Close Opening Books with Money

Build and reconcile a founder-controlled opening book in Google Sheets.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

A new business can spend money before anyone has written down where each amount came from. Without a trail back to receipts and bank activity, even a correct total can be hard to trust.

In this project, you will use Grok Bot and Google Sheets to close Pineapple Advisory's opening books under your control. Your final reconciliation compares accepted entries with bank evidence after a planted bad line is rejected.

What You'll Build

Picture opening your finished book and seeing a 0.00 difference backed by a statement line or receipt line for every accepted amount.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A two-tab opening ledger that separates company bank activity from costs paid on your own card.
A proposal-only Money Bot whose opening proposals keep the fictional 1.00 pre-opening test line in the exception list.
A first-period reconciliation with a 0.00 difference against bank evidence from the same cutoff.
Secret Mission: Close the control loop by removing the planted test data, recording usage, and mapping the permanent home of every durable record.

Are there any prerequisites?

This project assumes access to a company bank account plus its opening date and transaction export. You also need a Windows device plus receipts for founder-paid costs. Existing paid Grok Bot and Google Workspace accounts keep today's added cost at $0.00 while on-demand usage stays off.

Before We Start

Before any financial source reaches Money, the bookkeeping Bot you create later, this step locks in the founder-controlled workflow and its boundary: “Money proposes; I post and reconcile; a professional decides tax and legal judgments.” Your starting kit is a Windows device, paid Grok Bot access, paid Google Workspace access, an existing company bank account, its opening date, transaction export access, and receipts for founder-paid costs.

Set Up the Founder-Controlled Book

Before any financial source reaches Money, its safe home must exist. Your ledger is the record that you control.

This step checks the approval boundaries in Grok Bot before you prepare any financial records. A source is the receipt line or bank line that supports a ledger entry.

In this step, get ready to:

Document Grok Bot's safety boundaries in its controls and connection record.
Store the original receipts in a company finance location.
Build the two-tab opening ledger with its six source-tracing columns.

Check the Day 1 controls

Auto Review checks proposed actions against your saved rules. An Ask first rule pauses a matching action for your decision.

Billing controls can feel risky to touch. You are only checking that on-demand usage remains off.

Press the Windows key to open Windows search.
Type Grok Bot and press Enter.
Use the visible plan or usage screen to check the on-demand usage setting.
Confirm that on-demand usage is off.
Open Settings.
Select General.
Select Auto-review.
Check whether Auto Review is on.

What are these rules protecting?

Each rule protects one sensitive action. A narrow rule makes the pause easy to understand when Grok Bot asks for approval.

Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers sending anything.
Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers publishing anything.
Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers purchasing or paying for anything.
Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers deleting inside /workspace/pineapple/.
Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers overwriting outside /workspace/pineapple/.
Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers changing permissions or access.

The remaining rules protect formal commitments and client boundaries. They also keep every bank login detail under your control.

Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers filing a form.
Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers accepting terms or signing anything.
Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers opening an account or signing in anywhere.
Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers moving client data outside that client's folder under /workspace/pineapple/clients/.
Check for one narrow Ask first rule that covers entering, storing, copying, pasting, revealing, or using any bank login.

Choose the tab that matches the controls you found.

✔️ Everything already matches

Your Day 1 controls already match the checklist. Keep on-demand usage off while you complete this project.

ⓧ One or more controls need changes

Return to the visible plan or usage screen if on-demand usage is on.
Turn off on-demand usage.
Return to Auto-review if Auto Review is off.
Turn Auto Review on.
Add one narrow Ask first rule for every missing checklist item.

You should now see Auto Review on. Each sensitive action should have its own saved rule.

Can't save a rule?

Keep each rule focused on one sensitive action from the checklist.
Check that Auto Review is on before adding the missing rule.

Ask for help with the control that is failing: help me create a narrow Ask first rule

The controls govern future actions. A workspace file gives every future worker a durable record of the bank boundary.

Click New chat in Grok Bot.
Use the normal chat composer.
Send a message asking Grok Bot to create /workspace/pineapple/ops/CONNECTIONS.md with exactly one row stating that the bank connection is NEVER.
Open the completed result card in the chat.
Confirm that the file contains one row stating that the bank connection is NEVER.
Leave Connect apps unchanged.
Leave Scout uncreated.

Why use a normal chat?

A Bot is a named AI worker with a lasting job. This chat only records the connection boundary because you create Money in a later step.

No Google Drive, Google Sheets, or bank connection belongs in this setup. The bank boundary stays visible without granting access.

Good work. Grok Bot now has the approval controls and connection record that protect the bookkeeping workflow.

Create the company finance location and receipt note

Google Drive keeps the original receipts beside the ledger. Those files remain company records outside Grok Bot.

You keep control of this sign-in. Use your own browser so no bank login or Google session enters a Bot's browser.

Open Google Drive in your own browser.
Sign in with your existing Google Workspace account.

Shared drives depend on the Google Workspace edition and administrator permissions. Choose the location that your account provides.

✔️ I see Shared drives

Click Shared drives in the left panel.
Double-click the company's Shared drive.

