How to Use Split Transactions to Pay Several Vendors (Not Just The Expense Accounts)

[Jane Stowe]

Hi there,

I've a question about split transactions. I have several vendors set up
(e.g. grocery shop, toy shop, pharmacy etc) & when I buy items from these
shops on behalf of the playgroup where I help out, I add these invoices to
the specific vendor (& specific expense account like office supplies/food &
consumables etc). Sometimes I'd have a few invoices/receipts & the playgroup
would pay me back the total.
So how do I use split transactions correctly to show this so that the total
is withdrawn from the current account & the vendors balances are reduced
accordingly?

E.G. Bought from Toy Shop         50euro .......invoice allocated to the Toy
Shop Vendor, listing expense account as Expenses: Toys & Crafts
        Bought from Pharmacy        20euro........invoice allocated to
Pharmacy Vendor, listing expense account as Expenses: Health & Safety
        Bought from Grocery Shop   30euro........invoice allocated to
Grocery Vendor, listing expense account as Expenses: Food & Consumables

Playgroup transfers the total 100euro to me from their Current account .

When I try using the split transaction option, I don't seem to be able to
get it so that on each of the vendors the balance has been reduced
accordingly to zero. Instead what I end up with is the total 100euro is
showing as withdrawn from the Assets:Current account & the individual items
are showing up twice in various expense accounts (like Food & Consumables) -
obviously once from when I entered the invoice on the vendors & then again
from the split transaction. When I try to alter this so that they're not
showing up twice, then I end up with the total amt showing up in
'Imbalance'. What am I missing? I know that if it was just being split over
the expense account WITHOUT the use of vendors, it would work fine. Any
help/ideas? Thanks.