About debit-is-left: A Public Notebook

Order From Chaos: Notes, Opinions & Stuff Ben Learns.

Why it’s called DebitisLeft

I took my first accounting class in 9th grade, and my teacher drilled one thing into our skulls:

Debit = left. Credit = right.

Not “left side of the ledger” in some deep philosophical way. Just the blanket statement: debit is left, credit is right.

And of course, as kids, we pushed back — because debit and credit already meant things to us from the banking world (debit cards, credit cards, loans, “getting credit,” etc.). But the teacher basically shut that down and made the point that stuck with me the most:

In accounting, debit and credit don’t come with built-in moral meaning. They’re not “good” or “bad.” They’re closer to left turn vs right turn — directions for where an entry goes.

That one lesson became the foundation I carried forward. Everything else in accounting gets layered on top of it.

And yes — later I learned the classic mnemonic that accountants are DEAD inside:
Debits increase Expenses, Assets, and Dividends (and credits increase the opposite side accounts). 

But the core idea that never left my head is still the simplest one:
Debits. Left. Always.

That’s why the site is called DebitisLeft — it’s a reminder to keep fundamentals simple while I work through the messy stuff. DebitisLeft is a small corner of the internet where I keep notes on what I’m learning — accounting, taxes, money, software, career stuff, and whatever else I’m trying to understand without melting my brain. 🥲

And also the domain name was available

It’s not a personal diary. It’s not a formal textbook.
Think of it like a clean, organized notebook of the topics and information that I come across and found it interesting enough to dive into. 

New here?
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→ Tools & Templates:
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I try to follow the below guidelines in on here – 

  • plain-English explanations (not textbook fog),
  • practical examples (not theory cosplay),
  • and tools/templates that make stuff easier…
What you’ll find here

DebitisLeft is a mix of notes, guides, and “wish I knew this earlier” lessons on:

  • Taxes — the rules, the reality, and the parts people always misunderstand
  • Bookkeeping & accounting systems — how to keep things clean and consistent
  • Money basics — decisions, tradeoffs, and avoiding self-inflicted chaos
  • Software & workflows — tools I’m learning and systems I’m testing
  • Career & skill-building — what I’m learning as I level up

It’s practical, skimmable, and designed to be useful even when you’re reading it on a busy day.

Who’s writing this

I’m Ben. I work in the world of accounting and taxes, and like anyone in a technical field, I’m constantly learning.

DebitisLeft is how I organize those lessons — breaking them into clear notes that (hopefully) make the journey smoother for anyone trying to understand numbers and navigate the financial world.

There’s no guru persona here.
No “I figured out life.”
Just someone learning in public and sharing the process.

Yes, I use AI (…because it’s the age of Skynet and I’m not trying to suffer.)

Let’s be real: in the age of AI, there is no chance I’m hand-writing every word of every post from scratch like it’s 2009 and I’m doing a TypeRacer speedrun.

I use AI to help with things like:

  • turning rough notes into a clean outline,
  • rewriting for clarity,
  • generating first drafts,
  • tightening sections so they’re readable,
  • and helping me build templates/checklists/tools faster.

But here’s the important part – 

The baseline ideas come from me.
Almost every post starts because of something real — a project I’m working on, a course I’m taking, something I saw at work, or a problem I ran into in normal life (or hobbies).

And nothing gets posted “raw.”
I use AI to get from messy notes to a clean draft faster — but nothing gets posted raw. I proofread and edit everything myself, because I still want this stuff to be accurate and actually useful.

Accuracy, Updates, and My Occasional L’s

I try to be accurate and practical — but I’m also still learning, and this site is literally my public notebook. That means I will make mistakes sometimes.

So please: don’t treat anything here like gospel.
 If it’s important (money, taxes, deadlines, decisions), double-check it using official sources or a pro who can look at your specific situation.

If you spot something off, tell me. I actually appreciate it.

Corrections policy:

  • If something’s wrong, I’ll fix it (and note the update when it matters).
  • If rules change over time (hello, tax law), I’ll update older posts instead of pretending the internet never ages.
What DebitisLeft tries to do
  • Keep things clear, short, and human
  • Focus on real explanations instead of jargon
  • Share practical examples instead of dry theory
  • Make complicated ideas feel a lot less complicated
  • Build tools that save time (templates, checklists, mini calculators)
Who this is for

You’ll probably like DebitisLeft if you’re:

  • studying accounting (and want English, not hieroglyphics),
  • running a small business and trying to keep your books from becoming a crime scene,
  • building a career in finance/accounting,
  • or just trying to get or work on some of the topics mentioned here
Where to start

If you’re new and don’t want to wander around like a lost intern:

  • Start Here:
  • Tools & Templates: 
  • My favorite posts:
Quick disclaimer

Everything here is general education, not personalized tax/legal/financial advice. If your situation is specific, it’s worth getting specific help.

Welcome to debit-is-left.