; An example of YNAB-ish envelope budgetting with hledger/ledger ; cf https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/315 ; Using accounts like the following: ; ; assets <- parent accounts, organising the chart of accounts ; business ; bank ; wf ; bchecking <- a real-world checking account ; available <- imaginary subaccounts of checking. This one represents unallocated/buffer funds. ; month <- a parent which groups the short-term, spending-control "envelopes" ; autosave <- an envelope account. Holds funds to cover automated monthly transfer to a savings account. ; banking <- envelope for banking-related expenses ; books <- envelope for books/periodicals expenses. Etc. ; dues ; equipment ; online ; research ; software ; supplies ; year <- parent for longer-term, spending/savings-goal envelopes ; conferences ; education ; legal/accounting ; XXX missing savings ; personal ; bank ; wf ; checking <- a second real-world checking account ; available ; month ; autosave ; clothing ; food ; gifts ; health ; home ; personal care ; phone ; recreation ; spiritual ; transport ; year ; vacation ; savings ; reserve ; expenses ; business ; books/periodicals <- expense accounts, representing spending categories ; online <- ; hosting <- ; personal ; food <- ; dining <- ; snacks <- ; gifts <- 2016/1/1 * set up some balances for this example (assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:books) $-9.42 (assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:available) $500 (assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:food) $-24.28 (assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:gifts) $-16.30 (assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:available) $2100 ; at the start of each month, zero out any overspending from last month: 2016/1/1 * refill negative budget envelopes (business) [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:books] $9.42 = $0 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:available] $-9.42 2016/1/1 * refill negative budget envelopes (personal) [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:food] $24.28 = $0 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:gifts] $16.30 = $0 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:available] $-40.58 ; and transfer funds to various envelopes (books, etc.) for this month's ; spending, and longer-term saving goals: 2016/1/1 * budget for this month's business expenses [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:autosave] $100 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:banking] 0 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:books] $10 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:dues] $10 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:equipment] $40 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:online] $70 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:research] $20 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:software] $20 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:supplies] $10 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:year:conferences] $20 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:year:education] $10 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:year:legal/accounting] $40 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:available] $-350 2016/1/1 * budget for this month's personal expenses [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:autosave] $100 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:clothing] $30 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:food] $300 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:gifts] $30 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:health] $300 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:home] $1000 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:personal care] $20 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:phone] $80 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:recreation] $20 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:spiritual] $20 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:transport] $50 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:year:vacation] $50 [assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:available] $-2000 ; Update appropriate envelopes as transactions are made: 2016/1/1 * automatic savings transfer assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:autosave assets:business:bank:wf:savings:reserve $100 2016/1/1 * automatic savings transfer assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:autosave assets:personal:bank:wf:savings:reserve $100 2016/1/2 * linode expenses:business:online:hosting $50 assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:online 2016/1/3 * market expenses:personal:food:dining $10 expenses:personal:food:snacks $2 assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:food $-12 expenses:personal:gifts $3 assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:month:gifts $-3 2016/1/4 * amazon open source everything ; a business purchase from personal account - use available expenses:business:books/periodicals $12.33 assets:personal:bank:wf:checking:available -$12.33 ; and adjust the appropriate business envelope [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:available] $12.33 [assets:business:bank:wf:bchecking:month:books] -$12.33 ; Check your envelope balances periodically: ; ; $ hledger bal checking: ; $2272.67 assets ; $340.58 business:bank:wf:bchecking ; $152.91 available ; $117.67 month ; $-2.33 books <- overspent already ; $10.00 dues ; $40.00 equipment ; $20.00 online ; $20.00 research ; $20.00 software ; $10.00 supplies ; $70.00 year ; $20.00 conferences ; $10.00 education ; $40.00 legal/accounting ; $1932.09 personal:bank:wf:checking ; $47.09 available ; $1835.00 month ; $30.00 clothing ; $288.00 food ; $27.00 gifts ; $300.00 health ; $1000.00 home ; $20.00 personal care ; $80.00 phone ; $20.00 recreation ; $20.00 spiritual ; $50.00 transport ; $50.00 year:vacation ; -------------------- ; $2272.67 ; ; $ hledger bal checking: --weekly --historical --drop 4 ; Ending balances (historical) in 2015/12/28-2016/01/10: ; ; || 2016/01/03 2016/01/10 ; =================================++========================= ; bchecking:available || $140.58 $152.91 ; bchecking:month:books || $10.00 $-2.33 ; bchecking:month:dues || $10.00 $10.00 ; bchecking:month:equipment || $40.00 $40.00 ; bchecking:month:online || $20.00 $20.00 ; bchecking:month:research || $20.00 $20.00 ; bchecking:month:software || $20.00 $20.00 ; bchecking:month:supplies || $10.00 $10.00 ; bchecking:year:conferences || $20.00 $20.00 ; bchecking:year:education || $10.00 $10.00 ; bchecking:year:legal/accounting || $40.00 $40.00 ; checking:available || $59.42 $47.09 ; checking:month:clothing || $30.00 $30.00 ; checking:month:food || $288.00 $288.00 ; checking:month:gifts || $27.00 $27.00 ; checking:month:health || $300.00 $300.00 ; checking:month:home || $1000.00 $1000.00 ; checking:month:personal care || $20.00 $20.00 ; checking:month:phone || $80.00 $80.00 ; checking:month:recreation || $20.00 $20.00 ; checking:month:spiritual || $20.00 $20.00 ; checking:month:transport || $50.00 $50.00 ; checking:year:vacation || $50.00 $50.00 ; ---------------------------------++------------------------- ; || $2285.00 $2272.67 ; ; or (good for reviewing transactions): ; ; $ hledger-ui checking: ; Try to keep spending envelopes above zero, and to ; avoid unplanned withdrawals from savings envelopes.