The Bookkeeping Resources

My Favorites ... Your Favorites

Notice your thoughts on what you are watching ... then bring yourself and your eyes back to this page ... and enjoy these next few minutes on your tea break. :0)

My Favorite Bookkeeping Resources

My Reading List - Some of My Favorites

Not everything on this list are bookkeeping resources ... in fact many of them are the books that simply motivate me and inspire me to achieve my dreams ... which are most likely completely different from your dreams :0)

I like to check The Wealthy Boomer blog by The National Post's Jonathan Chevreau at http://opinion.financialpost.com/category/wealthy-boomer . I would like to buy his book Findependence Day to add to my bookkeeping resources ... but it is not sold in book stores. You must order it online and paying shipping.

Right now I'm reading Master Your Taxes - How to maximize your after-tax returns by Evelyn Jacks ... learn how to save time and money on your largest lifetime expense. See the big picture. I'm finding this book very readable.

I'm also reading the Self Counsel Press business series Numbers 101 for Small Business. I've selected the books authored by Angie Mohr, CA, CMA to add to my bookkeeping resources which includes:

• Bookkeeper' Boot Camp - Get a Grip on Accounting Basics ... shows the essentials of record keeping for a small business;
• Financial Management 101 - Get a Grip on Your Business Numbers ... a guide on business planning;
• Finance & Grow Your New Business - Get a Grip on the Money ... all the ways to raise capital.

Angies's books include Canadian and US material. I am going to find out if there is an affiliate program so I can offer her books for sale on this site.

• Pensionize Your Nest Egg - How to Use Product Allocation to Create a Guaranteed Income for Life by Moshe Milevsky and Alexendra Macqueen
... I never got all the way through this book on how to create your own personal pension so that you have a monthly income that lasts for the rest of your life. I'm finding it too tough to read which is disappointing as I really enjoyed Bengen's book on this same topic. I will use it solely as a bookkeeping resource and reference book.
• The Joy of Not Working - a book for the retired, unemployed, and overworked by Ernie J. Zelinski
... a handy guide on how to enjoy life more.
• Make Sure It's Deductible - Little-Known Tax Tips For Your Canadian Small Business by Evelyn Jacks
... a little dry to read but a good reference book for the self-employed business owner who does their own taxes. I did not find it to be the kind of book to sit down and read but invaluable to refer to as a bookkeeping resource.
• 167 Tax Tips For Canadian Small Business - beat the taxman to keep more money in your business by Stephen Thompson
... easy to read, practical advice in a question and answer format. Small business owners should take a look at the year-round tax planning calendar. Note that the CCA section on electronic office equipment was not up to date in the version I was reading.
• The Pension Puzzle - Your Complete Guide to Government Benefits, RRSPs and Employer Plans by Bruce Cohen and Brian Fitzgerald
... this book is for every Canadian who wants to know how their pensions work, so you can start making smart choices early.
• Conserving Client Portfolios During Retirement by William P. Bengen, CFP
... deals with how to manage your money in retirement and make it last because we aren't dying as young as we used to.
• How To Pay Less and Keep More For Yourself - The Essential Consumer Guide to Canadian Banking and Investing by Rob Carrick
... Canadians know how to shop but not when it comes to our money. Instead of being passive, this book shows you how to shop for your financial products.
• Your Money or Your Life- Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
... a classic in how to stop making a living and start making a life!
• Enough - Lifestyle and Financial Planning for Simpler Living by Betty Jane Wylie
... the first step in how I dropped out of the 9-5 job that was affecting my health ... learning how to downsize yourself ... just like large corporations do!
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
... useful for moving your life unto a different path by taking you out of your comfort zone and thinking creatively outside the box
• Simple Abundance - A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach
... for inspiration and transformation in how to embrace life's abundance that surrounds us in our everyday lives!
• Stop Working - Here's How You Can! by Derek Foster
... an ongoing dream of mine
• Work Less Live More - A Woman's Guide by Paula Brook
... are you starting to see what I day dream about?
• How To Survive Without A Salary by Charles Long
... this is an old favorite of mine and may actually be out of print. It teaches you how to get by with less and make do with what you have ... the Conserver Lifestyle.
• Making a Living Without A Job - Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love by Barbara J. Winter
... if I have to work, please please let it be doing something I enjoy!
• University of Success by Og Mandino
... a course on how to succeed and advance into the world of exceptional achievement. He pulls his material from 50 renowned experts. My copy is from 1982. I don't even know if the book is still in print.

