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A good year can still leave you short on cash.

That new truck can eat into what you’ve earned. So can bills you didn’t plan for or payments you forgot to track.

Here’s how four pros keep a closer eye on their money and make decisions they can afford.

→ Want a head start? On October 22, CFO Advisor Paul Maskill is busting year-end money myths. Bring your questions, grab the free worksheet, and join live for a shot at a $50 gift card.

“Don’t go buying stuff to save money on taxes.”

“I went out and bought a new truck because my accountant said to, and now I paid less taxes.” That’s not how it works. That’s walking one step forward and five steps backwards. Now, if you legitimately need a truck, that’s different. 

– Adam Sylvester, Charlottesville Lawn Care and Gutter Pros

The move: Before you buy something for the write-off, ask two questions: Would I still buy this without the tax break? And can I pay for it without leaving myself tight on cash in January? If either answer is no, keep the money.

“If your bookkeeper isn’t giving you your numbers every single month, fire them.”

Fire them and find somebody who can. “No, we’ll look at that next year.” Cool. And then when you lose money, don’t ask why. At least be able to pull some basic reports and have someone tell you: if that number is this or higher, you’re good. If it’s this or lower, you’re not.

– Kelly Uhler Guerrero, HomePro Coaching

The move: Pick two or three numbers that tell you whether the business had a good month, and review them every month. If your bookkeeper won’t give you those numbers, it may be time to look for a new one.

→ Bookkeeper, CPA, or CFO? Find out who to hire and when.

“You have to track everything properly.”

People accept Zelle, Cash App, cash, checks, credit cards—and then they don’t actually report everything. If you’re starting out, immediately separate your business expenses from anything personal. When you run everything off one card, it gives you a false sense of how much money you actually have. 

– Oscar Gil, Detail Groove & R3 Auto Detailing

The move: Record every customer payment, no matter the payment method. Keep business and personal expenses separate, too. You should be able to see what came in and what went out without checking five places.

“Having money in savings feels good. I sleep better.”

One of the best strategies I learned early on is to have a lot of money in savings. Have what you’re going to pay out in its own account, and then have another account that’s just saving. 

– Kasy Allen, Wheatley Creek Services

The move: Keep money for upcoming bills in one account and savings in another. Set up a small automatic transfer to savings every week or month so you’re building a cushion as you go.

Check how you’re managing your money:

→ Would you still make that purchase if it didn’t lower your taxes?

→ Do you review the two or three numbers that show how your business did each month?

→ Can you track every customer payment and keep business spending separate from personal spending?

→ How much cash would you have left after paying the next 30 days of bills?

Tips from the field

Your monthly P&L shows up too late to help.

By the time the month closes, you can’t fix it. Kasy built an end-of-day report that shows revenue, gross margin, and labor while there’s still time to act on them. Her free reporting playbook walks you through the same setup.

Short on cash? Check your prices.

Paul says the most overlooked drain on cash is underpricing. Build your price around what the job actually costs you, not what the guy down the road charges.

That $100 lead didn't cost you $100.

There’s also the phone call, drive, estimate, follow-up, and maybe a second trip. Gabe Chrismon says the real cost of winning a customer can be four times the lead price. His fix costs nothing: tag every customer with where they came from, including the ones you don’t win.