Bookkeeping 101: How Often Should You Actually Update Your Books?

"How often should I be doing my bookkeeping?"

I get this question all the time from DFW business owners. The honest answer? More often than you probably are right now.

The short version: Weekly is ideal. Monthly is the minimum. Quarterly or "whenever I get around to it" is asking for trouble.

Let me break down what actually needs to happen and how often.

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The Weekly Tasks (15-30 Minutes)

These keep you current and prevent the dreaded "catch-up scramble":

Categorize transactions Log into your accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, Wave) and categorize any new transactions. Most of this can be automated with bank rules, but you still need to review.

Review for accuracy Did that $500 charge go to the right category? Is that deposit actually sales revenue or a loan repayment? Quick review now saves headaches later.

Save receipts Got any paper receipts this week? Snap a photo and attach them to transactions. Do this while you remember what they're for.

The payoff: 15-30 minutes weekly beats 4+ hours of confusion once a month.

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The Monthly Tasks (1-2 Hours)

These are the non-negotiables. Skip these, and your books become unreliable:

Bank reconciliation Match every transaction in your software to your actual bank statement. If the numbers don't match, figure out why.

This is how you catch:

• Duplicate entries
• Missing transactions
• Fraud or unauthorized charges
• Your own mistakes

Credit card reconciliation Same process for business credit cards. Every charge should be in your books, categorized correctly.

Review profit and loss Pull a P&L report and actually look at it. Does it make sense? Any expenses surprisingly high? Any income missing?

Review accounts receivable Who owes you money? How long have they owed it? This is how invoices don't slip through the cracks.

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The Quarterly Tasks (2-3 Hours)

These are for planning and compliance:

Estimated tax calculation If you're self-employed, you need to make quarterly payments. This is when you figure out how much.

Review against budget If you have a budget (you should), how are you tracking? Are you overspending somewhere? Is revenue on target?

Clean up "Ask My Accountant" items Every accounting software has a category for "I'll figure this out later." Quarterly is when you actually figure it out.

Inventory check (if applicable) If you have physical inventory, quarterly counts keep your books accurate.

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The Annual Tasks

Leading up to tax season:

Year-end close Final reconciliation, review all categories, make sure everything is in the right year.

1099 preparation Did you pay any contractors $600+? You need their W-9s and need to send 1099s by January 31.

Tax document organization Gather everything your CPA needs: P&L, balance sheet, receipts for large purchases, vehicle mileage, home office calculation.

Review with your CPA This isn't just "here are my numbers." It's "what could I have done better, and what should I do differently next year?"

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What Happens When You Don't Keep Up

I see the consequences of neglected bookkeeping all the time:

Scenario 1: The Tax-Time Panic A Richardson business owner comes to me in March with a shoebox of receipts and no idea what they spent money on. We spend hours (their money) reconstructing the year. They miss deductions because they can't prove them.

Scenario 2: The Cash Flow Blindspot A Plano contractor thinks business is great—until they actually run the numbers and realize they've been losing money for three months. By the time they see it, the damage is done.

Scenario 3: The Audit Nightmare The IRS asks for documentation. "I know I had those receipts somewhere..." Spoiler: they don't find them.

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The Real Question: DIY or Outsource?

How often you need to touch your books depends on whether you're doing it yourself or outsourcing.

If you DIY:

• Weekly transaction review: 15-30 min
• Monthly reconciliation: 1-2 hours
• Quarterly planning: 2-3 hours
• Annual total: 50-80 hours

If you outsource:

• Your bookkeeper handles weekly/monthly tasks
• You review monthly reports: 15-30 min
• Quarterly planning calls: 30-60 min
• Your annual time: 10-15 hours

The question isn't really "how often should I do bookkeeping?" It's "how much is my time worth, and how much do I hate this?"

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A Simple System That Works

If you're doing your own books, here's what I tell my DFW clients:

Set a weekly "money date" Same time every week. Friday afternoon works for a lot of people. 20 minutes, coffee in hand, categorize transactions.

Block the first of every month Reconciliation time. Put it on your calendar. Don't skip it.

Use automation Set up bank rules in your accounting software. Recurring charges should auto-categorize.

Have a receipt system I like Dext or Hubdoc—snap a photo, it extracts the data, done. Even your phone's camera and a dedicated folder works.

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The Bottom Line

Weekly is ideal. Monthly is the minimum. Anything less, and you're flying blind.

If you're a business owner in Plano, Richardson, Frisco, or Dallas and your books are perpetually behind, you've got two choices: commit to a weekly habit, or hand it off to someone who will.

Either way, accurate books aren't optional—they're how you make smart decisions and keep more of what you earn.

Need help getting your books in order—or want to hand it off entirely? Let's chat →

— Krystal Le, CPA

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LeCPA provides bookkeeping and accounting services for small businesses across Plano, Richardson, Carrollton, Frisco, and Dallas.