How to Manage Home and Business Finances in One Place (Without Spreadsheets)

If you're self-employed, your personal and business finances are connected whether you like it or not. The van payment, the weekly shop, the tools, the electric bill — it all hits the same reality: “How much money do I actually have, and what’s safe to spend?”

Many trades and service professionals rely on scattered bank apps, screenshots, paper receipts, and mental maths. The result? Overspending in good months, panic in slow months, and zero clarity on long-term goals.

GoTaskhub’s Home Finances (Expenses, Budgets, Goals) is designed to solve this problem — without needing spreadsheets or complicated software.

The reality of self-employed money

For most people running their own business:

• Income is irregular
• Surprise expenses hit at the worst moments
• Personal and business spending blur together — no matter how many accounts you try to separate

Add taxes, tools, van repairs, fuel, stock, groceries, holidays, family expenses… and it’s no wonder most people feel like they’re guessing.

Deciding what you want your money to do

Before you track a single expense, you need clarity on what your money is supposed to achieve. Think of it in three buckets:

1. Personal

• Rent/mortgage
• Food and essentials
• Family costs
• Emergency fund

2. Business

• Tools and equipment
• Marketing
• Fuel and travel
• Taxes, accounting, and insurance

3. Goals

• New van or major repairs
• Home improvements
• Time off without stress
• Debt reduction or savings

When you know what matters, it becomes easier to say “yes” or “not this month.”

Setting up categories in GoTaskhub Home Expenses

Start by creating categories that reflect your real life — not what a textbook says you should track.

Suggested categories for trades & service pros

• Fuel & Travel
• Tools & Repairs
• Materials
• Food & Essentials
• Home Bills
• Subscriptions & Software
• Marketing & Ads
• Kids & Family
• Health
• Fun & Leisure
• Tax & Compliance

Separating personal vs business (but seeing both)

In GoTaskhub, you can tag each expense as “Home” or “Business.” This lets you analyse them separately — but still see the whole picture when you need to understand your true financial position.

Capture expenses consistently

Try to log expenses weekly or even daily. Snap receipts, add card transactions, or enter cash spends — small habits prevent big surprises.

Building practical budgets instead of “perfect” ones

Many budgeting tools fail because they assume every month is the same. Real life isn’t.

Monthly core budget

Identify your “non-negotiables” — rent, food, bills, van insurance, essential fuel. Everything else is flexible.

Seasonal or irregular expenses

These catch most people off guard:

• MOT & van repairs
• School holidays
• Christmas
• Tool replacements
• Insurance renewals

A good budget doesn’t eliminate surprises — it smooths them out across the year.

Using Home Budgets in GoTaskhub

Break your spending into categories, set monthly targets, and track actual vs budgeted. The goal is awareness — not perfection.

Creating savings goals that actually stick

Savings work when they’re visible and emotionally meaningful. GoTaskhub’s Home Goals shows your progress visually so you stay motivated.

Examples of strong savings goals

• Emergency fund: 3 months of core expenses
• Tax pot: so you never panic in January
• Big purchase: new van, tools, home upgrades
• Personal treats: holiday, birthday, new tech

Add deadlines and target amounts so you can track progress instead of guessing.

Connecting this back to your pricing and pay

Once your expenses, budgets, and goals are visible, everything else becomes clearer — including what you should be charging.

• How much you need to earn each month
• Your minimum profitable day rate
• Whether a job is worth taking
• How to stop underpricing without realising it

If you’ve ever felt “busy but broke,” it’s usually because you haven’t linked your real financial needs to your pricing.

Your weekly money routine

You don’t need hours — a simple 20-minute routine keeps everything under control.

The 20-minute checklist

• Log last week’s expenses
• Check budgets for overspending
• Review your savings goals progress
• Note any trends — which categories are creeping up or shrinking
• Adjust next week’s plans accordingly

Next steps

• Create your Home Expenses categories
• Build one monthly budget
• Set up your first savings goal
• Explore Home Expenses, Home Budgets, and Home Goals inside GoTaskhub

When you manage home and business finances in one place, you gain clarity, confidence, and control — the three ingredients of long-term financial stability.