendar.) I developed a code that tells me the company, client, pay, etc. It works, but I can't compare years well, and I can't look up something from months ago without a good memory. I'm still hoping to get a laptop, but, even so, I still need a paper calendar. The notes section on my cell phone calendar is way too time consuming, and doesn't appear to have enough space. This is a quandary for me. I can see myself getting quite compulsive if I have Excel. What do I really need it for? A lot of things, but right now, it doesn't seem practical. I do hope I never lose my paper calendar.

I have a file folder for the mystery shop companies I shop often. I also have a miscellaneous folder.

When checks come in, I log them into a notebook and mark the amount paid, reimbursement, etc.

I have a separate checking account and credit card for all my expenses.

I am using Excel spreadsheet that has evolved over the years to exactly what I want. It is still a little too detailed for what I need, but I have stopped changing it. Among other things it summarizes my yearly totals of fees, mileage, and expenses so tax time is simple. I might add a database for addresses and mileage of stores I shop often (or even not) and just use them to get those details. The only problem comes when I do routes of stores and need the mileage of the route. Mapquest (and the like) can do routes and give you the mileages, so I use that rather than trying to remember to note mileage as I am doing the shops.
Learning Excel is the best thing you can do for this stuff --- or buy a package. Is there any shopping accounting package available? I should bottle mine.

Glabow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am using Excel spreadsheet that has evolved over
> the years to exactly what I want. It is still a
> little too detailed for what I need, but I have
> stopped changing it. Among other things it
> summarizes my yearly totals of fees, mileage, and
> expenses so tax time is simple. I might add a
> database for addresses and mileage of stores I
> shop often (or even not) and just use them to get
> those details. The only problem comes when I do
> routes of stores and need the mileage of the
> route. Mapquest (and the like) can do routes and
> give you the mileages, so I use that rather than
> trying to remember to note mileage as I am doing
> the shops.
> Learning Excel is the best thing you can do for
> this stuff --- or buy a package. Is there any
> shopping accounting package available? I should
> bottle mine.

I'd dearly love to see anyone's excel sheets; hubby keeps saying I'm not in control of the shops, so if anyone could send me a copy, I'd be forever grateful.
email is roxanne.tellier@gmail.com
thanks in advance.

Hi Roxanne: I would suggest that you edit your post and remove your email address. Otherwise, spammers may find you and fill your inbox with garbage.