Why You Should Use A Mileage Tracking App

This post is sponsored by Mile IQ, but all opinions are my own.

It’s timely that I am talking to you guys today about mileage, using an automatic mileage tracking app, and the importance of tracking your miles with tax season just getting started.

I’m self-employed, and I’m beginning to take deep breaths around this time of the year.

Why?

Because I have to wade through a ton of receipts and papers to document for my tax return.

Every year, I promise myself, “Next year Tat, we’re going to get this together!”

And every year (going into my third year self-employed), I am facing this dilemma. When I first started blogging (I also own a frugal/deal blog), I was running to several stores looking for deals and blogging about those deals. I can’t even tell you HOW many miles I racked up on my Sorento. Thank goodness for good gas mileage. AND thank goodness my stores were all within a few miles of each other.

However, when I sat down to do my taxes, it took forever. I had to go back through each month putting numbers together and trying to remember all of my trips. It’s always a nightmare, and I feel I could be putting my time to better use.

And trust me, I’ve tried to write them down in a little notebook, and even kept track of my gas and mileage with other apps, but I would forget to log the numbers in each time. 

{dramatic pause}

Then I discovered the MileIQ app. Initially, I read about this app several months ago through another blogger, Thrift Diving. I made a mental note to check it out.

Fast forward to today.

With the thoughts of working on tax returns soon, I decided this year was going to be the year of really being on-point with everything! Including my business, so I downloaded the app. {be sure to allow the app access to your location}

Come to find out, this app is exactly what I need! As a Mom and business woman, I am constantly on the go. During the school/football seasons, I live in my car. Between school, practices, doctor’s appointments, errands and business errands, I can quickly rack up a ton of miles. That being said, it’s challenging trying to decipher which miles are personal, and which miles are for business. With the MileIQ app, I can easily track these miles.

You swipe to the left when you want to categorize your miles for personal reasons. And then swipe to the right when you want to put the miles in the business category (to the left, to the left).

So, I get in the car and start driving to the store to get the necessary supplies for an upcoming blog post. I have to run to Meijer. They didn’t have what I needed, so I had to make a trip to Target, then JoAnn’s and Kroger. With each trip, it automatically detected when the car was moving, so I didn’t have to worry about logging my miles. -Talk about making my trips smarter! #MakeTripsSmarter

After each mile related to business, it tells me how much money I have logged. This is the potential tax deduction I will receive on my tax return for accurately documenting my mileage.

The husband creates delicious recipes and beautiful cocktails on the blog, which requires several trips to the store. I’m not sure if you guys know this, but men don’t always plan well. When this happens, we are flying back and forth to the store to get the missing ingredients. With all of those trips, who would remember to document every single mile? But those miles add up, and its money I’m leaving on the table if I am not recording them correctly.

Thank goodness, I can now call MileIQ a necessity to my business! 

Here are the main reasons why I like MileIQ, and how it can benefit YOU.

1. It works without you remembering to use it. With the automatic drive detection, it captures every mile you drive. The app will run in the background. They sold me with THIS option! Remember, I mentioned with other apps I had to log every single mile, which I forgot to do? This reason alone is enough to say yes, sign me up for a MileIQ account!
2. You can easily take the guess-work out of which miles are personal or for business (especially if you’re using your vehicle).
3. Tax Deduction. On our taxes, we can claim the Home office deduction and the Mileage deduction. This helps offset any taxes I may owe. Every cent counts and should be tracked! MileIQ adheres to the IRS rules and regulations each tax year (present rate: 2016 mileage rate).
4. Cost. The first 40 drives are free. You pay $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. And I am listing a coupon code to help you save 20%. And this cost is usually tax-deductible as a business expense as well and quickly pays for itself! Double bonus!
5. Easy to use. You can quickly send the mileage logs to your email or your accountant’s email. Now, how easy and convenient is that??

Even if you are not self-employed, you still need to try out this app. Do you run an Etsy, eBay or other type of Internet business where you’re running to the post office to drop off orders or grab supplies? Do you bake cakes out of your home and sell them? Do you freelance? If you are using your vehicle for work, you need to keep track of your mileage. Unless you enjoy spending time remembering to write it all down with the old-fashioned pen and paper , you have nothing to lose by trying out MileIQ! In fact, you can get 40 drives for FREE. If you want to upgrade and get the unlimited version, it’s just $5.99 per month (or $59.99 per year). However, use coupon code –SMARTTRIPS20 to save 20% OFF! 

You can head over to their website to find more information about MileIQ.

You can also download the app in Itunes or Google Play. If you opt to upgrade, be sure to follow these instructions to use code –SMARTTRIPS20 to save 20% OFF! 

I am a big fan of apps and using technology to make my life easier. When I initially heard of this app, I didn’t put much thought into the value and how it would save me time and money. However, after taking the time to use the MileIQ app, I am keeping it and will upgrade to an unlimited plan. I will quickly blow through 40 drives with all of the running around we do for the blogs and the boys.

What are your thoughts on this app? Have you heard of it before? Do run your own business? Get more information about MileIQ, and come back and leave me your feedback! What are some ways you organize your mileage? Leave me a comment below, I would love to hear from you!