Show threadshinglyu4d ago

You get automation without blindly trusting a model with your numbers. Write the import rules once, and everything stays deterministic and auditable after that.

If you want more control over their financial data without paying for yet another SaaS tool, this might be the workflow you've been looking for.

Full post: https://shinglyu.com/blog/2026/03/18/hledger-and-ai.html

#PersonalFinance #hledger #PlainTextAccounting #Expat #AI

hledger and AI: Managing Your Finances in Plain Text | Shing's Blog

Shing Lyu's blog

Show threadElias ProbstMar 11

@Bebef ahso - ich verwende client-seitig kein Excel oder ähnliches.
Hab eine selbstgebaute Pipeline, welche mit Hilfe von "mlr" die exportierten CSVs normalisiert und dann basierend auf teils generierten, teils manuell definierten Regeln mit "hledger import..." meine Journals generiert.

Ich sehe also die CSVs im plain-text.

#hledger #plaintextaccounting #miller

Cris Mar 11

Support question for the #hledger #plaintextaccounting community:

Prefacing this by acknowledging that I know I'm probably trying to do something weird, but I’m just getting started so please be patient.

I’m trying to import a large CSV file and am running into unbalance transaction errors. For example:
> hledger: Error: /Users/cris/checking.csv:1751-1750:
> 1751 | 2025-03-21 Starting Balance
> | SBA $-100
>
> This transaction is unbalanced.
> The real postings' sum should be 0 but is: $-100

The line from the CSV file is:
> SBA,,03/21/2025,Starting Balance,,,,,$100,$0.00,Cleared

And the relevant rule from my import rules:
> fields account1, , date, description, , , account2, comment, amount-out, amount-in,

I can manually add the above transaction without issues, so I guess I need some clarity as to what I'm doing wrong with my import file.

Thanks!

Show threadSimon MichaelMar 2
This aside, I understand the wish to have your accounting be on a rock solid foundation - I feel the same. No software is perfect, but you can still achieve it: keep your data, and if you need extra assurance, your reports, in version control; use double entry bookkeeping; regularly reconcile with real world balances; and perhaps run extra correctness checks. (#plaintextaccounting FTW.)
It is now very hard to miss any mistake made by your software - you'll see and address it right away.
Show threadSimon MichaelFeb 28

+1 for https://github.com/rustledger/rustledger; there's also

https://github.com/themoritz/turbobean

https://github.com/zhang-accounting/zhang

https://github.com/tackler-ng/tackler

https://github.com/tesujimath/limabean

(#plaintextaccounting in #rustlang)

GitHub - rustledger/rustledger: Modern plain text accounting. Beancount compatible.

Modern plain text accounting. Beancount compatible. - rustledger/rustledger

GitHub
sefFeb 28
For 🦀led #plaintextaccounting there’s rustledger and rustfava. Not that I need the speed boost but cool regardless.
Show threadSimon MichaelFeb 26

Me! 👋

Don't Skip The Docs.
For emacs tips, start at https://hledger.org/editors.html#emacs.

Don't assume you need hledger-mode (ledger-mode also works well, I use it).

With flycheck-hledger (or a VCS precommit hook), don't feel you need maximal error checking - do what's most useful now, you can always do stricter checks manually.

Don't try for perfect accounts/files/workflow up front - expect evolution.

Don't limit yourself with an ancient hledger version - get the latest.

#hledger #plaintextaccounting

Editors - hledger

plain text accounting, made easy

pmpmFeb 21

Support added to Go Ledger for importing various common formats

https://lemmy.world/post/43412056

Support added to Go Ledger for importing various common formats - Lemmy.World

I’m doing my taxes and needed to ingest various data formats. I added support here for CAMT.053, QIF, IIF and QFX. I added support for currency and exchange rates too. https://github.com/plenert-macdonald/ledger [https://github.com/plenert-macdonald/ledger] It’s not AI slop. I largely coded it myself (AI only for simple things) and incorporated various tests with real data (sanitized). So far, it’s working for importing my banking data for my taxes. I’ve used data from Capital One, PayPal and Wise. No promises that it’s perfect, but it works for me. If you have any suggestions, bugs, etc. feel free to drop an issue. Please attach sample sanitized data and waive rights to it, because I will put the data in the repo for tests.

Show threadMulti Purr Puss Feb 20

@alerque i'm not quite sure how #plaintextaccounting makes sense. I've learned that VALUE FLOWS from one ACCOUNT into Another - makes perfect sense to me.

Are there existing videos, describing the differences (perhaps even benefits) of NOT doing double-entry?

Show me, please!

Show threadCaleb MaclennanFeb 19
@platymew That is a pretty big space ... maybe too much for a video to cover. Are you thinking mobile apps or web or desktop or plain text accounting? Or all of the above? Or you didn't know #plaintextaccounting was a thing?