I see your point about the notebook—there's definitely something satisfying about physically jotting things down. But honestly, after years of managing multiple projects, digital just makes my life easier. I once had a client who kept everything in a spiral notebook...until he spilled coffee all over it and lost half his records. Let's just say that wasn't his favorite day on site. Whatever works, though—as long as you're not losing sleep (or payments), you're doing fine.
"I once had a client who kept everything in a spiral notebook...until he spilled coffee all over it and lost half his records."
Haha, been there—though for me it was rain, not coffee. Learned my lesson quick after that. I agree digital tracking is generally safer, especially when you're juggling multiple payments and deadlines. One thing I'd add is to always have a backup system in place. Even digital records aren't foolproof—phones break, laptops crash, cloud services glitch out occasionally.
What I've found helpful is setting up a simple spreadsheet (Google Sheets or Excel works fine) with clear columns for dates, amounts, payment methods, and notes. Every month, I cross-reference this with my bank statements to catch any discrepancies early. Takes maybe 10 minutes tops each month, but saves hours of headaches down the road if something goes sideways.
Whatever method you choose, consistency is key. Just make sure it's something you can realistically keep up with long-term...and maybe keep your coffee cup at a safe distance from your records.
