Here are some ideas for how to structure your account tree for tracking your
finances with ledger.
One of the hardest parts of getting started with accounting is knowing or figuring out how to categorize a posting in a transaction.
This is an extraction from this author's personal transaction logs.
Assets:Cash:Banks:<Bank>:Checking
Assets:Cash:Banks:<Bank>:Savings
Assets:Cash:Banks:<Bank2>:BackupSavings
Assets:Cash:Banks:<Bank2>:Checking
Assets:Cash:Online:PayPal
Assets:Cash:Online:Venmo
Assets:Cash:Wallet
Assets:Cryptocurrency:Coinbase++# Great for multi-currency
Assets:Cryptocurrency:Personal
Assets:Investments:<OldEmployerStock>
Assets:Investments:HealthSavings
Assets:Investments:<Company>401k
Assets:Investments:Vanguard:Brokerage
Assets:Investments:Vanguard:RolloverIRA
Assets:Investments:Vanguard:RothIRA
Assets:Property:House:<Street>
Assets:Property:<Vehicle>
Assets:Reimbursements:CodeAndSupply
Assets:Reimbursements:<Company>++# Churn on business trips
Equity:Cashback:<Issuer>++# Track that 1% cashback
Equity:Cashback:Costco++# Track that yearly Costco Exec check
Equity:OpeningBalances
Equity:TaxRefund:Federal
Equity:Unknown++# The default for all incoming, uncategorized transactions
Expenses:Alcohol
Expenses:Clothing:General
Expenses:Clothing:Shoes++# Use choice categories to focus on spending reduction
Expenses:Coffee
Expenses:Conference:<Conference>:Registration
Expenses:Conference:Gas
Expenses:Conference:Meals
Expenses:Cycling
Expenses:Dogs:Toys
Expenses:Dogs:Food
Expenses:Dogs:Medical:Checkup
Expenses:Dogs:Medical:Medicine
Expenses:Dogs:Medical:Seresto++# Flea and tick stuff = $$$
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:ACLU++# Support civil liberties!
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:AlmaMater++# Support the next generation!
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:BikePGH++# Support transit!
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:EqualJusticeInitiative++# Support justice!
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:CodeAndSupplyFund++# Support conferences!
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:DiseaseFoundation++# Support the search for a cure!
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:ElectronicFrontierFoundation++# Support digital rights!
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:FreeSoftwareFoundation++# Support open source!
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:FreeBSD++# Support open source!
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:HackPGH++# Make stuff
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:Kiva++# Pay it forward
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:MetaMeshWirelessCommunities++# Internet the Earth
Expenses:Donations:Charitable:NPONewsOrg++# Support journalism!
Expenses:Donations:Noncharitable++# GoFundMe, etc.
Expenses:Donations:Political:<Candidate>
Expenses:Donations:Political:<501c4Org>
Expenses:Electronics:Batteries++# A small fortune
Expenses:Electronics:Computers:Laptop
Expenses:Electronics:Computers:NAS
Expenses:Electronics:Computers:Parts
Expenses:Electronics:Computers:Repairs
Expenses:Electronics:Headphones++# 2019 was a bad luck year for quality assurance
Expenses:Electronics:Networking++# Homelab addiction
Expenses:Entertainment:GoogleMusic
Expenses:Entertainment:Movies++# Support your small local theater!
Expenses:Entertainment:Museum++# Art and History Appreciation 101
Expenses:Entertainment:Netflix++# Stay home and vege!
Expenses:Entertainment:Performances++# Fine Arts
Expenses:Entertainment:Records++# Vinyl addiction
Expenses:Entertainment:SatelliteRadio++# Never pay full price
Expenses:Entertainment:Shows
Expenses:Entertainment:Waterpark
Expenses:Fees:Annual:<Issuer>:<Type>++# Track CC annual fees
Expenses:Gifts
Expenses:Groceries
Expenses:Haircut
Expenses:House:Appliances
Expenses:House:Bathroom
Expenses:House:Bedding
Expenses:House:Gardening
Expenses:House:Insurance
Expenses:House:Kitchen
Expenses:House:Maintenance
Expenses:House:PestControl
Expenses:House:Utilities:Electric
Expenses:House:Utilities:Internet
Expenses:House:Utilities:MobilePhone
Expenses:House:Utilities:NaturalGas
Expenses:House:Utilities:Sewage
Expenses:House:Utilities:Water
Expenses:Insurance:ADD
Expenses:Insurance:CriticalIllness
Expenses:Insurance:Dental
Expenses:Insurance:GroupTermLife
Expenses:Insurance:Hospitalization
Expenses:Insurance:Legal
Expenses:Insurance:Medical
Expenses:Interest:Mortgage++# You're a query away from filling a 1040 quickly
Expenses:Medical:Copay
Expenses:Medical:Dentist
Expenses:Medical:Devices
Expenses:Medical:Hospitalization
Expenses:Medical:Medicine
Expenses:Medical:Supplements
Expenses:Memberships:AAA
Expenses:Memberships:AmazonPrime
Expenses:Memberships:Costco
Expenses:Memberships:Gym
Expenses:Misc
Expenses:Parking
Expenses:PayrollDeductions:Unspecified
Expenses:Postage
Expenses:Restaurants
Expenses:Software++# Apps, etc.
Expenses:Stuff++# Can't describe it? Punt!
Expenses:Taxes:Income:Federal:EarnedIncome
Expenses:Taxes:Income:Federal:Med
Expenses:Taxes:Income:Federal:Oasdi
Expenses:Taxes:Income:State
Expenses:Taxes:Income:State:EarnedIncome
Expenses:Taxes:Income:State:Unemployment
Expenses:Taxes:Income:Municipal:EarnedIncome
Expenses:Taxes:RealEstate:County
Expenses:Taxes:RealEstate:SchoolTax
Expenses:Taxes:RealEstate:Municipal
Expenses:Taxes:State:Unemployment
Expenses:Taxes:TaxPreparation++# Tax-deductible
Expenses:Travel:Rideshare
Expenses:Travel:Tolls
Expenses:Unknown++# No idea what something is? Punt!
Expenses:Vehicles:<Vehicle>:Gas
Expenses:Vehicles:<Vehicle>:Maintenance
Expenses:Vehicles:<Vehicle>:Registration
Expenses:Vehicles:<Vehicle>:Repairs
Expenses:Vehicles:<Vehicle>:Tires
Expenses:Webhosting:DNS++# It's not DNS / It cannot be DNS / It was DNS
Expenses:Webhosting:Domains++# How much are you spending on domains?
Expenses:Webhosting:Email++# Free email isn't for everyone
Income:AmazonAffiliates++# Track your affiliate programs
Income:Interest:<Bank>++# Capture interest, makes taxes easier
Income:<Company>:401kMatch++# Match paid until you track the investment
Income:<Company>:Bonus:Performance
Income:<Company>:Bonus:Signon
Income:<Company>:GroupTermLife++# Company-paid insurance
Income:<Company>:HealthSavings++# HSA contributions from the company
Income:<Company>:Salary++# General income
Income:Unemployment++# Taxable
Liabilities:CreditCard:<Issuer>:<Type>++# Issuer/Type pair for each card
Liabilities:Loans:Auto:<Make>:<Model>++# Keep detail for analysis
Liabilities:Mortgage:<Bank>:<Street>++# Track against Assets:Property:House