Daily Recordkeeping Can Save Time and Money
During the busy times of the year, the last thing most farmers want to think about or hear about is record-keeping. For most of us, that's a rainy day job that gets put off until winter or more likely, the week before taxes are due. I'd suggest that a few minutes a day, even in the busy seasons can save hours or days of work this winter, and more importantly, can save dollars.
One of the best ways to start keeping up with stuff on a daily basis is to carry some sort of a calendar -- a pocket calendar, a daily scheduler, or a daily diary. Begin using it by writing down the daily weather, rainfall and temperature. Most of us like to keep track of when it last rained and how much so we can complain to the neighbors about it being too dry or too wet, too hot or too cold. Writing down the weather is a great way to get started in daily record keeping.
The daily calendar is a good place to record some important production information -- planting dates, harvest dates, breeding dates or season, pesticide or fertilizer application rates and dates. It's much easier to write these things down the day they happen. Most farming operations are far too complex to trust your memory. Keep that calendar on the dash of the pickup and write something in it everyday.
That daily calendar is also a good place to carry bills or receipts until you can get home and file or post them. Realistically, few people post their expenses and income on a daily basis, although those who do say it only takes a few minutes a day. But carrying the bills home in a calendar and filing them in a file folder marked for that month's expenses or income can make life a lot easier come winter time.
A good system to make sure all the bills make it to the year end expense summary can also save money. That $20 cash ticket on diesel fuel that gets lost in the debris in the floor of the pickup can cost $9.80 in extra taxes for someone who is in a 28% Federal tax bracket with 6% state taxes and 15% employment taxes. That's 49% or $9.80 out of that $20 diesel fuel bill. Clearly keeping up with some records on a daily basis, even during the busy times, can save time and money later in the year.