This open Shared drive is the company location for the ledger and receipt folder.

ⓧ I have a company folder in My Drive

Click My Drive in the left panel.
Double-click the existing company folder.

This open company folder is the location for the ledger and receipt folder.

ⓧ I need a company folder

Click My Drive in the left panel.
Click New in the top left.
Select New folder.
Enter Pineapple Advisory as the folder name.
Click Create.
Double-click the new Pineapple Advisory folder.

This open folder is now the company location for the ledger and receipt folder.

Original receipts are sensitive financial evidence. Keep them in the company location without attaching them to a Bot.

Click New in the top left.
Select New folder.
Enter receipts as the folder name.
Click Create.
Double-click the receipts folder.
Click New.
Select File upload.
Select the original formation-fee, Workspace, domain, and Grok Bot receipt files from your Windows device.

You should now see the four original receipt files inside receipts. None of these files has been attached to Grok Bot.

Can't upload a receipt?

Check that you opened the company receipts folder before selecting File upload.
Confirm that the receipt still exists on your Windows device.

Get help without sharing the receipt: help me upload a private file to Google Drive

The private receipt note gives Money sanitized source lines later. Windows Notepad keeps the note on your own device.

Press the Windows key to open Windows search.
Type Notepad and press Enter.
Enter one founder-paid charge per line in this exact format: date | payee | amount | what for | paid from my own card.
Leave the opening bank deposit out of the note.
Remove any home address from the note.
Remove any card number from the note.
Remove any login detail from the note.
Save the note in a private local folder on your Windows device.

Each line should now contain five sanitized fields separated by pipe characters. The opening deposit should be absent.

Build the ledger by hand

Google Sheets uses tabs as separate pages inside one spreadsheet. The Bank tab holds company-bank activity.

The Owed to you tab holds founder-paid costs. This setup is a practical two-list opening book.

Return to the open company location in Google Drive.
Click New.
Select Google Sheets.
Select Blank spreadsheet.
Click Untitled spreadsheet at the top.
Enter Pineapple Advisory as the spreadsheet name.

You should now see Pineapple Advisory at the top of the spreadsheet. The file belongs to the company location you opened.

Double-click the current name of the first sheet tab.
Enter Bank and press Enter.
Click Add sheet at the bottom.
Double-click the current name of the new sheet tab.
Enter Owed to you and press Enter.

You should now see the Bank and Owed to you tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet.

The six columns capture the money movement and its supporting source. Matching headers keep both tabs ready for the later proposals.

Select the Bank tab.
Click cell A1.
Fill row 1 by copying the tab-separated header row below:

Date	Description	Account	Money in	Money out	Source

What do these columns record?

Date records the date shown by the source.
Description identifies the transaction or payee.
Account holds the bookkeeping category proposed for the line.
Money in records money entering the company bank account.
Money out records money leaving the relevant balance.
Source identifies the receipt line or bank line supporting the entry.

Confirm that the six headers occupy cells A1 through F1 on Bank.
Select cells A1:F1.
Press Ctrl+C to copy the headers.
Select the Owed to you tab.
Click cell A1.
Press Ctrl+V to paste the headers.
Confirm that the six headers occupy cells A1 through F1 on Owed to you.

Did the headers land in one cell?

Clear the cell containing the combined header text.
Enter each header separately across cells A1:F1.
Keep the header spelling identical on both tabs.

Ask for help with the layout: help me separate my Google Sheets headers

Before you check, which visible details should prove that the safe home and two-tab ledger are ready?

Switch back to the company location in Google Drive.
Confirm that the receipts folder sits beside the Pineapple Advisory spreadsheet.
Switch back to the open Pineapple Advisory spreadsheet.
Select the Bank tab.
Check the six headers in row 1.
Select the Owed to you tab.
Check the same six headers in row 1.

You should see both tab names at the bottom. Each row 1 should read Date, Description, Account, Money in, Money out, and Source.

That's the foundation in place. Next, you will sanitize the bank export and plant the fictional control line that Money must reject.

Prepare a Safe Bank Export

Your two-tab ledger in Google Sheets is ready for its first bank period. Each accepted amount needs a source that points to bank evidence or a receipt.

A CSV file stores transaction data in rows that a spreadsheet can read. You will create a checked copy without sharing the bank login or adding a bank connection.

The planted pre-opening line creates a deliberate bad input. Later, the workflow must reject that line before you post anything.

In this step, get ready to:

Download the company-account transactions from the opening date through today.
Sanitize every account-number location in the export.
Plant a fictional pre-opening control line in bank-export.csv.

Download transactions from the official bank website

This is the only credential-sensitive moment in this step. You stay inside your own browser.

The bank connection remains NEVER. No project tool receives your bank login.

Record the company account opening date here: your account opening date.
Use your own browser to go directly to the official website for your bank.
Sign in to the bank yourself.
Select the company account.
Set the transaction export start date to your account opening date.
Set the transaction export end date to today.
Choose CSV when the bank offers that format.
Download all transactions in the selected period.

You should see a transaction export download in your browser. Its selected period should run from the account opening date through today.

Cannot find a CSV option?

