Tessa used to spend every Sunday afternoon on the books.

Three to four hours. Every. Single. Week.

Then one Easter weekend, while Mark was away fishing and the phone was quiet, she decided to dig into Xero and find the shortcuts everyone kept talking about.

Within a month, her Sunday marathon dropped to 30 minutes.

Here's what she learned – and what you can implement before the EOFY crunch hits.

WHY THIS MATTERS BEFORE EOFY

We're heading into the busy months. Between now and June 30, you'll be scrambling to get books sorted, BAS lodged, records ready for your accountant.

If you're still doing everything the long way? You're going to have a miserable few months.

Easter gives you breathing space. Use it to learn the shortcuts now, so you're not drowning in manual work when May and June hit.

THE XERO SHORTCUTS WORTH KNOWING

1. Bank Rules (Your biggest time-saver)

If you're manually categorising the same transactions every week, stop.

Your phone bill. Insurance. Fuel from the same servo. Software subscriptions. These should be automatic.

Here's how:

Go to Accounting > Bank Accounts > Manage Bank Rules

Click Create Bank Rule

Set your conditions:

• If transaction contains "Telstra"
• Code to "Telephone & Internet"
• GST code "GST on Expenses"

From now on, every Telstra transaction codes automatically. You just click OK.

Set up bank rules for your top 10-15 recurring expenses. This alone cuts reconciliation time in half.

2. Global Search (Stop clicking through menus)

Press the forward slash key (/) on your keyboard from anywhere in Xero.

The search bar appears. Type what you're looking for – invoice number, contact name, report – and jump straight there.

No more clicking through dashboard > business > invoices > find the one you want.

One keystroke. Done.

3. Repeating Invoices (Automate regular customers)

For customers you bill the same amount every month (maintenance contracts, retainers), set up repeating invoices.

Go to Sales > Invoices > New Repeating Invoice

Create your invoice template. Set the frequency (weekly, fortnightly, monthly).

Xero creates and sends it automatically. You don't have to remember.

4. Mobile App For Receipts (Stop hoarding paper)

Mark used to have a glovebox full of crumpled receipts. Half of them faded so much you couldn't read them.

Then they discovered the Xero mobile app.

Buy something. Take a photo of the receipt right then. The app uploads it to Xero and matches it to the bank transaction automatically.

No more lost receipts. No more "what was this $87 for?"

5. Dashboard Customisation (See what matters first)

Your Xero dashboard can show exactly what you need - outstanding invoices, bills due, bank balances.

From the Dashboard, go to Edit Homepage > Add Widget

Choose what matters to you:

• Invoices Awaiting Payment
• Bills to Pay
• Bank Account Balances
• Profit & Loss Summary

When you open Xero, you see what needs attention. Not what Xero thinks you should see.

6. Batch Actions (Stop doing one at a time)

If you've got similar jobs or regular customers, stop creating invoices individually.

Use batch create instead.

This is a game-changer if you bill the same customers every week or month. What took 30 minutes now takes 3.

NEW FOR 2026: JAX (JUST ASK XERO)

Xero launched JAX in March 2026 – an AI assistant that can automatically reconcile bank transactions.

If you opt in, JAX categorises and matches transactions without you clicking OK every time.

The catch: You need to review what it's done. AI is learning, but it's not perfect yet.

For straightforward bookkeeping, it's a time-saver. For complex businesses, proceed with caution.

TAKING STOCK BEFORE YOU SPRINT

Easter is your breathing space.

Between now and June 30, things get hectic. EOFY prep. BAS lodgement. Records for your accountant.

If you head into that sprint doing everything the long way, you'll burn out.

But if you take stock now – set up bank rules, learn the shortcuts, automate what you can – you'll handle EOFY without losing your mind.

This is "Take Stock Before You Sprint."

Use the quiet time to get systems right. So when busy hits, you're ready.

THE DIY APPROACH

You don't need to pay someone $400/month to do your bookkeeping.

You need to learn how to do it properly yourself.

That's what the Unexpected Bookkeeper course teaches:

• Complete Xero training – every shortcut, every time-saver, set up properly from day one
• Profit First setup – bank accounts for consistent owner's pay
• Weekly co-working – work through your bookkeeping with support
• Private community – other unexpected bookkeepers figuring this out together
• Lifetime access – learn at your own pace

DIY your bookkeeping. Save thousands. Build confidence.

JOIN TODAY

Disclaimer: This information is general in nature and doesn't take your personal circumstances into account. Always seek professional advice for your specific situation.