FREE Business Expense Tracking For Some Contractors, Handymen, Home Remodelers, Tradespeople...

If you're struggling to keep track of money in your contractor/handyman/etc business (and maybe even paying for it), you may find this FREE option to be exactly what you were looking for.

It's very simple and easy to work with as it provides you with clear messages as you go so you always know what to do and never get lost. Checkboxes also make everything simple and straightforward. There's really nothing to figure out or wonder how it works. Just see what options are there and click the box/button you want.

This system is called "The 51" because it can handle a maximum of 51 projects per year. If you do approximately one project per week (a year has ~52 weeks), then this system may be perfect for you since it can handle up to 51 jobs (and you need some time off anyway).

You can either start right now or read some more details on how "The 51" can help you see a clear situation of the money in your contracting/handyman/... business.

How do I start using "The 51" to keep track of my contractor business expenses?

Start here and follow the easy, quick steps until you get the system to generate your own custom link. That will be your very own page on this website and you'll be able to add numbers and info at any time.

How do I add numbers/info to my first project on my page?

As soon as you start at the above link, in the very next step you'll get to type a dollar amount that can be a real deal you have with a customer or just a random number to get going. You'll be able to edit everything later on.

You'll also see an option to add the customer's info and if you add at least their name (e.g. Lisa S.) and a small project name (e.g. bath remodel), this info will show in the list of projects you've done and make it easier for you to tell jobs apart.

You'll also see 5 checkbox options to add things like: Notes, Subcontractors, Materials, Returns, Hours. As soon as you click on any option, it tells you exactly what to do in case that option applies to you.

I got my link in email and I clicked that button. What can I do now?

You get to choose if you want to have a password for your page or not but you can edit this later in "My Account". Then you'll be on your own page so bookmark it for easy access any time you want to add new numbers/info about your projects.

Your page will have the numbers and info you typed during the signup process and these will be next to Job 1. The menu there will be selected to show Jobs 1-3 so besides Job 1, you'll also see the option to add info later on for a Job 2 and Job 3. When needed, you can select the next item in the menu (Jobs 4-6) and you can add numbers/info for those jobs. And so on...

All the numbers you'll add in different categories you'll see there, will be summed up and summarized at the top of your page and you can see them when you click the checkbox Summary/Menu.

I see quite a few details when I check the box Summary/Menu...

Yes, you see the summary of all the numbers in all your jobs up to that point.

Projects: shows how much money you received from all your projects.

Subcontractors: shows how much money you paid all subcontractors (if any).

Materials Used: shows how much money you spent on materials or other things needed to complete the projects. (This amount accounts for any returns you may have added for any job.)

Business Expenses: shows how much money you spent on any other business expenses (besides what you spend for materials used for projects)

Made: shows the amount left in your business after the following calculation...
Projects - Subcontractors - Materials Used - Business Expenses = Made

How about the "My Account" option?

When you check that box, you get to see some info and options in your account.

The default of the 3 boxes at the top is: the current year, summary for, Your Business Name.
This allows you to edit the year and business name and this will appear at the top of your page.

The checkbox Edit Password allows you to either add a password to your page or cancel the password requirement every time you go to your page.

The other checkboxes are really self explanatory. They are options for you to receive an email with your link, or the summary, etc every time you click the save button.

There's also an option to request that your account be deleted and if you ever want to do that and lose all your numbers, begin by checking that box.

I also see the option to Add Business Expenses. Why is it at the top-right of my page, separate from my jobs?

That checkbox allows you to add any business expenses outside of the ones you directly use to complete a project.
There are at least 33 categories right now and the list can change but here are the business expense categories available there right now:

Ads, Bank Fees, Charity, Continuing Education, Depreciation, Gadgets, Gas, Insurance, Interest, Internet, Legal/Professional, Licenses, Marketing, Meals, Medical, Mileage, Moving, Office, Permits, Phone, PO Box, Rent/Mortgage, Salaries, Shipping, Software, Subscriptions, Tools, Training, Travel, Utilities, Vehicles, Website, OTHER.

If you need a custom type of business expense that's not listed, you can use the last option (OTHER) but we may add new types of business expenses to the list so check back.

You can add unlimited business expenses in any category you want and all amounts/numbers for totals will automatically be displayed in the summary at the top, giving you a clear picture of the financials in your contracting/handyman/remodeler business.

What's a good tip to know when keeping track of money in my contractor/handyman business using "The 51"?

Every time you add new numbers or info that you want to keep on your page, you must always click the save button before closing the page.
If you add numbers and/or info to your page but do not click save when done, and you close the page, that info won't be saved.

On the other hand, if you ever delete an item from a list by accident, instead of the save button, you can refresh the page and everything on your page will be exactly as the last time you saved the page.

The idea is that you'll have helpful text at every step while using the system so it's very easy for most people to add info and dollar amounts without having to learn how to use some complicated software.

8 reasons why "The 51" on iKnowThatSite.com may be the best FREE contractor/handyman business expense tracker:

it originated with a contractor who didn't like the learning curve and the big fees associated with other contractor software options to keep track of money in a home improvement related business
it's totally FREE to use which is appealing to many contractors, handymen, home remodelers, plumbers, electricians, etc to keep track of business financials, including materials, subcontractors, returns, and even how much money they make per hour at a certain job/project
there's no learning curve or how-to-use instructions because the system is made to be very easy to work with for the vast majority of people
shows a summary of income and expenses per categories to give the user a clear image of the financial situation in their business
allows for data, dollars and info to be added for up to 51 projects so if a contractor does about 1 job per week, this is enough to cover them for a full year
their custom page is provided free on this website so the contractor does NOT need a website or anything else to have their own page - just a computer and an internet connection
the contractor/handyman can request to delete their page, account and all numbers/info at any time they want by going to "My Account" and selecting the option to delete
if you're a contractor, handyman, remodeler, tradesperson... who wants to see a clear picture of the money in your business at any time, you can have your own page in a few minutes