Stay on the bank's official website.
Use the bank's official help content to locate its transaction export feature.
Stop if the available options are unfamiliar.

Do not share your login details or account number while seeking help. help me make a privacy-safe checklist for finding a bank CSV export.

Remove account identifiers

Your company location in Google Drive gives you a controlled place to inspect the export. The account number adds no value to the bookkeeping workflow.

Switch back to the company location in Google Drive from earlier.
Upload the downloaded bank export into this company location.

You should see the uploaded export listed beside the existing company records.

Open the uploaded export with Google Sheets.
Search the visible sheet for the account number.

Any match identifies content that must stay out of the checked copy.

Delete every account-number match from its cell.
Inspect the heading row for an account-number label.

A heading can reveal what the removed values represented. It needs the same treatment as the values.

Delete any heading that identifies the account number.
Search the visible sheet for the account number again.

You should see no match in the transaction data or headings.

Remove any account-number digits from the displayed document filename.

The visible filename should now contain no account identifier.

Click File in Google Sheets.
Select Download.

You should see the available download formats.

Choose the CSV file type.
Locate the downloaded checked copy in the Downloads folder in File Explorer.

The checked copy should appear as a local CSV file.

Rename the checked copy bank-export.csv.
Read the displayed filename to confirm it is exactly bank-export.csv.

Good work. Your local checked copy now has a neutral filename and sanitized contents.

Still seeing an account identifier?

Check the heading row for a label that survived after its values were deleted.
Check the displayed document name for account-number digits.
Search the entire visible sheet again before downloading another copy.

Keep the account number private while getting help. help me review a bank export for identifier locations.

Plant the control line

A control line is fictional data designed to test a rule. This line uses the fictional amount 1.00 with a date that makes it invalid for the opening bank period.

Editing a CSV row in Windows Notepad is a little fiddly. Copying a complete money-out row preserves the file's existing separators.

Press the Windows key to open Windows search.

You should see the Windows search box.

Type Notepad.
Press Enter.

You should see a new Notepad window.

Use the Notepad file picker to open bank-export.csv from your Downloads folder.

You should see the CSV content as transaction lines separated into rows.

Scroll to the bottom of bank-export.csv.
Select a complete existing money-out row.
Copy the selected row.
Paste the copied row as a new final row.

The new final row should have the same field positions as the copied money-out row.

Record the date exactly one year before your account opening date here: date one year before opening.
Replace the copied date with date one year before opening using the copied row's date format.

The new final row should now sit outside the valid bank period.

Replace the copied description with test line.
Replace the copied money-out amount with 1.00.

The fictional description and amount should now be visible in the final row.

Keep the copied money-in field empty.
Save bank-export.csv.

Before you run the final search, do you expect the account number to appear anywhere in this checked file?

Search the full contents of bank-export.csv for the account number.
Inspect the final row.
Compare the control date with your account opening date.
Confirm the final description is test line.
Confirm the final money-out amount is 1.00.

You should find no account-number match. The final row should preserve the copied money-out shape.

It should show date one year before opening as its date. It should also show test line with 1.00 in the money-out position.

Does the final row look broken?

Check that the final row uses the same separators as the copied row.
Check that 1.00 occupies the same money-out position as the copied amount.
Check that the final row begins on its own line.

Keep all real transaction details out of your help request. help me repair the shape of a fictional CSV control row.

Close any search box that contains the account number.
Frame the checkpoint screenshot so only the final control row is visible.

Your checked export now carries a clear failure control without exposing the bank login. Next, you will create Money and give it proposal-only boundaries.

Create Money and Set Its Boundaries

Your sanitized bank-export.csv is ready with its deliberate control line. The next risk is giving an AI worker too much authority around financial records.

Inside Grok Bot, a Bot is a named AI worker with one primary job. Money needs a narrow role. It must have no posting power. It also needs explicit stopping rules before it handles any financial source.

In this step, get ready to:

Create Money as the named financial worker.
Give Money four standing rules for proposals, evidence, professional review, and stopping.
Confirm Money has no bank or spreadsheet connection.

Create and name Money

A named Bot keeps this financial role separate from ordinary chats. Money lives in a normal chat without a terminal.

Return to Grok Bot from earlier.
Click New chat.
Select Create new Bot.
Enter Money as the Bot name.
Set the Bot label to bookkeeper and analyst for Pineapple Advisory.
Give Money its primary job by pasting this text into the message composer:

You are the bookkeeper and analyst for Pineapple Advisory. Remember this as your primary job. Remember the rules I give you for future work.

What does this message establish?

The first sentence gives Money one specific financial role. This keeps its future suggestions focused on Pineapple Advisory.

The memory request tells Money to retain the role with the rules you provide next. Those rules define what the role can actually do.

Send the message to Money.

You'll see Money acknowledge its job as Pineapple Advisory's bookkeeper and analyst. You now have one named worker for the proposal stage.

Money missing or mislabeled?

Check that you created a Bot from a normal chat.
Rename the Bot to Money if another name appears.
Set its label to bookkeeper and analyst for Pineapple Advisory if the label is missing.

Ask for help with setting up Money as a named Grok Bot.

