Improving our Ranch Bookkeeping in 2026

When I ask producers in my Extension Agent role how they’d like to improve,

recordkeeping/bookkeeping commonly tops the list.  (Ironically, that is the topic least likely to get a crowd at a 4-H workshop, but that’s a subject for another day…. Could there be a correlation??) 

Most producers understand the importance of bookkeeping, but it simply gets pushed down the priority list for a task that most farmers or ranchers enjoy more, likely a task dealing with crops, livestock, or equipment.  Personally, bookkeeping is an area that I strive to improve upon each year as well. Are we where I want to be?  No.  But are we getting better every year at it?  Yes.  Here are a few ways that have helped us improve our ranch bookkeeping.

Quicken – We’ve been using Quicken the past 13 years and while many would debate QuickBooks versus Quicken (or even Ambrook), Quicken has been sufficient for the size and scope of our operation at a very reasonable cost.  Quicken allows for downloading transactions straight from the bank account which significantly reduces inputting individual transactions, just leaving me to double check and categorize them (or split them across various categories). 

Receipts – I keep a file folder on my desk of ‘Receipts to Scan in’ and “Entered Receipts to File.”  As I update Quicken, I scan in receipts and attach them to the specific transaction, and then (if appropriate), toss them.  If a receipt seems to be something that needs to be held onto longer, it goes in the filing cabinet, but scanning eliminates a great amount of paper.

Stockman Bank Bill Pay – Within Stockman Bank, I have our most common accounts set up through Bill Pay where each month I only have to add in the amount to pay and click, “Submit.”  The bank then prints and mails the checks directly, at no additional cost to us.  This reduces time, postage, and provides a nice accessible record of payments online as well.  It also provides a payment history, so it is easy to see if payment is in line with previous amounts, etc. 

Set up accounts – As much as possible and where prudent, we’ve tried to set up accounts that bill monthly.  It’s much easier to get one itemized invoice at the end of the month straight to the mailbox compared to multiple receipts throughout the month.  One note of caution, however, is being sure to know if having a charge account will result in additional fees, interest costs, etc.  We had gotten fuel cards a couple of years back as I was sure we weren’t getting all of our fuel deducted at tax time due to missing receipts and figured the monthly statement would be an improvement.  Now, however, the company has added on a $24 monthly fee and if you happen to be late on a payment it’s a $75 fee plus a 33.94% interest charge!  Needless to say, I am now at the phone tag stage of trying to cancel this fuel account which was a good idea two years ago and not such a good idea now. Remember, take the time to review the bills that come in to be aware if their pricing structure has changed.

Collecting bills – It’s not uncommon to see producers in town and think that a couple of open pickup doors and a good west wind and they’re going to lose their financial records.  Simply getting all the mail from the post office to the pickup to the house without getting lost or being stepped on by the kids can be a challenge as well.  I’ve tried keeping a plastic folder in the pickup or a backpack that I can stuff the mail in to keep it contained until it gets to the home office as well.

Journal – I purchased a beautiful 2026 planner at TJ Maxx this winter and have been trying to jot down what happened throughout the week that was of significance to the ranch.  By the end of the year, my memory is lacking and being able to see what day we had hay hauled, doctored a calf, or cancelled that fuel card will be valuable.

Lastly, how do I involve the kids in bookkeeping?  Certainly, my preference is to try to time it with naps, but that’s not always realistic.  In the home office there’s a bookshelf with puzzles, books, etc. which keeps them moderately entertained while I do bookwork.  However, Kaci, especially, really prefers to be in the thick of things so I often let her run the mouse or swap out papers in the scanner while Lane runs the scanned papers back and forth to the garbage.  If they can help put stamps on envelopes or add the return address stamp as well, that can be a suitable task for them.

I may never feel that I’ve completely mastered bookkeeping, but if I can improve by 2% to 5% per year, that will certainly make some economic impacts in the long run. Going forward, I'd like to make a concentrated effort to use our records for more cash flow projections and decision making versus simply tracking and categorizing income and expenses. Bookkeeping isn't as enjoyable as working cows on a crisp fall day, but the Return on Investment is likely there and worth striving for.