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Chapter 4

The chart of accounts

In Cashfulness every entry lives on an account, and accounts are organized into a chart of accounts: a tree sorted into sections that mirrors double-entry logic. The Accounts screen is your starting point for exploring the structure, creating new accounts, and keeping them aligned with reality.

The tree structure

The Accounts screen shows the chart of accounts as an expandable tree, grouped by section. The Balance Sheet holds Assets+ (productive assets, the ones that generate value), Assets- (cash and personal-use assets), Liabilities, and Net Worth. Revenues and Costs live in the Income Statement instead.

Each row shows the account name, the account number, the total balance, and the change for the current year. Sections expand and collapse with the arrow next to the name, and the search bar at the top lets you find an account by name, number, or type.

At the bottom of the page a summary row shows the overall Net Worth of the workspace: the difference between what you own and what you owe.

The Accounts screen with the Balance Sheet tree: Assets+, Assets-, Liabilities, and Net Worth sections, with balances and yearly changes on each row and the Net Worth total at the bottom.The Accounts screen with the Balance Sheet tree: Assets+, Assets-, Liabilities, and Net Worth sections, with balances and yearly changes on each row and the Net Worth total at the bottom.
The Accounts screen with the Balance Sheet tree: Assets+, Assets-, Liabilities, and Net Worth sections, with balances and yearly changes on each row and the Net Worth total at the bottom.

Currencies and balance colors

Every account has its own currency, chosen when you create it. You can keep your checking account in euros and an investment account in dollars: Cashfulness records each entry in the account's currency and converts totals where needed.

Balances use semantic colors: at a glance you can tell the nature of each figure, for example Liabilities apart from what you own, and Net Worth apart from everything else. Color never replaces the accounting sign, it just makes it easier to read.

Creating an account with the wizard

The plus button in the bottom-right corner opens the New Account wizard, which guides you step by step. The wizard asks only for what it needs, one step at a time, showing suggestions and valid examples along the way.

  1. Give the account a descriptive, recognizable name, for example the bank's name or the account's purpose. You can add an optional description, useful if you share the workspace with other people.
  2. Choose the account type: it determines which section of the tree the account will live in and how its balance behaves.
  3. Select the parent account directly from the tree: the new account will sit underneath it, inheriting its position in the structure.
  4. Set the account properties based on how you will use it (see the next section).
  5. Confirm: the account appears in the tree right away, ready to receive entries.
The first step of the New Account wizard: the account name field, the optional description, and a suggestions box with valid examples.The first step of the New Account wizard: the account name field, the optional description, and a suggestions box with valid examples.
The first step of the New Account wizard: the account name field, the optional description, and a suggestions box with valid examples.

Account properties

While creating an account (and later when editing it) you can enable properties that change how it behaves. Reconcilable against the bank statement: the account joins the Account Reconciliation flow, ideal for checking accounts and cards. Recurring subscription: the account is tracked by Subscription Management for expenses that repeat.

Market valuation: designed for investments, it lets you update the account's value periodically through Investment Updates. Depreciation: for assets that lose value over time, such as a car or a device, so the chart of accounts reflects the real value rather than the purchase price.

Hidden accounts

Not every account is needed every day: a closed or rarely used account can clutter the tree. You can hide it without deleting it, so its accounting history stays intact.

The eye icon in the toolbar shows or hides hidden accounts: when it is off you only see active accounts, when you turn it on they all reappear.

Reconciling an account

Reconciliation is the moment you compare Cashfulness against your bank statement. From the Account Reconciliation section you pick the account and get the list of recorded entries, split between credit amounts (deposits received and refunds) and debit amounts.

You tick every entry you find on the statement: the credit and debit totals update as you go, along with the Difference. As long as the balance check does not match, the app flags it; once the Difference reaches zero you can confirm with the Reconcile button.

  1. Open Account Reconciliation and choose the account to reconcile.
  2. Set the reference date of the bank statement.
  3. Tick the entries that appear on the statement one by one, both credits and debits.
  4. Check the Difference at the bottom: it must reach zero. If it does not, look for the missing or extra entry.
  5. Press Reconcile to confirm: the ticked entries are marked as reconciled.
The reconciliation screen for a checking account: list of credit amounts with checkboxes, reference date, credit and debit totals, the Difference, and the Reconcile button.The reconciliation screen for a checking account: list of credit amounts with checkboxes, reference date, credit and debit totals, the Difference, and the Reconcile button.
The reconciliation screen for a checking account: list of credit amounts with checkboxes, reference date, credit and debit totals, the Difference, and the Reconcile button.
The chart of accounts — Cashfulness