Debits, credits and ledgers, oh my!

Have I ever mentioned how math-tarded I am? I purposely avoided math, business, accounting, or any other related subject in school. I often snickered at the business students. I even thought economics was something to avoid. It's only years later that I've discovered that economics, macro and micro, are not just exciting, but really fun. I've always had a phobia, no, more like a mind-numbing, full melt-down of catastrophic terror, when it comes to math. And finances? Whoa... Are you trying to put me in a padded room?

When hubby became my CFO and VP of All Things Math, I thought, yippee! I don't have to know or think about this stuff! (cartwheel)

Don't flip too quickly, sista, because as soon as "we" bought and started using QuickBooks, hubby kept asking me questions. Questions like, where should we put this expense? How should we code this printing cost? How do we file our taxes? Good dog man, can't you see I'm creative!? I don't do "numbers."

Frustrated, we both decided to sign up for a QuickBooks class for entrepreneurs. Best 200 bones we've spent this year. Last night was our first class. I had this vision that we'd be sitting at computers, pretending to create the next Enron. Not so. I have to say that our instructor is gifted. Gif-Ted.

She explained things in a way that finally, finally, finally made sense to my OCD mind. Now I can't wait to create my P&L Statement for 2004. I'm itching to look at my Balance Sheet for January.

What was her magic? She equated accounting to organizing the garage. Oh ma ga. Now this is my specialty. She weaved a magical spell on us, first depicting a garage with tools and crap all over the floor. (shiver) Then she started talking about the best part... organizing it all into bins, with labels... and drawers, that are alphabetized! Oooooh! I'm getting goose-bumps just thinking about alphabetized drawers.

Now I understand why it's important and what each part means. Do I know how to balance a checkbook? Can I multiply 9x17 in my head? Do I have a career at the IRS? Nope. Nah-ah. Notsomuch. But there is hope for me yet. Our exciting homework is to organize our Chart of Accounts into numbered codes then into alphabetical order.

Why didn't anyone tell me that accounting had nothing to do with math?! Where was this memo?