Files
firefrost-operations-manual/docs/tasks/accounting-software/README.md
Claude 3542afbe28 feat: Add YAML frontmatter to all 57 task READMEs
Phase 1 of task management consolidation (per Gemini consultation).

Added standardized frontmatter with:
- status: open | blocked | complete
- priority: P1 | P2 | P3 | P4
- owner: Michael | Meg | Holly
- created: YYYY-MM-DD

Final counts:
- 39 open tasks
- 17 complete tasks
- 1 blocked task

Metadata extracted from existing inline markdown and audit results.
Ready for Phase 2: 11ty mobile index generation.

Chronicler #69
2026-04-08 14:21:41 +00:00

2.5 KiB

status, priority, owner, created
status priority owner created
open P2 Michael 2026-03-18

Task: Self-Hosted Accounting Software

Status: PLANNING
Priority: Tier 2 — Major Infrastructure
Created: March 18, 2026
Created By: Chronicler #32
Target Server: Billing VPS (38.68.14.188)


Background

Firefrost Gaming is now a three-partner operation (Michael, Meg, Holly). Financial tracking needs a proper solution that all three partners can access, covering server hosting costs, domain renewals, and community finances.

Cloud options (Wave, Zoho, ZipBooks) were evaluated and rejected due to multi-user paywalls. Self-hosted PHP-based solutions are preferred to leverage existing infrastructure.


Infrastructure Decision

Deploy on: Billing VPS (38.68.14.188)

Reasoning:

  • Follows "Money on Billing" infrastructure philosophy
  • Already runs Paymenter (billing) and Mailcow (communications)
  • PHP/MySQL stack already present
  • Financial data belongs on the financial server
  • Does NOT belong on game server nodes (TX1/NC1)
  • Does NOT belong on Command Center (backend/automation)

Software Options

  • Stack: PHP (Laravel), MySQL/MariaDB
  • Multi-user: Yes, built-in — all three partners get accounts
  • Best for: Full business accounting, P&L, expense tracking
  • Cost: Core free, some advanced modules paid
  • Verdict: Best fit for a real business with three partners

Option B: Invoice Ninja

  • Stack: PHP (Laravel)
  • Best for: Client invoicing and cash flow tracking
  • Limitation: Backend accounting reports not as deep as Akaunting
  • Verdict: Good if primary need is invoicing sponsors/clients

Option C: Firefly III

  • Stack: PHP
  • Best for: Strict internal budget tracking (VPS costs, hosting)
  • Limitation: No client-facing invoice generation
  • Verdict: Better as a personal finance tool than business accounting

Recommendation

Akaunting — gives all three partners real access, handles actual business accounting, and is built on the same Laravel/MySQL stack as Paymenter. Most future-proof for a growing operation.


Next Steps

  1. Verify Billing VPS has capacity (currently running Mailcow + Paymenter)
  2. Provision MySQL database for Akaunting
  3. Deploy Akaunting via Docker or direct PHP install
  4. Create accounts for Michael, Meg, and Holly
  5. Import existing hosting costs as historical data

Fire + Frost + Foundation = Where Love Builds Legacy 💙🔥❄️