Getting Started with Beancount
Ready to take control of your finances? This guide will get you up and running with Beancount in minutes. You'll learn how to create your first ledger, set up essential accounts, and record your first transactions.
Initial Setup
Creating Your First Ledger
; Basic structure for a new ledger
2024-01-01 open Assets:Checking
2024-01-01 open Equity:Opening-Balances
2024-01-02 * "Initial Deposit"
Assets:Checking 100.00 USD
Equity:Opening-Balances
Essential Configuration
option "title" "Personal Finance Ledger"
option "operating_currency" "USD"
File Organization
Recommended Structure
; 1. Configuration Options
option "title" "Personal Ledger"
option "operating_currency" "USD"
; 2. Account Declarations
2024-01-01 open Assets:Checking USD
2024-01-01 open Assets:Savings USD
2024-01-01 open Expenses:Food USD
; 3. Initial Balances
2024-01-01 pad Assets:Checking Equity:Opening-Balances
2024-01-01 balance Assets:Checking 1000.00 USD
; 4. Transactions
2024-01-15 * "Grocery Store" "Weekly groceries"
Expenses:Food 50.00 USD
Assets:Checking
Section Organization
-
Eternal Accounts
2024-01-01 open Liabilities:Payables USD
2024-01-01 open Assets:Receivables USD -
Bank Accounts
2024-01-01 open Assets:Bank:Checking USD
2024-01-01 open Assets:Bank:Savings USD
2024-01-01 open Income:Bank:Interest USD -
Investment Accounts
2024-01-01 open Assets:Investment:Cash USD
2024-01-01 open Assets:Investment:Stocks VTSAX
2024-01-01 open Income:Investment:Dividend USD
Validation and Reporting
Basic Validation
# Check for errors
bean-check ledger.beancount
# View web interface
bean-web ledger.beancount
Common Reports
# Balance sheet
bean-report ledger.beancount balsheet
# Income statement
bean-report ledger.beancount income
# Account journal
bean-report ledger.beancount journal -a Assets:Checking