Hey everyone! I’m Sarah, a freelance graphic designer based in Portland.
My Journey to Plain Text Accounting
For years, I’ve been the stereotypical ‘creative type’ who avoided anything numbers-related. My ‘accounting system’ was:
- Shoebox full of receipts
- Random spreadsheets named ‘taxes_2024_final_FINAL_v3.xlsx’
- PayPal and bank statements I’d panic-download every April
- Sticky notes with client payment reminders
Last month, my accountant friend introduced me to Beancount after I had a minor meltdown trying to figure out my quarterly taxes. She said ‘Sarah, you version control your design files in Git, why not your finances?’
Why PTA Appeals to Me
- Version control: I can see exactly when I made financial decisions
- Plain text: No proprietary formats, works on my Linux laptop
- Flexibility: Can track project-based income/expenses with tags
- DIY spirit: I love customizing and scripting things
Current Setup (Week 3!)
Just the basics so far:
- Tracking freelance income by client
- Categorizing business expenses (so many Adobe subscriptions…)
- Learning double-entry concepts (assets = liabilities + equity finally clicked!)
- Using hledger-web for now, planning to try Fava
What I Hope to Learn
- Automating invoice tracking
- Managing irregular income flow
- Tax estimation for freelancers
- Project profitability analysis
- Maybe even tracking time in Beancount?
Excited to learn from all you accounting professionals! Don’t judge my newbie questions too harshly 
Sarah | Designer who’s learning to love ledgers