Split transactions are killing me

[Liz]

On Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:02:01 -0800 (PST)
Will <Will.stewart1a at gmail.com> wrote:

> If split transactions were easy, I wouldn't be here.
> 
> I started a transaction, as you can see below. Then I followed your
> instructions by assigning it to an account, entering a charge value,
> then hitting 'enter'.
> 
> <http://gnucash.1415818.n4.nabble.com/file/n4659267/1st_screenshot.png> 
> 
> 
> Then I picked an empty row and entered the clothes portion of the
> charge. Not sure why it ended up this way;
> 
> <http://gnucash.1415818.n4.nabble.com/file/n4659267/2nd_screenshot.png> 
> 
> So then I entered another row of info in the yellow row, erasing the
> $500 payment and putting in $200 charge;
> 
> <http://gnucash.1415818.n4.nabble.com/file/n4659267/3rd_screenshot.png> 
> 
> So now there are no more rows to enter information in, and I have
> this odd Orphan row that I don't want.
> 
> So I decide to enter more information on the Orphan row. Then it
> looks so bizarre, I don't know what to make of it, though this is the
> closest I've come to success.
> 
> <http://gnucash.1415818.n4.nabble.com/file/n4659267/4th_screenshot.png> 
> 
> The Tutorial is useless on this subject (and the example is one that
> I doubt more that 5% of users would employ).
> 
> Is there some precise set of keystrokes and fields to move to that
> can solve this issue?
> 
> 
>

Yes. Two big things
Keep your fingers off the "Enter" key /until you are finished/
All your entries are on the one side of the ledger. The computer then
balances this against the "imbalance" account.


Try this
Enter "Costco" in the description, TAB across to the total charge
amount, and enter the dollar amount in the right hand column "charge".
Now open the split.
Enter an account for the clothes
Description "clothes" TAB   Account  "Expenses:Clothes" TAB dollar
amount IN THE LEFT HAND COLUMN "payment"
TAB TAB to the next line
enter the next description and another expense account, and some more
dollar values until your $1000 is used up  (in your example it's $1000)

If not all the money is used up, that is the payment and the charge
columns aren't equal when the computer adds them, you will get an
"imbalance entry"


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