My Favorite Websites

If you've been through this site, you will know that Canadian sites I like, in addition to the user friendly CRA website, are:

1. TaxTips.ca has great, reliable information including income tax calculators. The site is updated after each federal, provincial or territorial budget.
2. The Tax Guy over at Canadian Tax Resource Blog has easy to read and understand articles on various Canadian tax subjects ... and he answers personal tax questions too!
3. HRInfoDesk.com is a great Canadian payroll and employment law compliance resource.
4. OnPayroll.ca is a resource for outsourcing payroll but you will find payroll update information and payroll tips on the site too.

It would be great if my American site visitors could provide some U.S. bookkeeping resources! What are your favorite bookkeeping websites? ...

For my U.S. visitors, here are my current two fav American sites:

1. Stephanie Horne's site Bookkeeping Basics has very useful lists for U.S. tax deductions by occupation including * firefighters, * business professionals, * airline personnel, * day care providers, * law enforcement, * hairstylists, and * truckers.

   I drop by Stephanie's site and answer Canadian bookkeeping questions from time to time too!


2. Dawn Fotopulos's site Best Small Biz Help is the The Solopreneur's Lifeline.

   Dawn explains the site's mission is to "train and support the very small business owner who makes under $50K per year, to read financial statements, find new customers on/ offline, and survive this tough economy. We have a team of experts in accounting, IT, insurance, healthcare writing for the site."

   Bookkeeping-Essentials has been listed as a resource on Best Small Biz Help ... and will be participating in Open Line Thursdays which starts July 15, 2010.

   This site will be a great bookkeeping resource and more for my American visitors ... my Canadian visitors will find it helpful too!

These friendly bookkeeping resources are accounting sites I like ... in fact may be an affiliate in some cases:

1. Real Life Accounting is designed for non-accountants. It has free articles on bookkeeping and accounting as well as two affordable course offerings for non-accountants. This is a great resource!
2. Accounting Coach is also designed for non-accountants and is well suited to students. My favorite features are the quizzes and crosswords which provides fun, positive reinforcement.
3. The Bean Counter offers free accounting and bookkeeping tutorials. There are fun tests after each section of material is covered.
4. Principles of Accounting.com is in the form of an online text book. It is well organized and well written. I found it easy follow.

Bookkeeping forums I like are ... (you need to be a member to participate but as bookkeeping resources ... they are unbeatable ... for me.)

1. Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada
2. Canadian Bookkeepers Association

If you are looking for bookkeeping resources and information on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), head on over to The Training section. In the article on Basic Accounting Concepts and Principles, you will find information on:

• U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and U.S. GAAP
• Canadian Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) and Accounting Standards for Private Enterprise (ASPE), and
• The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

It's Your Turn To Dish On Your Fav Bookkeeping Resources

I'll add to this as time goes on ... but now let's turn it over to you.

Do you have a favorite bookkeeping book or accounting reference that you think would help other work from home business owners? ... Or an article that helped you learn to understand the numbers side of your business?

Or maybe it was just something that inspired you ... even though it's not directly about bookkeeping.

Where do you go to get your QuickBooks advice?

The Forum explains how each contribution is handled ... and it has links to other pages on this site where you can participate.

Your opinion matters ... and sharing it will help other visitors to this site ... Help and be helped! :0)

What's your favorite bookkeeping resource ... or your favorite bookkeeping tip that tipped the scales?

Submit pictures of your goals ... or your favorite tea cup

I talked about why I have pictures of lake living and teacups on this site on my "Meet Me" page. Use this bookkeeping resource to help you attain your own goals.

If you have a picture that helps you focus on your goal ... and would like to see it published on this website ... so you can look at it often to keep you focused on your long term goal ... or a picture of your favorite tea or coffee cup ... submit it. I'll publish it.

You can bookmark it and visit it as many times as you want.

If the picture is of a place, it would be great to know where the picture was taken. If you want to put your goal in writing so you are more committed to it, submit that too.

You are more likely to achieve your goals if you take time to consciously focus on them regularly ... and talk about them with others.

Have A Favorite Bookkeeping Resource
... or just want to chat?

Do you have favorite resources you use or refer to time and time again? Why not take a moment and share one or more of them with us.

Is it free ... or did you pay? If you paid, how much did it cost? Was it a subscription?

What I'm hoping is that together we can develop a free online resource for work from home bookkeepers ... and business owners who do their own books.

For this section only, I will allow you to contribute one non-affiliate link to the online resource you are recommending.

Useful Bookkeeping Resources

Click below to review and rate bookkeeping resources contributed already. Each person's tastes and experiences are different ... so tell us what you think!

You can help make The Bookkeeping Resources better by adding your comments and ratings to one or more of the contributions.

Other Pages That Might Interest You

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Have a great idea about home office file organization?

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