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# Full description
This is the full description of how Firefly III works. It is built on the following principles, and it has the following features. A note: since Firefly III has been built on how _I_ manage my finances, please read this carefully so we match on how to do things.
This is the full description of how Firefly III works. A note: since Firefly III has been built on how _I_ manage my finances, please read this carefully so we match on how to do things.
## The general idea
@ -39,13 +38,13 @@ A transaction is a very simple thing. Money moves from A to B. It doesn't matter
``Savings account -> € 200 -> Checking account``
In Firefly and most other systems this is stored using a "double-entry bookkeeping system". You get money and your boss loses it. You spend money and the Albert Heijn "earns" it:
In Firefly and most other systems this is stored using a "[double-entry bookkeeping system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-entry_bookkeeping_system)". You get money and your boss loses it. You spend money and the Albert Heijn "earns" it:
`` Your boss (- €1000) -> You (+ €1000)``
``You (- €15) -> Albert Heijn (+ €15)``
This seems pretty pointless but it is useful when transferring money back and forth between your own accounts. This is the same as spending money. It's all moving money around.
This seems pretty pointless but it is useful when transferring money back and forth between your own accounts. This is the same as spending money. It's all moving money around. This helps maintaining the internal consistency of the database.
Transactions have a few useful fields: a description, the amount (duh), the date, the accounts involved (from and to) and some meta-information.
@ -63,7 +62,9 @@ Once you start creating transactions you start to realise that in a month, the s
These are budgets. Budgets are a kind of "category" that come back every single month. Bills are returning (rent, water, electricity). You buy groceries every day. You need to pay rent every month.
In what is called an "envelope-system" you stuff money in envelopes and spend your money from those envelopes. Firefly III uses this method, which means you can create "envelopes" for any period. Example: € 200,- for "groceries" or € 500,- for "bills"
In what is called an "[envelope system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Envelope_system)" you stuff money in envelopes and spend your money from those envelopes.
Firefly III uses this method, which means you can create "envelopes" for any period. Example: € 200,- for "groceries" or € 500,- for "bills" every month.
## Categories
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* Lunch
* Car
* Public traffic
* House
Firefly III allows you to dynamically create and manage categories. Fancy charts will show you how your money is divided over categories.
### The difference between categories and budgets
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## Tags
Tags are an extension of categories and meant to expand on the meta-data included in a transaction. Not yet functional though.
Tags are an extension of categories and meant to expand on the meta-data included in a transaction. Not yet functional though. The idea is that you could add stuff like "should-not-have-bought-this" or "overly-expensive-gadget".
## Piggy banks
If you want to buy something expensive, you might need to save for it. Use piggy banks to save money. You can create piggy banks, set a target amount and start putting money in them.
The general gist is that saving money is difficult. So you could set a target amount, even set a target date and get reminded of when to add money to a piggy bank. If you have one year to save € 1200,- you could remind yourself monthly and Firefly will tell you to save € 100,- every month.
## Recurring transactions
Rent, bills and insurance come back every month. By creating "recurring transactions" Firefly III will try to tell you what to expect, and when.
Rent, bills and insurance come back every month. By creating "recurring transactions" Firefly III will try to tell you what to expect, and when. I built this because I always forgot my phone bill (which is huge) and this helps preventing it being a nasty surprise.
## Reports
Speaks for itself. Not very extended yet.
Speaks for itself. Not very report-y yet.
## Repeated expenses
Currently disabled. A repeated expense is a bit like a recurring transaction, but "reversed". You can imagine saving up for taxes _every year_. Maybe you need money for Christmas gifts, _every year_. Or you want to save up for new clothes _every three months_. With Firefly III you can create such repeated expenses and get reminded of them every week or month.