PaperWork keeper

[Chuck White]

What method do some of you guys/gals use to keep track of your daily paperwork?

I've been trying to come up with a method to keep my daily paperwork organized.
I'd like to have a binder similar to what the gas companies use.
It would have a place for blank papers, a place for the paper you're using today and a place for keeping the sheets that have been filled out already.

I like to keep all of the papers with me until a job is finished, then I staple them together with a total tally sheet and put them in the filing cabinet.

The only problem I've come up with is, I can find the aluminum binders, but they're priced anywhere from $40.00-$60.00!

[Brian_Rhoad]

Try Saunders.

http://www.saunders-usa.com/

[paul case]

i use duplicate invoice books. that way i can keep track of all custom orders and when someone says i want the same you cut for me before, if its not too long ago i can find my copy of their invoice and know exactly what it was.
as for those gas company folders, they can afford plenty of them.   pc

[terrifictimbersllc]

All of my recordkeeping is on my computer using Quickbooks. I use a Mac and have the quickbooks 2010 ($140) should be good for several years more, only reason to change is if something better comes along.  I have a wireless backup (Time Capsule) that automatically backs up this file as well as everything else on my computer.

I print out an invoice for the final day of a job usually with actual and estimated charges on it.  Because I don't have a printer in my vehicle I hand write any corrections to it using carbon paper to make a copy for both of us (14 cents a sheet at Staples).  This is the actual invoice/receipt which I give to customer noting payment on it.    Back at home I enter the corrections in Quickbooks to get a final invoice which I print for myself and email the customer a copy.  I staple this with the hand written one and any other papers (photocopy of check, any tally sheet, contract etc) and drop it in the back of a file folder with other older jobs in it .  When I get enough of these I put them in a large envelope and write "invoices from mm/dd/yy  to mm/dd/yy so I end up with a bunch of invoice packets with the dates on them.  Expense receipts are in another envelope, bank statements , vehicle expenses in others also with dates.  Everything is pretty easy to find in date order but I go to the computer to find and handle all data for sales tax, income tax, property tax reporting etc.   Keep all these files in a plastic file container.  Get everything at Staples and nothing is very expensive.  If I had to meet with anyone I could pick up my laptop and a box or two and answer any questions.

Printer in the truck or better yet on the Wood-Mizer would be pretty fancy.  Maybe a pop up workstation coming out of the hydraulic box or a printout coming out of the Accuset box wouldn't that be something?

[Chuck White]

Thanks for the replies fellas!