1 files changed, 51 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/doc/Ledger.scriv/180.rtfd/TXT.rtf b/doc/Ledger.scriv/180.rtfd/TXT.rtf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..05c12f95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/Ledger.scriv/180.rtfd/TXT.rtf
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\cocoartf949\cocoasubrtf460
+{\fonttbl\f0\fmodern\fcharset0 Courier;}
+{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;}
+\pard\tx560\tx1120\tx1680\tx2240\tx2800\tx3360\tx3920\tx4480\tx5040\tx5600\tx6160\tx6720\sl264\slmult1\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural
+
+\f0\fs28 \cf0 Accountants will talk of ``credits'' and ``debits'', but the meaning\
+is often different from the layman's understanding.  To avoid\
+confusion, Ledger uses only subtractions and additions, although the\
+underlying intent is the same as standard accounting principles.\
+\
+Recall that every posting will involve two or more accounts.\
+Money is transferred from one or more accounts to one or more other\
+accounts.  To record the posting, an amount is @emph\{subtracted\}\
+from the source accounts, and @emph\{added\} to the target accounts.\
+\
+In order to write a Ledger transaction correctly, you must determine where\
+the money comes from and where it goes to.  For example, when you are\
+paid a salary, you must add money to your bank account and also\
+subtract it from an income account:\
+\
+@smallexample\
+9/29  My Employer\
+    Assets:Checking                           $500.00\
+    Income:Salary                            $-500.00\
+@end smallexample\
+\
+Why is the Income a negative figure?  When you look at the balance\
+totals for your ledger, you may be surprised to see that Expenses are\
+a positive figure, and Income is a negative figure.  It may take some\
+getting used to, but to properly use a general ledger you must think\
+in terms of how money moves.  Rather than Ledger ``fixing'' the minus\
+signs, let's understand why they are there.\
+\
+When you earn money, the money has to come from somewhere.  Let's call\
+that somewhere ``society''.  In order for society to give you an\
+income, you must take money away (withdraw) from society in order to\
+put it into (make a payment to) your bank.  When you then spend that\
+money, it leaves your bank account (a withdrawal) and goes back to\
+society (a payment).  This is why Income will appear negative---it\
+reflects the money you have drawn from society---and why Expenses will\
+be positive---it is the amount you've given back.  These additions and\
+subtractions will always cancel each other out in the end, because you\
+don't have the ability to create new money: it must always come from\
+somewhere, and in the end must always leave.  This is the beginning of\
+economy, after which the explanation gets terribly difficult.\
+\
+Based on that explanation, here's another way to look at your balance\
+report: every negative figure means that that account or person or\
+place has less money now than when you started your ledger; and every\
+positive figure means that that account or person or place has more\
+money now that when you started your ledger.  Make sense?}
+\ No newline at end of file