Setting Up Accounts WAS Re: Just a Quick help question on network drives please help

[Tommy Trussell]

On Tue, Oct 28, 2014 at 9:49 PM, Martin Richards <mixdoctor at rjrhythm.com>
wrote:

> Hi There,
>
> I am very sorry its me again and yes I have looked and done a search on
> your site for the answers
>

Hi -- you sent this message to me alone, and I may not be as able to help
as others on the list.

I'm copying this question to the GnuCash User list AND updating the subject
because you're asking a different question from your previous one.  If you
respond, PLEASE be sure to use "reply-all" in your email program so
everyone on the gnucash-user list gets to see it. We are all volunteers
here and I'm no "expert"; you just happened to ask a question yesterday
that I happened to remember had been answered before.



> but I am getting nowhere and this transition from windows to mac is
> becoming a head ace lol but I am on the last transition now ACCOUNTS. Yes
> my business accounts are all up and running smoothly as its basically cash
> in cash out as I am a D.J. so its only a small business.
>
> My problem is now my personal banking I thought I could do it but I am
> getting negative figurers in All Accounts tab I set up so totally cocked
> this up hence I have deleted it and now trying to work out how to start
> again. I use an old windows program called money manager which you just add
> accounts to but I can’t see how to get it working on here so I am so sorry
> for asking please forgive me.
>
> Anyway what I am trying to set up is 4 accounts going into 1 account let
> me please explain
>
> All accounts are bank accounts
>
> Account 1 = Personal
> Account 2 = Household
> Account 3 = Savings Halifax
> Account 4 is Savings Post Office
>
> sounds simple eh well I thought so until sorting out a 5th account called
> Total Assets
>
> basically all 4 accounts i want to enter in and outgoings in all 4 giving
> me a balance in all 4 that match up to my online banking which is no
> problem, I am not using sub accounts for income or expense just entering
> line by line credit or debit. The problem I have is getting it to the total
> asset account which is basically all the balances from 4 accounts into one
> account total assets hence telling me my total money by adding up the
> balance of the 4 accounts.
>
> Yes it would be nice to have income and expense sub accounts on all 4
> accounts as I could set some transactions to do automatically but to be
> honest I am not that cleaver with all these sub accounts yet I managed to
> do it for business account no problem but that was only one account not 4
> into one total
>
> I really hope you understand and I have explained what I am trying to do,
> Even if I have to pay your team to set this up for me I have no problem
> with that at all so can you give me guidance or help please and I do hope
> you understand what I am trying to do
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Martin Richards
>
>
No, I am sorry I do not understand what you want to do. It sounds like you
may not yet understand "double entry" accounting. Every transaction you
enter will affect at LEAST two accounts.

Also, all of your asset accounts will be subordinate accounts of Assets,
all of your expense accounts will be subordinate accounts of Expenses, etc.
I think unless you know already what you want to do, it's best to let
GnuCash set up a set of accounts for you and you add to them until it looks
like what you want to do.

And if you have a business, I recommend setting up an entirely separate
file OR set your personal accounts in a way recommended by a professional
accountant who understands your situation.

I strongly recommend BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE please read the GnuCash
Tutorial and Concepts Guide

http://www.gnucash.org/viewdoc.phtml?doc=guide

and try the examples in that guide. Be prepared to start over "from
scratch," and try some new things until you are comfortable with it.

P.S.: As far as I know there is no "team" who sets up GnuCash for people,
though maybe you can find a local expert, or someone on the list, who
understands your situation and will volunteer to help some more.