custom expense and asset/liability report question

[Derek Atkins]

Karl Anderson <kra at monkey.org> writes:

> Mark Johnson <mrj001 at shaw.ca> writes:
>
>> I use a customized cash flow report for this very purpose.  When you are 
>> viewing the cash flow report, click options on the toolbar.  You can 
>> change the accounts for which you view cash flowing in and out.  For 
>> example, I have my credit cards selected so that my custom report treats 
>> credit card spending as though it were a cash flow item.  (I pay the 
>> bill in full every month.)
>
> Okay, I get it - only select accounts from the expenses or liabilities
> end and don't worry about where the money comes from.  Thanks.
>
> This is kind of confusing because the report contains only two
> sections that are actually pertient - the Selected Accounts list and
> the Difference total.  The money in/money out list isn't really
> important, because it doesn't matter to me whether I bought something
> with cash or a credit card.
>
> The money in/money out list is also confusing because it handles every
> part of a split as money moving through an account.  For example, I
> deposited two checks at an ATM - a $200 rebate check that went to
> lowering an expense account, and a $300 check which came from an
> income account.  The bank lists this as a single $500 transaction, so
> I recorded it with a split.  Looking at the cash flow report for the
> expense account only, it lists the $300 as coming in from income and
> then going out to my checking account where it was deposited, as well
> as the $200 rebate check going out to the checking account.
>
> This isn't a bug, the Difference number adds up in the end, I'm just
> pointing this out because it was what was misdirecting me before.  I
> had to play with the dates to figure it out.  Ideally, my bank
> wouldn't glob the deposits together, and I wouldn't need to use a
> split.

This sounds like you want to run a P&L Report, not a Cash Flow
report.  Cash Flow tends to be useful to show the flow around
Assets and Liabilities..  When you want to see the flow of
Income and Expense you /probably/ want a P&L.

-derek
-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available