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10 Inventory

Tracking Systems and Valuation Techniques

Dr. Jacqueline Gagnon


An eye in a circle—the 'see' section of the think-see-do approach.


Now let’s solve these same problems using average cost. As a reminder average cost blends the cost of all inventory purchased but unsold, so the inventory balance is a running average. We will start with a table to calculate the increase in COGS when goods are sold, and the running balance for inventory.

My Turn
Spruce It Up Ltd (SIU) using average cost

AVERAGE COST: CALCULATIONS

Date

Description

Increase to COGS

Inventory balance

Nov 1

Purchase of 100@$50/unit

100 units @ $50/unit: $5,000

Average cost: $5,000/100= $50/unit

Nov 10

Purchase of 60@$65/unit

100 units @ $50/unit= $5,000

60 units @ $65/unit= $3,900

Total inventory cost: $8,900

Average cost: $8,900/160= $55.63/unit

Nov 16

Sale of 40 units

40 units @$55.63/unit = $2,225

120 units @ $55.63/unit = $6,676

Nov 20

Purchase of 20@$55/unit

120 units @ $55.63/unit= $6,676

20 units @ $55/unit= $1,100

Total inventory cost: $7,776

Average cost: $7,776/140= $55.54/unit

Nov 25

Sale of 70 units

70 units @ $55.54/unit= $3,888

70 units @ $55.54/unit= $3,888

Dec 1

Purchase of 30@$70/unit

70 units @ $55.54/unit= $3,888

30 units @ $70/unit= $2,100

Total inventory cost: $5,988

Average cost: $5,988/100= $59.88/unit

Dec 12

Sale of 80 units

80 units @ $59.88/unit= $4,790

20 units @$59.88/unit = $1,198

Dec 15

Purchase of 45@$110/unit

20 units @ $59.88/unit = $1,198

45 units @ $110/unit= $4,950

Total inventory cost: $6,148

Average cost: $6,148/65= $94.58/unit

Dec 17

Sale of 50 units

50 units @ $94.58/unit = $4,729

15 units @ $94.58/unit = $1,419

Dec 18

Purchase of 30@$130/unit

15 units @ $94.58/unit= $1,419

30 units @ $130/unit = $3,900

Total inventory cost: $5,319

Average cost: $5,319/45= $118.20/unit

Dec 21

Sale of all remaining units

45 units @ $118.20/unit= $5,319

Total

$2,225 + $3,888 + $4,790 + $4,729 + $5,319

=$20,951 increase to COGS

Ending inventory

balance = $0

Journal entries:


November 1

 
DR Inventory 5,000
CR Accounts Payable 5,000

November 10

 
DR Inventory 3,900
CR Accounts Payable 3,900

November 16

(to record sales; 40 trees x $150
DR Cash 6,000
CR Sales Revenue 6,000
 
DR Cost of Goods Sold 2,225
CR Inventory 2,225

November 20

 
DR Inventory 1,100
CR Accounts Payable 1,100

November 25

(to record sales; 70 trees x $150)
DR Cash 10,500
CR Sales Revenue 10,500
 
DR Cost of Goods Sold 3,888
CR Inventory 3,888

November 30

 
DR Accounts Payable 10,000
CR Cash 10,000

December 1

 
DR Inventory 2,100
CR Accounts Payable 2,100

December 12

(to record sales; 80 trees x $150)
DR Cash 12,000
CR Sales Revenue 12,000
 
DR Cost of Goods Sold 4,790
CR Inventory 4,790

December 15

 
DR Inventory 4,950
CR Accounts Payable 4,950

December 17

(to record sales; 50 trees x $150)
DR Cash 7,500
CR Sales Revenue 7,500
 
DR Cost of Goods Sold 4,729
CR Inventory 4,729

December 18

 
DR Inventory 3,900
CR Accounts Payable 3,900

December 21

(to record sales; 45 trees x $150)
DR Cash 6,750
CR Sales Revenue 6,750
 
DR Cost of Goods Sold 5,319
CR Inventory 5,319

December 24

 
DR Accounts Payable 10,950
CR Cash 10,950

Here it comes again – the SHL example. This time use the weighted average cost method. You’ve got this!


A gear and a pencil in a circle—the 'do' section of the think-see-do approach.


Well done! Many students find average costing less intuitive than first-in-first-out, so let’s get some more practice in on this costing method. Give Sweet Dreams Inc. a try!

Awesome progress! Good work! You’ve learned all about accounting for inventory. Now let’s look at how we might evaluate inventory management.

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Mastering Financial Statements Copyright © 2025 by Jacqueline Gagnon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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