Need help inputting a transaction.

[Mike or Penny Novack]

Bruno wrote:

> Here is my question: A friend of mine lent me $20. I created a new 
> account, under liabilities, called "Name_of_my_friend" and gave it a 
> positive value of $20, so I knew I owed him $20.
>
> On the next weekend we were going to make a trip (using my car) to a 
> close city. We decided to split the costs of gas and he would have to 
> pay me $20, so he said: "You owe me $20, so my part is already paid".
>
> Then I withdrew $20 from my checking account and paid for the gas. Now 
> I don't know how to input this transaction, because I want to:
>
> Bring the "Name_of_my_friend" account to zero, since I paid him.
> Add $20 to the "expenses:auto:gas" account.
> Decrease my "checking account" account by $20, since I withdrew $20.
>
> Is it possible to do that in a single transaction, if it is, how so?
>
> Thanks for your help.

You can do this in a single transaction. Your confusion comes from 
having left something out?  Where did the other half of the gas come 
from. I'm  guessing  that was gas already in your vehicle so the half 
being paid for by your friend was HIS gas expense, not yours.

So THIS transaction was simply you paying off the liability (no "gas 
expense"). You account for your part of the gas expense when you refill 
your tank or you already entered it the last time you filled your tank.

Michael