Balancing a budget

[Fabrice Gautier]

On Jan 8, 2008 11:19 AM, Mike or Penny Novack <stepbystepfarm at mtdata.com> wrote:
>
> >As far as I'am concern (and maybe thats not what gnucash budget is
> >about), a budget is a prediction of what all my accounts will look
> >like (including assets and liabilities).
> >
> >So for example, lets say i plan to spend 200, but only have an income
> >of 100, then my budget could be:
> >
> >Checking : -100
> >Income : +100
> >Expense : +200
> >
> >-- Fabrice
> >
> >
> No, a budget CAN'T do that (predict the "standing" accounts).
>
> Let's say that your budget of income/expenses for the period indicates a
> deficit. The budget process can't know if this deficit will be met by
> .......
> a) A decrease in the balance maintained in one or the other of the
> current asset accounts (checking, savings, etc.) or what transfers might
> happen between them.
> b) An increase in a liability (larger credit card balance)
> c) The sale of some fixed asset or assets held in investment accounts.
>
> The budget results (that it IS a "deficit budget") tells you that
> SOMETHING of the sort will have to happen but can't tell you which.
> That's a DECISION you will have to make to finance the deficit.

Well, I would like to make that decision when I do my budget and
record it with gnucash as well... Then later come and see:
- If my predicted income/expenses match my budget
- If the actual financing of my deficit match my previous decision.

If budgeting is about planning, I want to be able to plan the sale of
my asset as well (for example).

But I dont want gnucash to tell me what to sell, I want to tell it
what I plan to sell. But I would like gnucash to tell me if what I
plan to sell is going to cover my deficit.
Or: I want to tell gnucash what i want to Save, and I want gnucash to
tell me if my planned income/expenses will generate a profit enough to
reach my saving goal.

-- Fabrice





-- Fabrice