How do I enter an Expense for something that won't be paid until a month from now, and is recorded as Unpaid in QBO under the vendor?

You can create a bill, Dave the Geek.

You'll need to enter a bill first in QuickBooks to properly record the transactions that you will pay at a future date.

1. Select + New.
2. Select Bill.
3. From the Vendor dropdown, select a vendor.
4. From the Terms dropdown, select the bill's terms. This is when your vendor expects to be paid.
5. Enter the Bill date, Due date, and Bill no. as they're recorded on the bill.
6. Enter the bill details in the Category details section. From the Category dropdown, select the expense account you use to track expense transactions. Then enter a description. Tip: You can also enter specific products and services in the Item details section to itemize the bill.
7. Enter the Amount and tax.
8. If you plan to bill a customer for the expense, select the Billable checkbox and enter their name in the Customer field. Learn more about billable expenses.
9. When you're done, select Save and close.

Once you already recorded what you owe in QuickBooks, you can use the Pay Bills and select Check as payment method to settle your payables for your vendor and to mark the bill as paid. 

1. Select + New.
2. Select Pay Bills.
3. From the Payment account dropdown, select the account you paid the bill from.
4. Enter the Payment date.
5. Select the checkboxes for the bills you made a payment towards.
6. In the Payment column, enter the amount you paid towards each bill. Tip: If you have credit with the vendor, you can apply it in the Credit Applied column.
7. When you're done, select the Schedule payments online dropdown. Then select Save, or Save and close. Or select Schedule payments online to learn about available payment processing options.

Each time you record a payment, it shows up on the Expenses menu. The bills are marked as paid.

If you have more questions about bill payments in QuickBooks, don't hesitate to let me know.

Hi Dave,

Hope you’re doing great. I wanted to see how everything is going about the recording transactions you had yesterday. Was it resolved? Do you need any additional help or clarification? If you do, just let me know. I’d be happy to help you at anytime.

Looking forward to your reply. Have a pleasant day ahead!

Let's take a look at the business process behind the transaction:

When you are ordering that computer from the Supplier, add it to a Purchase Order with drop-ship address information for the customer.  Use the same SKU on the Invoice as you do on the Purchase Order (you can make it non-inventory if that SKU would NEVER be kept in stock).

When you get proof of delivery that the computer has arrived at the customer, then you receive the item against the open Purchase Order and now you a "real time" expense which can be vouchered for payment.  This also allows you to capture freight and other line items which might apply to the drop-ship.

If your business expands rapidly, this would allow you to keep track of your drop-ship activity without re-inventing a separate process.

Kevin