Could anyone please help me work this sum out? I'm just about to implode with trying.

[FortunesFave]

For what it's worth, I got a "U" in maths GCSE back in the 80s. I show a lot of symptoms of Dyscalculia...I can't work out basic problems. I begin ok then spiral into confusion.

Here's the basics as simply as I can put it. If I've made mistakes someone will hopefully ask about them.

I have a client for whom I write weekly blogs and do a bit of social media too. He pays monthly when I invoice. It's a new arrangement.

When we started I told him the price was $250 a week or $1000 a month. At the first week he paid half up front...so $500.

Then when last week it was time to bill him for the next month which begins today I billed him $1000 again. which is 500 for work done last month and 500 in advance for work yet to be done this month.

He then said he wanted more work from me and how much would it cost. I said it would be $400 per week and he was happy.

But now...he's paid 500 in advance for this month and next months bill will now be larger. How much do I bill him for next month and the month after that? how do I now make it all balance out?

Try as I might I can't seem to work it out. I keep getting confused! I'm a creative...no good at maths.

Spike the price was never 100. He was paying 250 per week. Now he''ll be paying 400 per week.

Piglet I'm sorry...thank you but I can't understand that way of looking at it at all. :( I find it terribly confusing....

I just want to know what to bill next month and the month after and if I should bill him 300 now to square things up or is there a way of sorting it all out next time?

Yes OP, your 23.54 post was right, you just need to decide how you want the extra 300 you need to cover the next 2 weeks. You could either invoice for 300 now or wait 2 weeks then invoice for 1600+300 = 1900 and them going forward invoice for 1600 every 4 weeks.

If you want to keep track of this yourself, rather than having to check with others each month, perhaps calculate it this way:

Week Beginning Agreed Pay Total Owed
3 Dec 250 250
10 Dec 250 500
17 Dec 250 750
24 Dec 250 1000 (invoice period one = 1000)
31 Dec 400 1400
7 Jan 400 1800
14 Jan 400 2200
21 Jan 400 2600 (invoice period two = 1600)
28 Jan 400 3000

Then subtract the amounts he has paid you when he pays. Or keep a separate list of payments received. Whatever works for you. From there, calculate your in-advance invoicing based on what has actually been paid.

He's paid $300 short for the two weeks he's paid in advance. So add that onto the now $1600 monthly bill and bill him $1900 as a one off, then beyond that $1600 monthly

See if this helps

Imagine he has paid nothing.

Bill him for all the work he orders.

That's how bills work.

When he pays you, mark off the bills as fully paid/part paid.

At any one time it is likely that there will be a difference between work billed and work paid. That has no effect on what you should bill him.

Oh crud, that formatted really badly when it posted. Sorry about that.

Oh Polo that might work! God....what would I do without MN? I feel better now. Just need walking through it. Thanks everyone!

Sorry, I'm making it worse, i misremembered 1000 a month as 100 a week

I did recover my sanity before my last post though, so hopefully that helps? Or not? Sorry...

Cross-post with piglet.

My idea is the same.

The amount you invoice for each period of work will stay the same. It he owes arrears, then you may need to change the invoice to reflect that.

It's easier with dates.

Everything before today is irrelevant as he has paid in full.

20th Jan - the work ahead is £1600. He has paid £500 = £1100 owed.

4 weeks time - 17th Feb. He owes the £1100 above PLUS a deposit for the next lot. If 50% then £800, so total owed on 17th Feb = £1900

17th March - bill is £800 owed from 17/2-17/3 PLUS £800 for Next two weeks.
= £1600

14th April - bill is £800 owed from 17/3 - 14/4 PLUS £800 for 14/4 - 28/4 = £1600

So, £1900 next time the. £1600 thereafter

But you need to tell client that the £500 changes to £800 moving foreard

Thanks OP , I've just learnt a new word dyscalculia.
Have you thought about hourly rates? I'm self employed and I charge an hourly rate , I keep a time sheet and a record of what I have done. .

Coffee It just doesn't work for me. As a copywriter there are too many variables. Some copy is super-simple to write whilst others is more complex. Some clients want a lot of varied stuff whilst others, like this one, want very samey stuff....reams of it.

I know roughly how much effort it will take me not just in terms of hours but in terms of brain power. If it's very simple but there's a lot of it, that can cost less than something which seems like a little ...there just might be a lot of concentration and research involved.