New account type

[Colin Law]

On 18 October 2013 14:02, Sam Liddicott <sam at liddicott.com> wrote:
>
> On Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 1:50 PM, Colin Law <clanlaw at googlemail.com> wrote:
>>
>> On 18 October 2013 13:47, John G Sullivan <sullij_27615 at att.net> wrote:
>> > The process which your wife is using seems backwards. Why not start
>> > from where the money originates. If she paid out of pocket, just use
>> > cash as the base account, and enter the expense as the account field. If
>> > paid from checking, start there.
>>
>> That is why I asked the OP to explain exactly what she is doing, I
>> suspect she does not understand how transactions should be entered.
>>
>
> This is one view, but the user will select software based on how well it's
> idea of how things should be done coincides with their own.
> If software cannot do it "their way" it is discarded, and after all - most
> humans are not accountants.

You have said she is frustrated with the way she currently does it,
but it is not clear (to me anyway) exactly what she is doing.  If we
knew that then we may be able to suggest an alternative that she was
unaware of and would prefer.

>
> I didn't really want to have to find an alternative to gnu cash, and in my
> view whatever makes it work for what a person needs, IS what they need.
>
> And as I'm not doing the accounts, whatever helps her do it solves my
> problem :-)
>
> So I'm grateful to the authors and mailing contributors.
>
> Prior to this we had a large spread sheet with a pair of columns for each
> account or expense (a running balance and an adjustment) so data entry was
> very quick and simple. Try telling someone who is used to that how it
> "should" be done :-)

We are not trying to tell her how it should be done, we just want to
make sure she is doing it the way that best suits her needs.  Hence if
we knew exactly what she is doing we may be able to suggest a better
way for her.

Colin