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How to Track Expenses and Inventory

HandyCafe Server includes tools for recording business expenses, managing your supplier directory, and tracking inventory purchases. This guide covers each of these workflows step by step.

How to Record a Business Expense

Expenses represent any cost your business incurs. Track rent, utilities, equipment purchases, software subscriptions, and any other outgoing payments.

What you will need

  • HandyCafe Server running.
  • Admin or owner-level access.
  • The expense details: title, amount, vendor name, and due date.

Steps

  1. Click Expenses in the left sidebar of the HandyCafe Server application.
  2. Click the Add button to create a new expense record.
  3. Enter a Title that clearly describes the expense. For example: "Electricity Bill - April 2026."
  4. Enter the Amount in your local currency.
  5. Enter the Vendor name. For example: "City Power Company." This is the business or person you owe the payment to.
  6. Set the Due Date for when the payment is due. Optionally, if the expense is already paid, check the Paid toggle and enter the Paid Date. Click Save.

Expected result

The expense appears in the expense list. Unpaid expenses are highlighted so you can quickly see what is outstanding. The total expense amount is included in your financial reporting.

Common mistakes

  • Not entering a clear, descriptive title. "Miscellaneous" tells you nothing when reviewing expenses months later. Be specific.
  • Forgetting to update the paid status after making a payment. Your unpaid balance will appear higher than it actually is.

How to View Unpaid Expenses

Quickly filter to see only the expenses that have not been paid yet.

What you will need

  • At least one expense recorded in the system.

Steps

  1. Navigate to the Expenses page.
  2. Click the Unpaid filter tab at the top of the expense list.
  3. The list now shows only expenses where the paid status is unchecked.

Expected result

A filtered view showing exclusively unpaid expenses. Use this to prioritize upcoming payments and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

How to Mark an Expense as Paid

When you make a payment, update the record to reflect it.

What you will need

  • An existing unpaid expense in the system.

Steps

  1. Navigate to the Expenses page.
  2. Locate the expense you have paid. Click on it to open the detail view.
  3. Click the Mark Paid button or toggle the paid status to on.
  4. The paid date is set automatically to today. Adjust it if the actual payment was made on a different date.
  5. Save the changes.

Expected result

The expense moves from the Unpaid filter to the Paid filter. Your unpaid balance decreases by the marked amount.

How to Add a Supplier

Suppliers are the businesses you purchase goods and services from. Maintaining a supplier directory lets you quickly associate purchases with the right vendor.

What you will need

  • Supplier contact information: name, phone, email, address.
  • Optional: payment terms, tax ID.

Steps

  1. Click Suppliers in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the Add button to create a new supplier record.
  3. Enter the Name of the supplier. For example: "TechParts Wholesale."
  4. Enter the Contact Person name if you have a specific point of contact at the supplier.
  5. Fill in the Phone Number and Email Address.
  6. Enter the Address for the supplier's business location.
  7. Optionally enter Payment Terms (such as "Net 30" or "Due on receipt") and the supplier's Tax ID for your accounting records.
  8. Click Save.

Expected result

The supplier appears in your supplier directory. You can now reference this supplier when recording inventory purchases.

Common mistakes

  • Creating duplicate supplier entries with slightly different names (for example "TechParts" and "Tech Parts Wholesale"). Search the existing list before adding a new supplier.
  • Leaving the contact fields empty. When you need to reorder or dispute an invoice, you will need this information.

How to Record an Inventory Purchase

Inventory purchases track what you buy for the cafe. This includes food and drinks for the snack bar, computer peripherals, cleaning supplies, and any physical goods.

What you will need

  • A supplier already added to the system (or you can add one during this process).
  • The invoice or receipt from the purchase.

Steps

  1. Click Inventory in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the Add button to create a new inventory record.
  3. Enter the Invoice Number from the supplier's invoice. This links the record to a specific purchase document.
  4. Select the Supplier from the dropdown list. If the supplier is not in the list, you will need to add them first (see the supplier section above).
  5. Enter the Item Name. For example: "Energy Drink - 500ml" or "USB Mouse."
  6. Enter the Unit of measurement (such as "each", "pack", "box", or "kg").
  7. Enter the Quantity purchased and the Unit Price for a single unit.
  8. Select the Currency if your system supports multiple currencies.
  9. Select a Category to organize the purchase (such as "Beverages", "Hardware", or "Supplies").
  10. Add any Notes for lot numbers, brand names, expiry dates, or other details relevant to this purchase. Click Save.

Expected result

The inventory purchase is recorded with the total cost calculated automatically (quantity multiplied by unit price). The record is linked to the supplier and categorized for reporting.

Common mistakes

  • Entering the total cost in the unit price field instead of the per-unit price. If you bought 24 cans for $36 total, the unit price should be $1.50, not $36.
  • Skipping the invoice number. Without it, you cannot trace a record back to the original purchase document for returns or disputes.

How to Track Product Stock Levels

Stock levels change as you sell items through the order system and add new inventory.

What you will need

  • Products configured in the Products page.
  • Orders being processed through the system.

How stock changes work

  • Automatic decrement on sale: When a cashier processes an order that includes a product, the system automatically reduces the stock count for that product by the sold quantity.
  • Manual adjustment: For spoilage, breakage, returns, or corrections, edit the product's stock count directly on the Products page. Navigate to Products, find the item, and update the quantity field.
  • Restocking from inventory purchases: After recording an inventory purchase, update the corresponding product's stock count on the Products page to reflect the new supply.

Steps to check current stock levels

  1. Navigate to the Products page in the left sidebar.
  2. Review the product list. Each product shows its current stock quantity.
  3. Products with low stock are highlighted to draw your attention.
  4. Click on any product to see its details, including the current count and recent sales activity.

Expected result

A clear view of what is in stock and what needs reordering. Products that have been sold down to low levels are easy to spot.

Common mistakes

  • Not recording waste or breakage. If a can of soda is dropped and cannot be sold, the stock count should be manually reduced. Otherwise your actual count will not match the system count.
  • Forgetting to update stock after receiving a shipment. The system only knows about inventory that is entered. Physical stock on your shelf that is not recorded in the system creates a mismatch.
  • Relying solely on automatic decrement without periodic physical counts. Even the best tracking system drifts over time. Do a physical count weekly and reconcile with the system numbers.