You have been recording transactions all month. But when the month ends, some accounts no longer tell the truth. The office supplies drawer is half empty. The insurance policy has been running down. Cash you collected for next month’s work hasn’t been earned yet. Adjusting entries are the built‑in correction that brings your books back in line with reality. In this chapter we focus on two common timing puzzles — paying before you use something, and collecting cash before you deliver — and the simple entries that solve them.