jal

JAL

JAL User Manual

JAL — Just Another Ledger — is a program that keeps track of your money.

It runs on your own computer, stores everything in a single file that never leaves it, and answers the questions that a bank app cannot: where did the money go last month?, what is everything I own worth today?, did that investment actually earn anything?

This manual is written for someone who has just downloaded JAL and has never used an accounting program before. You do not need to know bookkeeping, and you do not need to be a programmer. Read the first four chapters in order — after that, take whichever chapter matches what you want to do.

Contents

Getting started

  1. What JAL is, and how it thinks — the ideas behind the program, in plain words.
  2. Installing and starting JAL — how to get it, where your data lives, how to upgrade.
  3. Your first half hour — set your currency, create an account, record a first operation.
  4. The main window — every part of the screen and what it is for.

Everyday use

  1. Money in and money out — spending, income, transfers, categories, tags, reconciling.
  2. Investments — brokerage accounts, buying and selling, dividends, prices, profit.
  3. Term deposits — money handed to a bank for a fixed term.
  4. Crypto-currency — wallets, exchanges, tokens, staking. (Advanced.)

Getting data in and out

  1. Importing — broker statements, blockchain wallets, shop receipts, prices.
  2. Reports — every report, what it shows, and how to read it.
  3. Tax reports — Portugal and Russia. (Advanced.)

Keeping it running

  1. Settings and maintenance — preferences, language, backups, rebuilding.
  2. When something looks wrong — the log, common messages, frequent questions.
  3. Glossary — every term this manual uses.

A note about the pictures

Every screenshot in this manual comes from a made-up household: a person living in Munich with a bank account, a card, some cash, a small trading account and a savings deposit. The names, numbers, prices and dates are invented for the manual. Your own JAL will show your own data in the same places.

Getting help