Set Money's four standing rules

A source is the specific receipt line or statement line supporting a figure. Provisional means a classification still needs professional review.

These rules make source evidence mandatory. They also keep tax decisions and legal judgments with a professional.

Place these four rules in Money's message composer by pasting the text below:

Remember these four standing rules for Pineapple Advisory.

1. Propose entries. Never post one.
2. Never touch the bank itself. Do not log in, open a bank page, browse the bank, or connect to it. A file I attach is not the bank.
3. Trace every figure to a receipt line or a statement line. List a line with no source. Never enter it. Write only under /workspace/pineapple/.
4. Flag every tax or legal judgment for a professional. Stop where I say stop.

Why do these rules matter?

The first rule reserves posting for you.
The second rule keeps Money away from the live bank.
The third rule blocks unsupported figures from proposed entries.
The fourth rule preserves human judgment over professional decisions.

Send the four standing rules to Money.

You'll see Money acknowledge the boundaries. The proposal role now has an evidence gate and a clear stopping point.

Did Money weaken a rule?

Restate the missing rule in a new message.
Require Money to remember the corrected wording.
Pause the workflow until Money acknowledges the complete boundary.

Ask for help with correcting a missing Money boundary.

Confirm the connection boundary

A connected app gives a Bot access to another service. Connected-app access applies across your Bot roster.

Money can prepare proposals from information you deliberately provide. It does not need access to the bank or either spreadsheet service.

In Money's chat, click Connect apps.
Confirm that Google Drive is absent from the connected-app list.
Confirm that Google Sheets is absent from the connected-app list.
Confirm that no bank connection appears in the connected-app list.
Close the connected-app panel without adding an app.
Keep Money's browser signed out of Google Drive.
Keep Money's browser signed out of the bank.

The connected-app list should contain no Google Drive, Google Sheets, or bank connection for Money. This confirms that Money cannot post to your ledger or reach the live bank.

What if the account list is missing?

The file /workspace/pineapple/ops/ACCOUNTS.md is optional at this point. You can paste the account and price list into the later request when that file is absent.

Before you ask, do you expect Money to claim any posting power or connected-app access?

Check Money's remembered boundaries by pasting this request into the message composer:

Restate your job and the four standing rules for Pineapple Advisory. Include whether you can post entries, whether you have any bank or spreadsheet connection, how every figure must be traced, where you may write, which judgments require a professional, and when you must stop.

What does this check prove?

This request asks Money to read back its operating boundary. It does not grant any new permission.

A complete reply proves that Money retained the role and rules you just provided. Any missing boundary needs correction before financial sources reach the chat.

Send the boundary check to Money.

You'll see Money say it only proposes entries. You'll also see that it has no bank or spreadsheet connection.

Money should trace every figure to a receipt line or statement line. It should limit all writing to /workspace/pineapple/.

Money should flag tax or legal judgments for a professional. It should stop whenever you tell it to stop.

That boundary check puts you in control of the book. Money can prepare suggestions while you retain posting and bank access.

Does the restatement claim too much access?

Restate the specific boundary that Money omitted.
Return to Connect apps.
Confirm that no bank or spreadsheet connection appears.
Pause the workflow until Money gives a complete restatement.

Ask for help with reviewing Money's boundary restatement.

Money now has a narrow role with no direct path to the ledger or bank. Next, you'll give it checked source material and require proposals that stop for your review.

Generate Chart and Opening Proposals

Money now has a narrow proposal-only role. This Grok Bot prepares sourced suggestions while you retain control of the book.

The planted pre-opening line creates the next test. The workflow must reject that line before you approve any opening proposals.

In this step, get ready to:

Attach only the sanitized bank-export.csv file to Money.
Send the five-part request with a chart review point.
Review the chart before generating the opening proposals.

Attach only the checked export

A source identifies the statement line or receipt line supporting a proposed amount. The checked export gives Money bank evidence without giving it access to the bank.

Switch back to Money's existing chat.
Use the attachment control in the message composer.
Select bank-export.csv from its saved location on your Windows computer.
Confirm the attachment preview shows bank-export.csv.
Leave the original receipt files in the company Drive receipts folder.

You should see one attached CSV in Money's composer. Your original receipts remain outside the Bot.

Having Trouble Attaching the Export?

Confirm you selected the sanitized file named bank-export.csv. Remove any other attachment before continuing.

If the file does not appear in the composer, help me attach the sanitized export.

Send the five-part request

A chart of accounts is the list of buckets used to classify each line of money. This request keeps that list short.

The chart uses cash basis. Cash-basis records count money when it moves.

Return to the private receipt note in Windows Notepad.
Copy every sanitized founder-paid charge line.
Record the company bank account's actual opening date here: opening date.
Paste the copied receipt-note lines here: paste the receipt note here.
Enter the account-price information here: paste the account and price list, or write “No separate account-price list is available.”.
Add the first request part to Money's composer by copying the text below:

Outcome
Create two main files. First, finance/CHART_OF_ACCOUNTS.md, the chart of accounts: the list of buckets every line of money is sorted into. Second, finance/opening-balances.md: the proposed lines for the two ledger tabs with their sources, the lines you could not enter, the totals, the opening position, and three questions for the professional.

