Insert recurring transaction before due date

[zynexiz]

Support guidelines

• I've read the support guidelines
• My request is not listed as a very good idea, but unfortunately...
• I've used the search and this has not been requested before.

Description

As far as I know, the recurring transactions is inserted in the database on the due date. Sometimes you want to see the transaction before the due date (the due date can vary by some days in the bank). I know this feature was in Skrooge that I used before migrating to Frefly, and I always had the transaction inserted 10 days before.

That way I know that a payment is in the process, and for me it's a good way to check so the balance on my account is enough before the actual transaction is done in my bank.

Solution

Could be an option in the settings (global) so it process the recurring transactions X days before the due date, like from 0 days (due date) or X days before that.

What are alternatives?

Nothing. The recurring transaction is added on due date. I can manually "trigger" it the rule, but that's not the same thing.

[JC5]

You mean like, always create it X days before the due date?

[zynexiz]

You mean like, always create it X days before the due date?

Yeh, precisely. Like if a transaction is due on the 28th, it will be written to the database on the 18th (if set to 10 days), of course with the original date :) An alternative is to set that configuration for each recurring transaction (then you could set different offsets), but I think one setting that applies globally is good enough?

[JC5]

Mmm. Kind of a niche feature, not gonna lie. I'll think about it.

[JC5]

Wait, no need. You can do this by making the cron job pretend it's X days in the future.

https://docs.firefly-iii.org/how-to/firefly-iii/advanced/cron/#extra-information

[zynexiz]

Ah, must have missed that. I will try that implementation. It will not affect any other parts in a negative way doing this?

[EDIT]
Added /usr/bin/php /srv/http/firefly-iii/artisan firefly:cron --force --date=$(date '+\%C\%y-\%m-\%d' -d "+10 days") to cron jobb. Just created a dummy recurring transaction on the 16th, and manually started the cron jobb. The transaction got added without issue today, so that solution worked like a charm 👍

[JC5]

Nice work! You should be fine in regards to the side effects :)

[zynexiz]

Just thought about something, I missed this solution when I tried looking for it. Maybe it should be moved to the part in the documentation from Extra information to Calling a command instead? I didn't read further because the documentation started talking about Docker and IFTTT after that, so it's very easy to miss now.