Record

Capture and log all financial transactions for "$ARGUMENTS". Document each transaction with date, amount, parties, description, and source document reference.

Arguments. $ARGUMENTS may contain the project name and optional flags. Take the first token as <project> and treat --skip-checks as a flag; never include flags in file paths. All paths below use <project>. If --skip-checks is present, skip the prerequisite check and, before writing any artifact, append one line to .metapowers/bookkeeping/<project>/skip-log.md: - <ISO timestamp> — <skill name> skipped prerequisite check for <artifact file> — reason: <reason or "none given">.

Compute with code. Perform every calculation (totals, balances, ratios, variances, projections) with a script — Bash, Python or a spreadsheet formula written to a file — and include the computation alongside the result. Never do arithmetic mentally.

Prerequisites

None — this is the first phase.

Process

1. Identify transaction sources:

   • What accounts are active? (bank, credit card, cash, digital payments)
   • What period are we recording? (month, quarter, year)
   • What source documents are available? (receipts, invoices, bank feeds, contracts)

2. Capture each transaction:

   • Date — when the transaction occurred
   • Amount — exact figure with currency
   • Direction — inflow (revenue, loan) or outflow (expense, payment)
   • Counterparty — who paid or was paid
   • Description — what the transaction was for
   • Source — receipt number, invoice ID, or bank reference
   • Payment method — bank transfer, card, cash, etc.

3. Organize the transaction log:

   • Sort chronologically
   • Flag any transactions missing source documents
   • Note any unusual or large transactions for review
   • Identify recurring transactions (subscriptions, rent, payroll)

4. Write the artifact to .metapowers/bookkeeping/<project>/01-record.md with sections:

   • Period — date range covered
   • Transaction Log — table of all transactions
   • Missing Documents — transactions without source references
   • Flags — unusual items requiring review

Output

The transaction log written to .metapowers/bookkeeping/<project>/01-record.md. Present a summary highlighting:

• Total transactions recorded
• Total inflows and outflows
• Any missing documents or flagged items

End the artifact with this paragraph, verbatim:

Not financial or tax advice. This artifact is generated analysis for review by a qualified accountant or financial professional before any filing, reporting or decision relies on it.