CAREGIVING: Log Those Hours
As a caregiver, you spend time and money taking care of
your loved one. How much time you spend depends on your own
circumstance. We get so emotionally involved that we are
totally unaware of how much time we invest in the process.
We wonder why we can't get our personal duties accomplished
and can't relate to others the amount of time we put in. Full-time or part-time,
you need to know and annotate your hours.
Keep a time and financial log. It's amazing how fast those
hours and dollars add up. You can then show family, estate
executor, governmental agencies, your loved one and yourself how much you've
invested in the process. A suggested format is: Date, Function, Location, Total Hours, Money
Expended.
Set these up in a spreadsheet so totals are
automatic and at your immediate disposal. If you are a full-time caregiver and keep a
log, you may be eligible for compensation via a long-term health insurance policy or
governmental agency.
"As caregiver to my Dad, I've
kept a financial and time log. Under the terms of my Dad's trust, my
sister and I are responsible for his finances. Having records shows my
sister where the money is going. It is
also valuable for me so I can look at new ways to cut costs and plan his
investments. I keep track of my hours so people know what it is I do
and how long it takes me to do it."
Paul Stickney |
MINDING YOUR BUSINESS: Log Hours and
Expenses
Where did the day go? How
much time did you spend with a client, and how much of that
time was billable?
As an employee, how many hours did you spend on a project? How much of your cost
was reimbursable?
Whether you're a business owner or employee, you can
answer these questions easily by keeping a log. I keep a log on a
weekly basis. This process helps me explain charges to clients
and helps me update their files.
Here is my suggested
format: Date, Client, Billable Time, Non-billable Time, Marketing,
Personal Billable time includes working on client files—phone
calls, travel time, etc.
Non-billable time includes my own business accounting
and invoicing, telephone time, business correspondence, etc.
Marketing time includes
networking groups, chamber functions, Toastmasters, time for this newsletter, etc.
I keep a total in each column per day, as well as a
total for the week. It is an eye opener. I also take it one step
further by keeping a journal in
each client's file. The format for this journal includes:
Date, Time Worked, Description of Work Done.
Keeping a log will tell you
exactly what you did that day down to the last detail. |
