Habit Stacking for Your Books
Pick one of these, or take all three:
→ Bring on a new contractor? Collect their W-9 that same day and file it with your records. DO NOT PAY THEM WITHOUT IT. Use it as leverage.
→ Bank statement lands? Match every transaction and reconcile the account before you close the tab.
→ Used the business card for a personal purchase? Email your bookkeeper the date, vendor, and amount that day — not at month-end. If you DIY your books, transfer the funds to repay the personal expense that day.
Each takes a few minutes. Together they stop your books from piling up into a year-end headache.
One more stack: when this newsletter lands in your inbox, download the habit stack checklist that comes with it. You're already reading this, so you've already done the hard part.
Where to Trim Before the New Year
Everything costs more these days, so before you set your 2027 budget, take a fresh look at what you're paying for:
Subscriptions and memberships. List every recurring charge. Cancel what you don't use and downgrade what you barely do.
Renewals about to auto-renew. Software, licenses and memberships often renew at a higher price. A quick scan now beats a surprise charge in January.
Payment processing and bank fees. Easy to overlook and worth a look at least once a year.
Vendor and supply contracts. Ask whether your current vendors will match a better rate, or get a second quote.
My Black Friday Rules for Business Spending
Here are three questions worth asking before anything goes in the cart:
Was it already on my business wish list?
Does it solve a real problem?
Would I still buy it at full price?
Three yeses and it goes in the cart. Anything less, let it go.