Receipts and ledgersFill in
Check register
A checking account register with a row for every check, debit or deposit. Columns hold the check number, date, description, payment, a cleared tick, deposit and balance. The first row is marked Balance forward so you can carry the balance from the last page.
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On this page
What prints
The sheet is headed Check Register with write-in lines for the Account and the Month. The table's columns are Number, Date, Description, Payment (-), Clr, Deposit (+) and Balance. The first row's Description cell is printed with the words Balance forward, which is where the opening balance goes.
A line of small print under the table says to tick Clr when the item shows on your bank statement, to add deposits, to subtract payments, and to carry the balance down. Nothing is calculated for you.
The settings
- Name at the top. Optional text that prints at the top right, handy for an account nickname such as "Joint checking".
- Register type. Check register here. The same generator makes the general ledger, the rent ledger and the petty cash log.
- Rows. 12 to 36 lines per page. Use 36 if you write small, and fewer if you want room to write.
Keeping a running balance
After each line, work out the new balance right then. If it's a payment, subtract it from the line above. If it's a deposit, add it. Write the result in the Balance column before you move on. Errors are easiest to catch when they are one line old.
Debit card purchases, automatic withdrawals and bank fees belong in the register too, not just paper checks. For those with no check number, write DC or ATM or a short code in the Number column.
Worked example: five lines and a statement
The page starts with a Balance forward of $1,200.00. Check 1041 to the landlord for $650.00 leaves 1,200.00 - 650.00 = $550.00. A paycheck deposit of $840.00 brings it to $1,390.00. Check 1042 to the electric company for $72.35 gives $1,317.65. Check 1043 for groceries at $58.20 gives $1,259.45. Finally a $25.00 deposit makes the balance $1,284.45.
Your bank statement shows $1,317.65. It has cleared checks 1041 and 1042 and the paycheck, but not check 1043 or the $25.00 deposit. To reconcile, start from the statement: 1,317.65 + 25.00 - 58.20 = $1,284.45. It matches the register, so tick Clr for the items that cleared and leave the other two empty until next month.
When it doesn't match
Look for a transposed digit, a payment entered as a deposit, or a fee you hadn't recorded. The CFPB publishes guides on managing a checking account if you want more on fees and statements. This sheet is a worksheet, not banking advice.
Where to keep it
Rest the register next to your checkbook or tuck it inside the cover. When a page is full, start the next one with the last balance on the Balance forward line, and keep finished pages in a folder with that year's bank statements.
Sources
- CFPB: Guides to help you open and manage your checking account consumerfinance.gov