How to keep a simple invoice log (UK freelancers)

You do not need fancy software to know what you are owed. A plain spreadsheet invoice log — updated when you send, chase and get paid — is enough for most solo freelancers. Here is a calm, UK-friendly way to set one up.

Free chase email pack Invoice & Chase Tracker £7 Brewpage hub

Practical admin habit only — not tax, accounting or legal advice.

Why a log beats “I’ll remember”

When work is busy, unpaid invoices slip into email threads and half-remembered dates. A single log gives you one place to answer three questions every week:

What have I sent that is still open?
What is overdue, and by how many days?
When did I last chase — and what is next?

That clarity makes chasing polite and timely instead of awkward and late. Pair the log with a short weekly review habit and you rarely lose track.

Columns that actually help

Start with a sheet (Google Sheets, Excel, LibreOffice — whatever you already use). One row per invoice. Useful columns:

Core fields

Invoice number — your reference, unique per invoice
Client — short name you recognise
Project / description — one line
Amount (£) — the figure on the invoice
Date sent
Due date — from your agreed terms
Status — e.g. Draft, Sent, Overdue, Paid, Written off

Chase fields (optional but powerful)

Last chase date
Next chase date
Chase stage — e.g. 1st nudge, confirm receipt, payment date, 2nd follow-up
Notes — “awaiting PO”, “accounts email is…”, etc.
Date paid — when money lands

Keep it boring. Fancy dashboards can wait until the habit sticks.

A simple status flow

Draft — written but not sent
Sent — out the door, still within terms
Overdue — past due date, unpaid
Paid — funds received (mark the date)

Move the row as soon as the state changes. Do not rely on colour alone — status text filters cleanly when you sort by overdue.

A gentle chase cadence

Agree your own rhythm; many freelancers use something like:

Day 1 after due — friendly first nudge
~7 days — check it reached the right person
~14 days — ask for an expected payment date
Later — courteous second follow-up, then a clear final reminder if needed

Write the next chase date in the log when you send each email. That stops “I’ll chase tomorrow” from vanishing. Free UK-tone wording lives on the chase email snippets page, and as a downloadable free pack on Gumroad.

For a longer walkthrough of overdue tracking in a spreadsheet, see this Dev.to article on UK-friendly chase cadence.

Want a ready-made sheet instead of building from scratch?

Invoice & Chase Tracker £7 Free chase pack

Make it a weekly habit

Once a week, open the log and:

Add any invoices you sent since last time
Mark anything newly paid
Filter to Overdue — send the next polite chase if the next-chase date has arrived
Set next-chase dates for anything you emailed today

Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty. A fuller checklist for that slot is on the freelancer weekly review page (and there is a £5 weekly review template if you want a structured sheet).

Common mistakes to avoid

Logging only when paid — you need the open items most of all
No due date column — “overdue” becomes guesswork
Chasing from memory — you either nag too early or wait too long
Mixing quotes and invoices — keep proposals elsewhere so the log stays clean
Treating the sheet as tax software — this is a cashflow and follow-up aid; keep proper records as you already do for HMRC if you are UK-based