The goal of this manual is to save you time and to get you started in GnuCash as quickly as possible. Each chapter follows a simple format, beginning with a “Concepts” discussion to introduce the general themes that the chapter will address, followed by “How-To” sections which address specific procedures and finally, a “Putting It All Together” section at the end of the chapter will give specific examples.

Beginning users will find the “Concepts” sections helpful, since they provide a reference and ideas for the best ways to track your finances. Experienced users can flip to the “How-To” sections to quickly scan procedures. These sections provide quick, to-the-point steps for accomplishing specific tasks. The “Putting It All Together” sections present real-world examples in the form of a tutorial, beginning with creation of a file in Chapter 2. Each successive chapter will build on the previous chapter's tutorial.

This manual is organized into 3 main parts, Getting Started (chapters 1-4), Managing Your Personal Finances (chapters 5-9), and Managing Your Business Finances (chapters 10-14).

The first part, Getting Started, contains 4 chapters that give you the basic information needed to begin to use GnuCash:

Use this part as a quick-start guide; it will cover everything you need to get up and running in GnuCash.

The second part, Managing your Personal Finances, addresses common applications and features of GnuCash in greater detail. You will see more specific cases, based on frequently asked questions about applying GnuCash to everyday situations. Here are the applications and features covered in this part:

The last part, Managing Your Business Finances, discusses the use of GnuCash in business accounting.

This manual also has an appendix, which contains extra information you might want to know:

Last but not least, a glossary and index help you quickly locate the topics you need.