Sources
Use only the file attached to this chat. The company bank account opened on [[OPENING_DATE="opening date"]]. The export runs from that day to today. Use these receipt lines, paid from my own card:
[[RECEIPT_NOTE="paste the receipt note here"]]
Use ops/ACCOUNTS.md for the accounts and their prices if it exists. If it is missing, use this list instead:
[[ACCOUNT_PRICE_LIST="paste the account and price list, or write “No separate account-price list is available.”"]]
Use nothing from the internet.

Constraints
For the chart:
1. Use cash basis, meaning money counts when it moves, not when it is promised. Put one sentence at the top containing “verify with a professional.” Do not create a sales-tax account today. Day 8 decides that.
2. Keep it short. Include Transfers for movement between company accounts; Owner's Contribution for money I put in; Owner's Draw for money I take out; Due to Owner for what the company owes me; Tax Set-Aside with no percentage today; Advisory fees; Other income; and expense accounts for software, domain and hosting, state fees, bank fees, and professional fees.
3. Give each account one plain sentence.

What Does This Request Establish?

The Outcome section names the two main files Money must create.
The Sources section limits Money to the attached export plus your sanitized receipt lines.
The chart rules require professional verification.
The chart rules exclude a sales-tax account from this project.

Confirm the first request part begins with Outcome.
Confirm the first request part ends with the instruction to give each account one plain sentence.

Is the First Part Incomplete?

Check that the composer contains the Outcome section. Check that it also contains the chart constraints.

If some text is missing, help me check the first request part.

Add the second request part directly below the first part by copying the text below:

For the proposed lines:
1. Every line must name its source: a receipt line by date and payee, or a statement line by date and description. Put a line with no source under “lines I could not enter,” with the reason. Never propose it.
2. Also put any statement line dated before the bank account opened under “lines I could not enter,” with the reason. Enter receipt lines from their receipt whatever their date.
3. For the Bank tab, propose every valid statement line. Propose the opening deposit once under Money in, use Owner's Contribution as the account, and cite the statement line. Mark this classification provisional for professional review.
4. For the Owed to you tab, propose every receipt line under Money out to its expense account. Mark every one provisional until a professional has read it. Never put these lines on the Bank tab.
5. Keep amounts to the cent and dates exactly as shown by the source.
6. Make one table per tab, grouped by account, in this exact order: Date, Description, Account, Money in, Money out, Source.
7. After the Bank table, show the total for each account, total in, total out, and ending balance as total in minus total out. After the Owed to you table, show its total and the Due to Owner figure. Then show the provisional opening position in five lines: cash in the bank; what I put in; other money received; what was spent from the bank; what the company owes me. Check that cash equals what I put in, plus other money received, minus what was spent.
8. End with a section named Questions for the professional. Give these three questions and no answers: loan or contribution for the bills I paid; how costs paid before the company existed are treated; whether the subscriptions on my card are the company's.
9. Propose only. Do not post to Google Sheets, open the bank, connect an app, browse the internet, or make tax or legal decisions.

Deliverable
Write the two main files under /workspace/pineapple/finance/. Also create /workspace/pineapple/finance/bank-opening.csv and /workspace/pineapple/finance/owed-to-you-opening.csv. Each CSV must contain only the six columns in the stated order, with no header row and no totals, so I can save it from the chat. Show each completed file in this chat as a result I can inspect and save.

Review point
Create the chart first. Stop after showing me finance/CHART_OF_ACCOUNTS.md. Wait until I say continue before creating opening-balances.md or either CSV.

What Does the Second Part Control?

The proposal rules require a source for every accepted line.
The opening-date rule sends the planted line to lines I could not enter.
The Deliverable section defines all four files.
The Review point section makes Money stop after the chart.

Confirm the complete request contains Outcome.
Confirm the complete request contains Sources.
Confirm the complete request contains Constraints.
Confirm the complete request contains Deliverable.
Confirm the complete request contains Review point.
Confirm the request contains your actual opening date.
Confirm the request contains your sanitized receipt-note lines.
Confirm the request contains your account-price information.

Before you send the request, consider where Money should stop if it follows the review point correctly.

Send the completed request to Money.

Was the Request Cut Off?

Confirm the message ends with the instruction to wait until you say continue.

If the message is incomplete, help me rebuild the complete request.

If an Approval Card Appears

An approval card shows the proposed action before Grok Bot allows it. Its target plus its inputs define the approval scope.

Read the action's target.
Read the action's inputs.
Select Deny if the action differs from the request.
Select Allow once if the action exactly matches the request.
Leave Always allow unused.

If the scope remains unclear, help me assess this approval card.

Money should show finance/CHART_OF_ACCOUNTS.md as a result card. It should stop before creating the other three files.

Preview the chart result card.
Confirm its full path is /workspace/pineapple/finance/CHART_OF_ACCOUNTS.md.
Read the chart's first sentence.
Compare every chart account with the requested account list.

Chart Checkpoint

The first sentence describes cash basis.
The first sentence contains verify with a professional.
Every account named in the request appears in the chart.
Every account has one plain sentence.
The Tax Set-Aside account has no percentage.
The chart contains no sales-tax account.

