Tracking Money in Savings Account

[Derek Atkins]

John,

"John Layman" <john.layman at laymanandlayman.com> writes:

> This thread has confirmed a timeless verity" "When your only tool is a
> hammer, every problem looks like a nail."
>
> The cautionary corollary, of course, warns that if you're comfortable
> wielding your hammer, you'd better watch that you don't keep hammering away
> when you have some other tool in hand.
>
> As a former Microsoft Money user, I know that force fitting the envelope
> concept onto its accounts-and-categories data model would be like driving
> nails with a bench vise.   GnuCash has a more flexible data model, but it
> would require bending and twisting the software completely out of shape to
> force fit envelopes onto it.  The issue here is not merely one of failing to
> understand the proper use of the tool, it's a failure to clearly think
> through the problem to be solved.  If you insist on viewing a problem only
> through the lens of a pre-conceived solution, you're unlikely ever to really
> understand (or solve) the problem.

Just for the record, GnuCash does have some features that encourage
envelope-based budgeting.  In particular, the reconciliation process
includes a "Include Subaccounts" switch, and there's also the "Open
Subaccounts" menu option to open a register subtree.

So to make it clear, you don't have to bend and twist GnuCash too hard.

> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.

-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