Tired of Recasting the Same Spell? Use Periodic Journals Instead

Running a business like the Waterdeep Trading Company involves more than sword sales and enchanted lockboxes. Every tenday, some things stay the same: rent needs paying, guild dues are owed, and inventory costs need logging.

If you find yourself retyping the same entries month after month, it’s time to bring in a little structure. That’s where Periodic Journals come in.

What Are Periodic Journals?

Periodic journals are used for recurring transactions — those repeating entries that don’t change often. Think monthly expenses, regular allocations, or standard entries for fees, salaries, or provisions. Once you’ve defined them, you can post the entries on a regular schedule without building them from scratch every time.

It’s like having a pre-written scroll that auto-fills your accounting spellbook.

Why the Waterdeep Trading Company Uses Them

Each month, the Waterdeep Trading Company pays maintenance fees to several local guilds for use of shared crafting halls and inspection services. Here’s how we structure one of those entries:

This journal can be reused every month with minimal adjustment, making it easy to keep the guilds happy and the books balanced.

Great Use Cases for Periodic Journals

When Not to Use Them

Not everything should be a periodic journal. They work best for entries that are consistent and scheduled. If the amounts vary significantly or require approvals, other journal types might be more appropriate.

Final Thoughts

If you’re repeating the same ledger entry more than once, it’s probably time to automate it. Periodic journals won’t solve every financial challenge, but they will make life easier and free up time for more important work, like negotiating with dwarves over mithral prices.

Want to see periodic journals in a real system?

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