That is the first review gate passed. Your chart now has the required categories without making the professional judgments itself.

Continue and review the proposals

The approved chart gives Money the categories it needs for the remaining files. Money still has no authority to post any proposed row to your Sheet.

Before you continue, do you think the pre-opening control line will enter a proposal table or fail the opening-date gate?

Reply with continue in Money's chat.
Send the reply to Money.

You should now see four downloadable result cards in total. These represent the chart plus the three opening-proposal files.

Open the result card for /workspace/pineapple/finance/opening-balances.md.
Find the lines I could not enter section before reading either proposal table.
Locate test line in that section.

You should see the fictional 1.00 control line only in the exception section. Its reason should state that its date is before the account opening date.

The gate worked. Money rejected the pre-opening statement line instead of proposing it for the book.

Stop If the Test Line Entered a Table

Do not save or post a proposal that includes test line in either table. The opening-date control has not passed.

Read the proposed Bank table.
Read the proposed Owed to you table.
Review the Bank account totals.
Review the Bank total in.
Review the Bank total out.
Review the Bank ending balance.
Review the Owed to you total.
Review the five-line opening position.

Opening Proposal Checkpoint

Both tables use Date, Description, Account, Money in, Money out, plus Source in that order.
Every proposed row names a statement line or receipt line as its source.
The opening deposit appears once in the Bank table under Money in.
The opening deposit uses Owner's Contribution as its provisional account.
A provisional classification remains subject to professional review.
Every founder-paid receipt appears only in the Owed to you table under Money out.
Every founder-paid classification remains provisional.
The Bank section includes a total for each account.
The Bank section includes total in.
The Bank section includes total out.
The Bank section includes ending balance.
The Owed to you section includes its total.
Due to Owner states the proposed amount the company owes you.
The provisional opening position contains five lines.
The cash check compares the opening position figures.
The professional section contains exactly three unanswered questions.

Preview /workspace/pineapple/finance/bank-opening.csv.
Confirm its first row contains proposal data.
Confirm the file contains no header row.
Confirm the file contains no totals.
Preview /workspace/pineapple/finance/owed-to-you-opening.csv.
Confirm its first row contains proposal data.
Confirm the file contains no header row.
Confirm the file contains no totals.

CSV Checkpoint

Each CSV should contain only valid proposed rows. The six columns must follow the same order as your Sheet.

Save /workspace/pineapple/finance/CHART_OF_ACCOUNTS.md from its result card.
Save /workspace/pineapple/finance/opening-balances.md from its result card.
Save /workspace/pineapple/finance/bank-opening.csv from its result card.
Save /workspace/pineapple/finance/owed-to-you-opening.csv from its result card.

Is a Result File Missing?

Confirm Money created the chart. Confirm it also created the opening-balances file plus both CSV files under /workspace/pineapple/finance/.

If a result card is absent, help me identify the missing result file.

Before the final check, what do you expect to see below row 1 in each ledger tab?

Switch back to the open Pineapple Advisory Google Sheet.
Select the Bank tab.
Confirm row 2 remains empty.
Select the Owed to you tab.
Confirm row 2 remains empty.

Both tabs should still contain only their row 1 headers. This proves Money created proposals without posting to your book.

Your chart plus opening proposals are ready for controlled posting. Next, you will enforce the test-line gate before importing any accepted row by hand.

Post and Reconcile the Opening Ledger

Money has prepared a chart of accounts plus source-traced proposals. The planted pre-opening line already gives you a control for testing whether those proposals are safe to post.

Those files remain proposals. Your Google Sheets ledger becomes the book only after you review each row and post it yourself.

The control case must fail before any proposal enters the ledger. The accepted rows must then reconcile to bank evidence from the same cutoff.

In this step, get ready to:

Block the planted pre-opening line from the ledger.
Post only rows that you can trace to bank or receipt evidence.
Reconcile the opening ledger to bank evidence from the same cutoff.

Enforce the test-line gate

A source is the statement line or receipt line that supports an amount. The fictional 1.00 control has a source but falls before the bank account opened.

Before you check, where do you expect test line to appear?

Return to Money's chat in Grok Bot.
Select the result card for /workspace/pineapple/finance/opening-balances.md.
Find test line before reading either proposed table.
Confirm the line appears under lines I could not enter.
Confirm the reason says its date comes before the account opening date.
Confirm the line is absent from both proposed tables.
Confirm the line is absent from bank-opening.csv.
Confirm the line is absent from owed-to-you-opening.csv.

You should see the planted line only in the exception list. That rejection is the intended control failure.

Good. The gate has stopped the bad line before it could reach the opening ledger.

Test line appears in a table?

Stop before importing anything. The proposals have failed the opening-date rule.

Tell Money the account opening date again.
Ask Money to regenerate both proposed tables.
Ask Money to regenerate both CSV files.
Require the revised proposals to begin with a dated correction note describing the failed control.
Reopen the revised opening-balances.md file.
Repeat the gate before importing any row.

If the revised files still include the control line, help me check why Money keeps proposing the pre-opening test line.

