Hello jdelorey,
At QuickBooks, it's vital to us that your books are set up and tracking just as you need them, which is why we've designed the program to allow you to create accounts and transactions as needed in your books. When it comes to the more intricate details or the when, how, and should I, we often take a step back and leave that to the pros. I can explain.
While myself and other QuickBooks team members can show where to click in the program and how to create transactions, we can't advise on how to manage a business's books. The same is true of your situation. As I don't have accounting training, I'm not able to share about whether creating a shareholder advance account is a good way to track owner expenses.
I recommend you speak with an accountant to figure out the ins and outs of recording these details in your books. An accountant can even be granted access to your QuickBooks Online account to help you directly in the program. Use the My Accountant tab to invite an accountant to your account, or use the Find a pro to help button in that same tab to find someone who can offer you some guidance.
You may even have other users here in the QuickBooks Community share how they've accomplished what you're looking to do. It's a great environment for learning from each other, although I still recommend touching base with an accountant to iron out the way to meet the needs of your unique business.
Take care!
