Software vendors
Design, hosting, and project tools, each with a default software category and linked charges.
Freelance finance · Vendors
A directory of the vendors you pay
As a freelancer you pay a surprising number of suppliers — the print shop, the stock-photo site, the accountant, the coworking space, two software vendors, the subcontractor you use for overflow. When their expenses are scattered, you can't see how much any one of them costs you over a year. A vendor directory gives each supplier a record with a default category and a link to their spending. Cash Workspace lets you keep that list so recurring suppliers are organized and easy to total.
The problem
Why supplier spending is hard to see
Expenses are recorded by date, not by who you paid, so the spending for any single vendor is spread across the whole year and never adds up in one view.
- You can't tell how much you spent with one supplier over the year.
- The same vendor is recorded under three different spellings.
- Each new expense for a familiar vendor needs its category set from scratch.
- You don't have the vendor's contact or account details when you need them.
- A subcontractor's total payments are scattered, making year-end forms harder.
The workflow
Build a vendor directory
Give each supplier one record, then point every expense at it so spending gathers per vendor.
- 1
List your vendors
Create a record for each supplier you pay more than once — software, services, print, subcontractors.
- 2
Note what they supply
Add a short line on what each vendor provides so the directory is self-explanatory.
- 3
Set a default category
Give each vendor a default expense category so new expenses land in the right place.
- 4
Link the expense history
Tag every expense with the vendor name so each record links back to all their spending.
- 5
Total per vendor
Filter by a vendor to see their expense history together when you want to review or hand it over.
Record structure
What to record for each vendor
A small set of details turns a list of names into a usable directory.
- Vendor name
- The supplier's name, kept in one consistent spelling.
- What they supply
- A short description — software, print, subcontract work, professional services.
- Default category
- The expense category their charges usually fall under.
- Contact details
- Email, account number, or portal so you can reach them quickly.
- Payment method
- How you usually pay them, noted for reference.
- Vendor type
- Subscription, one-off supplier, professional service, or subcontractor.
- Linked expenses
- The tag that connects every expense to this vendor's record.
- Note
- Anything worth remembering, such as a renewal date or a preferred contact.
Example setup
An example vendor directory
One way to group suppliers inside your workspace.
Services and professionals
Accountant, coworking space, and print shop with contact details and expense history.
Subcontractors
Anyone you pay for overflow work, with their payments grouped for year-end records.
Common mistakes
Mistakes to avoid
- Spelling a vendor's name differently each time, so their spending splits apart.
- Setting the category fresh on every expense instead of using a default.
- Keeping vendor contact details only in email where they're hard to find.
- Mixing subcontractors in with software vendors so payee records aren't clean.
- Never filtering by vendor, so you never see what any supplier really costs.
How it helps
How Cash Workspace helps
One record per vendor
Keep a directory with each supplier's name, what they supply, and a default category in one list.
Expenses linked to vendors
Tag expenses with the vendor so each record links to that supplier's full spending history.
Easy to total and hand over
Filter by a vendor to gather their expenses for review, year-end forms, or your accountant.
Related
Related freelance finance workflows
Contractor payee records
Keep subcontractor payee details for year-end forms.
Subcontractor payment log
Track payments to the contractors in your directory.
Expense categories
Set the default categories your vendors map to.
Recurring expense overview
See recurring vendors alongside one another.
All finance workflows
Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.
FAQ
Vendor directory FAQ
- How is a vendor record different from an expense?
- An expense is a single dated payment; a vendor record is the supplier itself. Linking expenses to a vendor lets you see all that supplier's payments together instead of scattered across the year.
- Can I see how much I paid one vendor?
- Yes — filter your expenses by the vendor to gather their records in one view. You read the spending from the grouped records; the product organizes them rather than computing a profit or margin figure.
- Should subcontractors go in the same directory?
- You can keep them in a vendor type of their own. Grouping subcontractors separately keeps their payee details clean for year-end forms while still living in one directory.
Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance
Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.
Keep a directory of who you pay
Start a free workspace and give every supplier one record so their spending gathers in one place and is easy to total.