The Omni Group
These forums are now read-only. Please visit our new forums to participate in discussion. A new account will be required to post in the new forums. For more info on the switch, see this post. Thank you!

Go Back   The Omni Group Forums > OmniFocus > OmniFocus 1 for Mac
FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

 
The relaxed debt collector Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
In my flatshare, bill payments have fallen to my responsibility, but I don't want to be a hard arse every month.

Instead I prefer to tally up how many months I have not collected on a bill (seeing as they're fixed £'s every month) and collect every 3 or 4 months.

But months flyby and I loose track, so my question is...

How can I have a repeated task that DOESN'T need completion before the task is duplicated/repeated?

Or is there another way of thinking about this?

Thanks
 
Enter a bunch of copies of the same task, with appropriate start and due dates. Then future actions (at least in the timeframe for which you made entries) do not rely on the completion of previous ones. Put in a reminder action to repopulate before you run out.
 
Alternatively, make a single action with the "Start again 1 month later" repeat type.

When you collect, check the item off. OmniFocus will make a new item for next month. From then on, you'll be able to look at the database and see that you haven't collected from them for any months since whatever date is attached to the existing item in your database.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian View Post
Alternatively, make a single action with the "Start again 1 month later" repeat type.

When you collect, check the item off. OmniFocus will make a new item for next month. From then on, you'll be able to look at the database and see that you haven't collected from them for any months since whatever date is attached to the existing item in your database.
I had hoped to do this, but the issue is that the action will not repeat until it has been checked off

Running multiple 'copies' of the action with future dates is probably the safest option, but not particularly elegant in my eyes.... .... particularly as i have 2 house mates to collect from. Twice the work :(

Thanks
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shavenraver View Post
I had hoped to do this, but the issue is that the action will not repeat until it has been checked off
Paying rent is exactly the scenario we had in mind for the "Repeat every 1 month" repeat setting (as opposed to using "Start again" or "Due again", which is a better choice for something like a haircut). You'll get an additional "repeat every" task for each month that was missed (even if it's in the past), and you can just check off each one until all the tasks are current again. (You can also get ahead of the rent by completing a few extra tasks for future months.)

Hope this helps!
 
While this is a useful feature I recommend using a spreadsheet (can be a free one like open office) for this. You will likely get a better oversight, long term, over your bill situation.

As I see it, OF is great to remind you to pay bills and hence save you from debt and the related extra charges. It was not designed to keep track of two flat mates who individually pay bills to you on different dates each 3-3 months (that's what, 5 bills a month?). A simple spreadsheet would give you a one-glance oversight of what you paid and what your flat mates owe you.

It is also a safer way to do it. Imagine accidentally checking off one of the bill reminders for your flat mates. Can easily happen in a rush. That will cost you.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Christian View Post
While this is a useful feature I recommend using a spreadsheet (can be a free one like open office) for this. You will likely get a better oversight, long term, over your bill situation.

As I see it, OF is great to remind you to pay bills and hence save you from debt and the related extra charges. It was not designed to keep track of two flat mates who individually pay bills to you on different dates each 3-3 months (that's what, 5 bills a month?). A simple spreadsheet would give you a one-glance oversight of what you paid and what your flat mates owe you.

It is also a safer way to do it. Imagine accidentally checking off one of the bill reminders for your flat mates. Can easily happen in a rush. That will cost you.
Yep - I think you're right. A spreadsheet using my gail account - I could even share it online

I had a nice system set up to remind me when to remind clients that they're overdue on an invoice - I was hoping to replicate that on some level

Thanks
 
You could use OmniFocus to remind you each month to add the various bills to the spreadsheet showing the running tally.

As for the concern about accidentally checking off an action, for this sort of thing I make notes in the note field ("11/11 received 30 quid from Alan for Oct. utilities") and when I do my review of that project (you are using the review feature, right?) I make sure anything marked complete has the necessary supporting details to justify being marked complete.
 
Could use a spreadsheet, then use OF to (a) remind you to update the sheet with the new regular payments every months, using the repeat-feature and (b) to dust off the crowbar every 3 months to knock on your flat mates doors :)
 
 


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 01:42 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.