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2021-07-31
I have been using GnuCash for the last few months to keep track of my personal finances, and I am a big fan.
I really just want a way to track my income and spending to make sure that I am saving as much as I would like. And I don't really want to rely on some online app like Mint. I had been using an SES spreadsheet in Emacs to keep track of things, and that worked fairly well, but it was becoming a pain to maintain.
Coming from that bespoke spreadsheet, GnuCash had a pretty steep learning curve. Not only do you have to learn how to use the software, but you also have to get your head around double-entry bookkeeping. It's not that complicated, but it does take some getting used to.
Fortunately, GnuCash has amazing documentation, in particular its Tutorial and Concepts Guide
which goes through basically everything you need to know, from setting up a basic checkbook to managing investments to business finances.
At the end of every month, I sit down with my bank statements and GnuCash and make sure everything matches up. I currently input all the transactions on the statement by hand. This isn't that efficient, but since I'm just working with my personal transactions, it doesn't take too long. The hardest part is remembering what some random eBay transaction was for so I can put it in the right category.
The best part of using GnuCash over the past few months is feeling like I am more in control of my and that I can make informed decisions, especially as I enter the phase of adulthood where I want to settle down.