> But how do you actually use them? The key concept you need to understand is the concept of the balances. A transaction is always a transfer between two accou

> But how do you actually use them? The key concept you need to understand is the concept of the balances. A transaction is always a transfer between two accounts. Buying a beer with cash is a transaction from assets:cash to expenses:beer. Getting cash from an ATM is a transaction from assets:bank to assets:cash. > Do you really put every cent you spend into it? Mostly. I started doing personal accounting together with my wife about a year ago (currently in Gnucash). I enter the payments into the software every 1-2 months. Usually my cash amount is off by 20-100$. I simply book that on the "unknown" account. > How is it possible? How do you remember all that. for example, during a weekend trip? Bank transactions are easy, I simply download the transaction statement. For cash, I either write it into a "accounting" Telegram chat that my wife and I share, or I keep the receipt and put it in my drawer. It takes quite some time to do, but I think after 1-2 years I know enough about our expense behavior to be able to adjust it properly and to stop doing the accounting part. Another welcome side effect: If I lend someone money, I never forget about it anymore ;)