How do you keep track of invoices?
As a freelancer myself, one of the main mistakes I made was to not keep track of my invoices. So, I wanted to ask you guys, how do you keep track of your invoices? And would you like a software solution (since I'm building one for myself) to generate invoices, keep track of them (paid and unpaid, due dates etc)?
Full disclosure: I'm Avery Lin (avrlin). I've been packaging a Get-Paid Chaser Kit (polite day-3/7/14 invoice follow-ups) with AI assistance, so take this as adjacent interest, not neutral advice.
The awkward part isn't knowing you should follow up — it's having calm, non-needy copy ready when the invoice hits day 7. A small sequence that stays human (and stops the moment they pay) usually beats another awkward "just checking in" DM.
Curious — are you still improvising chase emails each time, or do you have a sequence you reuse?
Same thing bit me when a couple clients slipped past due, tracking was easy, the awkward part was knowing when to tighten the followup without sounding hostile. I started with a sheet, tried generic invoicing reminders after that, and now I'm building ChaseFlow just for the chasing part, imo thats the piece most freelancers actually avoid.
A spreadsheet is usually enough for tracking. The bigger issue is follow-through once something is overdue.
The simplest setup I recommend is:
That last bit matters because a lot of freelancers keep delivering while waiting to be paid, which removes urgency completely.
I run Landolio, so take the recommendation with that in mind, but if anyone here only needs the wording side, this is the practical shortcut we built for UK freelancers: https://landolio.com/products/invoice-email-pack
If you want the process side as well, deposits, clauses, escalation, and onboarding, the bundle is here: https://landolio.com/products/getting-paid-toolkit
Google Sheets works until it doesn't — the real problem isn't tracking, it's following up when something goes overdue.
Most freelancers track invoices fine but avoid the follow-up because it feels awkward. The usual pattern: invoice sent → due date passes → a few days of hoping → eventually a vague email → client replies with something non-committal → repeat.
What actually works is a scripted escalation: Day 3 friendly reminder (assume they forgot), Day 7 more direct (reference the first email), Day 14 firm (specify next steps), Day 21+ final notice with real consequences.
The psychology shift that helps: you're not asking for a favour. You did the work. The invoice is a record of that agreement.
I put together free copy-paste templates for this at tryrecoverkit.com/collect — no signup needed, just grab whatever stage you're at.
I use Bonsai.
I use Akaunting https://akaunting.com/