Ability to change System Date for GnuCash

[Michael Hendry]

> On 13 Mar 2015, at 22:45, Derek Atkins <derek at ihtfp.com> wrote:
> 
> No, you don't adjust the date of the SX. Just how many days in advance it posts.  E.g. if it is dated the 28th and you set it to post 10 days ahead, it will post on the 18th (still dated the 28th).

Yes, think of it in the same way as you might record an online banking transaction, let’s say you’ve received a bill from your garage and decide to pay it on the 30th March, after your salary payment comes in. You can set up that transaction for a future date via your bank’s online service, and then post the transaction in GnuCash giving the transaction date as the 30th March.

This transaction will appear below the blue line in the GnuCash register for your bank account until the 30th March, when the transaction will actually take place.

Once you get your head around the idea that you don’t have to wait until the date on which a transaction takes place before you record it, you’ll feel more comfortable using the “post early” feature of the Scheduled Transactions.

As well as pension income, standing orders and direct debits for fixed sums (e.g. Insurance premiums, mortgage repayments) I also use this feature for variable bills (e.g. telephone bills). In this case I set up an above average payment as an SX, and adjust it when the actual figure is known. If I fail to make the adjustment, I’ll catch up with the discrepancy when I reconcile GnuCash with my bank statement.

Try it!

It does just what you want!

Michael
> 
> -derek
> 
> Sent on my mobile. Please forgive any typos.
> 
> ----- Reply message -----
> From: "John Nickell" <jcnickell at gmail.com>
> To: "Derek Atkins" <derek at ihtfp.com>
> Cc: <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
> Subject: Ability to change System Date for GnuCash
> Date: Fri, Mar 13, 2015 6:39 PM
> 
> I was hoping for something a little more 'one off' without affecting the 'normal schedule'.  That would work if I go into the SX, alter the date, make the entry and then return the SX back to the desired date.  
> 
> On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 5:35 PM, Derek Atkins <derek at ihtfp.com> wrote:
> 
> Set the SX to post early. You can tell it how many days before it's date you want it to post.
> 
> -derek
> 
> Sent on my mobile. Please forgive any typos.
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Reply message -----
> From: "John Nickell" <jcnickell at gmail.com>
> To: <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
> Subject: Ability to change System Date for GnuCash
> Date: Fri, Mar 13, 2015 6:22 PM
> 
> 
> I was wondering if anyone has figured out a way inside GnuCash to change
> the system date.  Without messing around with the date of the Operating
> System.
> 
> What I'd like to be able to accomplish in the end, is to enter a scheduled
> transaction, before it's actually 'due'.  i.e. I know I'm not going to be
> around my computer for the next few days, and I'd like to go ahead and take
> care of the bills that will be due during that time now.  I'd like to be
> able to make GnuCash think it's past the due date so I can go ahead and
> utilize the scheduled transaction template to create the transaction.
> 
> Our financial program at work allows you to do this by clicking on the
> 'calendar' inside the program and setting the date for that user, so that
> things like month end could be processed either pre or post time.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> If you have another way of accomplishing this, please share.
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