What Should Be 'Planted' in Your Monthly Bookkeeping Routine?

If you're running a real estate business or any small business, you probably know the feeling: the month flies by, and suddenly it’s tax season, and you're staring down a pile of uncategorized transactions like an overgrown garden. 🌾

The secret to keeping your books healthy? A monthly bookkeeping routine. Think of it as your financial garden check-in—a time to water the good habits, pull the weeds, and make sure everything’s growing in the right direction.

Here’s what should be planted in your monthly bookkeeping routine to keep your business thriving.

🌱 1. Reconcile Your Accounts

This is your monthly soil test.

Bank, credit card, loan, and payment processor accounts (like Stripe or PayPal) should be reconciled to make sure your books match reality.

Why it matters:

Reconciling catches duplicate entries, missed transactions, and any bank errors. Without it, you could be making decisions based on incomplete or inaccurate data.

Tools to help:

 QuickBooks Online has awesome reconciliation features. Or outsource it (👋 we can help).

🌿 2. Categorize Transactions

This is like pruning and shaping your books.

Each transaction should be reviewed and properly coded into your chart of accounts.

Why it matters:

Categorizing consistently means your reports are accurate and useful—especially when you're trying to analyze profitability or prepare for taxes.

Pro tip:

Use rules inside QuickBooks to automate recurring transaction categories. Saves time and keeps things tidy.

🌾 3. Track Property-Level (or Project-Level) Performance

If you’re a real estate investor, track each property or flip individually.

If you’re a business owner, track by product, service, or department.

Why it matters:

This helps you understand what’s really profitable—and what’s draining your time and cash.

Plant this:

Use classes, tags, or locations in your accounting software. Add a simple monthly habit of reviewing profit/loss by property, flip, or business line.

🌻 4. Review Cash Flow

Healthy plants need water. So does your business.

Look at your cash inflows and outflows. Are there any unexpected expenses? Big bills coming up? Surprising income?

Why it matters:

You’ll avoid surprises, prepare for slow seasons, and stay ready for new opportunities. A cash flow habit is the root of financial peace.

Bonus tip:

Create a simple dashboard or spreadsheet to monitor cash flow over time.

🌼 5. File & Store Receipts

This is your compost pile—messy, but valuable.

Store receipts and documents in the cloud. Use tools like Hubdoc, Dext, Google Drive, or even a smart phone app to scan and save everything.

Why it matters:

Receipts back up your records, support deductions, and keep you audit-proof. They also remind you what that random $347 charge actually was.

🍃 6. Review Key Metrics

Take 10 minutes to walk through your “financial garden.” Ask yourself:

• Did I make money this month?

• Where did I spend the most?

• What surprised me?

• What do I want to change next month?

Why it matters:

This reflection turns raw data into smarter decisions. You’ll start to spot trends, waste, and new opportunities with ease.

🌟 Want Help Building Your Routine?

At Seeds, we believe a little structure can grow a lot of clarity. If your books feel like they’re getting out of hand, we’ve got services to help you:

🌿 Our Monthly Services:

🌾 The Weed Out Service

•  For messy, outdated, or unclear books—we clean up your finances and get you back on solid ground.

• 🌱 Fresh Growth Setup

•  For new businesses or investors—we help you start right with a real estate-specific chart of accounts and monthly workflow.

• 🌸 Blossom Bookkeeping

•  Full-service monthly bookkeeping done-for-you. You focus on growing your business, we’ll handle the numbers.

  
  

🌼 Final Thought

The best time to plant good bookkeeping habits was when you started.

The second best time? This month.

Don’t wait until your books are tangled. Build a monthly routine that gives you visibility, confidence, and control—so your business has the space to bloom.

👉 [Explore our bookkeeping services]

👉 [Check out Seeds Courses for DIY systems & setup]