On 10/13/2022 1:46 PM, Adrien Monteleone wrote:
I agree.
Some years ago, there were a few threads here that delved into various
means of implementing an envelope method in GnuCash and my personal
take-away was, while it can be done, the only sane method is lots of
work. (you mention a not so sane method, or rather, one that could
quickly drive one insane trying to make sense of an error 6-12 months
later.)
Folks asking for "envelope budgeting" in gnucash "general ledger"
misunderstand what an accounting system is (what that part of it is)
"Envelope budgeting" is a PHYSICAL system where physical currency is
placed in "envelopes" dedicated to a category of spending. With a
discipline that money used for any expense only comes out of the
envelope dedicated to the category of expense. To go ahead with a
transaction even when the right envelope is empty requires consciously
moving money from some other envelope. If unwilling to transfer, must
abort the transaction, because the money simply isn't there.
Accounting (general ledger) is RECORDING what you have done. It imposes
no controls. It is "after the fact". So partitioning your checking
account into ":envelopes" in no way prevents you from writing a check
just because that partition does not have enough remaining funds.
Understand? partitioning into virtual envelopes does NOT at the moment
of check writing impose "envelope budgeting" controls. All it can do is
tell you LATER if you have stuck to your budget.
Oh wait! That's what the budget features of gnucash can do for you. You
are complaining that the budget feature doesn't enforce sticking to the
budget in the way physical "envelope budgeting" did? But neither will
partitioning your account into virtual envelopes. It just tells you
afterward that you didn't follow the budget.
Michael D Novack
PS -- I say "writing a check" but use of a debit/eft card is the same.
PPS -- Are people asking for something that could provide the services
of "envelope budgeting"? This would best be an app running on a tablet.
etc. that you would have with you. Before completing any transaction,
you would enter the proposed transaction and it would tell you "go
ahead" (and do that transaction) or "no, you don't have sufficient funds
to spend in that category << and "do you want to transfer funds? >>
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