More transactions
Now, to test some reports, let’s make your journal look like the one below.
As usual, there two common ways to update the journal:
- You could delete the old file, then use
hledger addto add each of the entries below. - Or you can open the file in your text editor and replace the contents with the below.
2025-01-01 starting balances
assets:cash 100 USD
assets:bank:checking 1000 USD
liabilities:credit card -400 USD
equity:start
2025-01-01 pay rent
assets:bank:checking
expenses:rent 800 USD
2025-01-02 salary
revenues:salary
assets:bank:checking 1000 USD
2025-01-03 pay half of credit card balance
assets:bank:checking
liabilities:credit card 200 USD
2025-01-04 shopping
assets:bank:checking
expenses:food 200 USD
expenses:supplies 50 USD
A few differences from the previous example:
- The starting balances transaction now sets balances for three accounts, not just one.
- One of them is a liability (a credit card with a balance owed); so this one is negative.
- Currency symbols are using a different style: a three-letter currency code, on the right side.
These entries represent the following money flows:
| 1. equity -> assets, liabilities | set starting balances |
| 2. checking -> rent | pay rent from checking account |
| 3. revenues -> checking | receive salary to checking account |
| 4. checking -> credit card | pay part of credit card balance from checking account |
| 5. checking -> food, supplies | a mixed purchase from checking account |
(Part of hledger by example.)