Honestly, I ditched Airtable and Zapier altogether. Felt like I was spending more time troubleshooting automations than actually tracking payments. Switched to Notion—set up a simple calendar view with reminders built-in. Way less clunky, plus it's visually satisfying...which oddly helps my sanity, lol.
Interesting, hadn't considered Notion for this. Do you find the calendar view detailed enough for tracking multiple payments or deadlines at once? I've been using Excel (old-school, I know...) but sometimes it feels like I'm drowning in cells and formulas. Curious if Notion handles complexity well without becoming overwhelming. Or did you have to simplify your tracking process to fit the tool?
I've been down the Excel rabbit hole myself, and honestly, switching to Notion was a breath of fresh air. The calendar view is pretty solid—definitely detailed enough for multiple payments and deadlines without feeling cluttered. You can tag entries, color-code them, and even link them to separate pages with more detailed notes or attachments if needed. I didn't have to dumb down my tracking at all; in fact, it felt like I could finally organize things exactly how I wanted without wrestling formulas or endless scrolling.
That said, there's a bit of a learning curve at first—especially if you're used to Excel's logic—but once you get the hang of databases and views in Notion, it's way more intuitive. I'd recommend starting simple and gradually adding complexity as you get comfortable. It might feel weird at first, but trust me, after a couple weeks you'll wonder why you stuck with Excel so long...
Notion definitely has its perks, especially if you love visuals and linking stuff together. But I gotta say, for construction loan tracking specifically, Excel still has some real advantages. I've tried Notion myself and while it looks great and feels intuitive for general project management, when things get complicated—like tracking draws, interest payments, contractor milestones, and budget variances—Excel's formulas can actually be lifesavers rather than headaches.
I mean, sure, there's a learning curve with Excel too, but once you set up a solid template (or grab one from someone who's done it before), the automation you can achieve is pretty impressive. Plus, lenders or accountants usually prefer Excel sheets anyway—makes sharing and collaborating smoother without needing to onboard them to another tool.
Not knocking Notion completely; it's awesome for organizing notes or design inspiration. But for complex financial tracking with lots of moving parts...I still find myself reaching back to good ol' Excel more often than not.
Couldn't agree more about Excel's strengths for detailed financial tracking. I've experimented with Notion myself, and while it's visually appealing and great for general organization, it tends to fall short when you're dealing with complex financial calculations or multiple interdependent variables. Excel's ability to handle intricate formulas, pivot tables, and conditional formatting really streamlines the process once you've got your template dialed in.
Another point worth mentioning is version control and audit trails. With Excel, it's straightforward to save dated versions or track changes clearly—something lenders and auditors appreciate. Notion can get a bit messy in that regard, especially if multiple people are editing simultaneously.
That said, I still use Notion extensively for project notes, meeting minutes, or quick reference materials. But when it comes down to crunching numbers and managing loan draws accurately...Excel remains my go-to tool.