Import and source-check the proposals

The two CSV files contain six fields per row with no header or totals. Appending them preserves the six headers already in your Sheet.

A provisional classification is a temporary accounting choice that still needs professional review. Your proposal trail must keep that status visible.

Return to Money's chat.
Save bank-opening.csv from its result card.
Save owed-to-you-opening.csv from its result card.

Switch back to the Pineapple Advisory Google Sheet.
Select the Bank tab.
Click File.
Select Import.
Select Upload.
Choose bank-opening.csv from your device.
Choose the setting under Import location that appends data to the current sheet.
Choose the setting under Separator type that shows six fields in the preview.

The preview should show each proposed row split into the six ledger fields. Your existing row 1 remains outside the imported data.

Click Import data.

You should see the proposed Bank rows below the existing headers. The planted line must remain absent.

Select the Owed to you tab.
Click File.
Select Import.
Select Upload.
Choose owed-to-you-opening.csv from your device.
Choose the setting under Import location that appends data to the current sheet.
Choose the setting under Separator type that shows six fields in the preview.
Click Import data.

You should see the founder-paid proposal rows below the existing headers. No Bank statement row belongs on this tab.

Rows landed in one column?

This can happen when copied Markdown text is pasted instead of importing the CSV file. Split the pasted text before checking any sources.

Select the cells that landed in one column.
Click Data.
Select Split text to columns.
Open the Separator menu.
Use the pipe character | if the interface offers a custom separator.
Remove the Markdown separator row.

If the data still does not split into six fields, help me split my copied ledger table into the six required columns.

Importing places proposals into the Sheet. Your source check decides which rows remain posted.

Compare every row on Bank with its matching line in the sanitized bank-export.csv.
Delete each Bank row that you cannot trace.
Confirm the opening deposit appears once under Owner's Contribution.
Review the proposal trail to confirm the opening-deposit classification remains provisional.
Confirm test line is absent from Bank.
Confirm every founder-paid receipt line is absent from Bank.

Compare every row on Owed to you with its matching line in the private receipt note.
Delete each founder-paid row that you cannot trace.
Confirm every remaining row retains its source.
Review the proposal trail to confirm every remaining classification stays provisional.
Confirm every Bank statement row is absent from Owed to you.
Confirm test line is absent from Owed to you.

Your two tabs now contain only rows that you posted after checking their evidence. Money has not edited either tab.

Compare totals and reconcile the cutoff

Quick sums let you calculate the opening position from the rows you accepted. Money compares your figures without gaining access to the Sheet.

On Bank highlight only the numeric cells under Money in.
Read the Sum: total figure at the bottom right.
Record the displayed figure as your Bank total in.
Highlight only the numeric cells under Money out.
Read the new Sum: total figure.
Record the displayed figure as your Bank total out.
Subtract total out from total in.
Record the result as your Bank ending balance.

The account groups provide a second view of the same accepted rows. Their figures should agree with the totals in Money's proposal.

Highlight the numeric cells in each Bank account block.
Record the figures as your Bank per-account totals.
Switch to the Owed to you tab.
Highlight its numeric Money out cells.
Read the Sum: total figure.
Record the figure as your Owed to you total.
Return to the opening-balances.md result card.
Record its Due to Owner figure as your Due to Owner figure.

Compare your Owed to you total with your Due to Owner figure.

The two founder-paid figures should match exactly. This confirms that the provisional amount owed to you is complete.

Quick sum missing?

Some number formats prevent Google Sheets from showing a quick calculation. Money can propose formulas for your actual ranges without editing the Sheet.

Ask Money to propose SUM formulas for the ranges you specify.
Type each proposed formula into the Sheet yourself.
Repeat the total checks after the formulas calculate.

If a formula does not calculate the intended range, help me check a proposed Google Sheets SUM formula without editing my ledger.

Return to Money's chat.
Paste your Bank total in.
Paste your Bank total out.
Paste your Bank ending balance.
Paste your Bank per-account totals.
Ask Money to compare the figures with its proposal only.
Require Money to name the exact differing line if any figure does not match.

Money should confirm that your totals match its proposal. A mismatch should identify one exact line for you to investigate.

Money found a mismatch?

Compare the named line with its source.
Correct the Sheet only when the book contains the error.
Repeat the affected quick sum.
Ask Money to compare the corrected figures again.

If the mismatch remains unclear, help me trace a difference between my Sheet totals and Money's proposal.

A posted balance reflects transactions the bank has completed by a stated cutoff. Matching the cutoff prevents later transactions or pending activity from distorting the reconciliation.

This check returns to sensitive bank information. You remain the only person using the bank website.

Return to the official bank website in your own browser.
Find the ending or posted balance tied to the export cutoff.
Use the statement ending balance if the bank does not show a posted balance with the same meaning.
Record the matching figure as your bank evidence at the export cutoff.
Record the timestamp as your live balance timestamp if you must use a live balance.
List transactions posted after the export cutoff separately if you use a live balance.
List pending items or holds separately if you use a live balance.

Before you compare the two figures, do you expect the ledger to agree with the bank evidence to the cent?

Calculate the difference between your Bank ending balance and your bank evidence at the export cutoff.
Record the result as your Bank difference.

You should get a difference of 0.00. This proves the accepted Bank rows agree with outside evidence from the same cutoff.

Difference is not 0.00?

A non-zero difference usually points to a missed line or a duplicate. It can also come from activity outside the shared cutoff.

Check the sanitized export for a missed valid line.
Check the Bank tab for a duplicate row.
Separate every transaction posted after the cutoff.
Separate every pending item or hold.
Fix only an error in the book.
Tell Money to add the correction reason at the top of /workspace/pineapple/finance/opening-balances.md if you correct the book.
Tell Money to add the correction date at the top of the same file.
Repeat the reconciliation until the difference is 0.00.

Never add an unsourced row to force agreement. If you cannot isolate the difference, help me reconcile a non-zero Bank difference without inventing an entry.

The figures now agree. Finish by checking that the professional-review trail remains intact.

Confirm the first chart sentence states cash basis plus professional verification.
Confirm every chart account has one plain sentence.
Confirm every proposed row names its source.
Confirm test line remains only under lines I could not enter.
Confirm the proposals contain the account totals plus the five-line opening position.

The final checks move from the proposal files back to the ledger you control.

Confirm every judgment call remains marked provisional.
Confirm the three professional questions remain unanswered.
Confirm the Bank difference at the export cutoff is 0.00.
Confirm Money never posted or edited either Sheet tab.

That is the opening book closed. Every accepted amount now has evidence while the bank access plus final posting decisions remain under your control.

Secret mission

Close the Control Loop

Remove the fictional control line without disturbing the real export. Delete only Money's workspace test copy. Add a dated usage entry before confirming the permanent home of every durable record.

Clean Up Your Resources

Choose whether to keep your records in place, pause work, or remove disposable copies. Today's added cost remains $0.00.

Cost warning

The zero added cost depends on on-demand usage staying off.

Stop the workflow if the visible usage setting changes.
Review the cost before you continue.

Resources you used:

The fictional test line in the retained local bank-export.csv, removed during the Secret Mission.
Money's workspace copy of the test export under /workspace, deleted from the exact path Money reported.

Keep everything running

No action is needed. Choose this path if the records support your next bookkeeping period.

Keep the Pineapple Advisory ledger in its existing Google Drive location.
Keep the original receipts in the receipts folder beside the ledger.
Keep /workspace/pineapple/finance/ as the home for the chart, proposals, and opening CSV files.
Keep /workspace/pineapple/ops/ as the home for the connection record and usage log.
Keep the sanitized local bank-export.csv according to the company's record-retention decision.
Keep the private Windows Notepad receipt note with the company's source records.
Keep the bank login only in your password manager.
Keep Money available for proposal-only work.

Shared Workspace Boundary

Files under /workspace are available to every Bot on the same Grok Bot account. Keep bank login details and original receipts outside that shared computer.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Close the current task while keeping every durable record ready for the next bookkeeping period.

Close Money's current task.
Leave Connect apps unchanged.
Keep every durable record in its current location.

There is no routine to pause. There is no new connection to revoke.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove only disposable test material. The Secret Mission already completed the required deletion.

Return to the retained local bank-export.csv from the Secret Mission.
Search for test line.

You'll find no match. That closes the planted-line control.

Return to Money's chat from earlier.
Review the exact /workspace deletion paths it reported.

The report should name only the working test export. This confirms that the durable finance files remain in place.

What the Workspace Deletion Proves

Deleting the workspace copy removes that temporary file from the shared computer. It does not prove deletion of the chat attachment from product retention.

Leave the Pineapple Advisory ledger in its company Drive location.
Leave the original receipts in the Drive receipts folder.
Leave the chart and proposals under /workspace/pineapple/finance/.
Leave the usage record under /workspace/pineapple/ops/.
Leave the professional-review trail intact.

Operating Rule Until Day 32

Each company charge paid on your own card becomes one sourced line on Owed to you on the day it lands.

Money may propose the line. You post it.

Keep Money disconnected from the bank.
Keep Money disconnected from Google Sheets.
Leave the tax set-aside percentage undecided until Day 8.
Keep Due to Owner provisional for professional review.
Keep the three questions in opening-balances.md unanswered.

This workflow does not provide tax, legal, or financial advice.

Nice Work!

You did it! Pineapple Advisory's founder-controlled opening book in Google Sheets now reconciles to bank evidence at the same cutoff.

You've learned how to:

Create a two-tab opening ledger for bank activity and founder-paid costs. You posted only rows that traced to a statement line or receipt line.
Configure Money's proposal-only boundaries in Grok Bot. You kept Money away from the bank and spreadsheet. You proved the fictional pre-opening test line failed the posting gate.
Complete the first real reconciliation against bank evidence at the same cutoff. You confirmed a difference of 0.00. You also confirmed that the Owed to you total matched Due to Owner.
Secret Mission: Removed the planted test line from the local export. You deleted Money's workspace copy from only the approved path. You recorded weekly usage in usage.md. You documented where every durable record stays.

Ready to quiz yourself?