captgnvr, I won't try and break into the assistance HiTechCoach is giving you as my level is quite basic but just to add to your vocabulary.
You have Tables (lists) to store data. You may well have many tables as your database and requirements grow.
All Tables should have as it's first field a Primary Key field - often an autonumber. Just like your employee number to identify individual employees. And usually these tables are linked to one another by Relationships.
Imagine a table of the companies ships would have VesselID as PrimaryKey field and the Vessel Name as the next field followed by date launched, tonnage etc.
A Seaman Table would have EmployeeID as the PrimaryKey followed by FirstName, LastName, BirthDate, etc and likely include a field VesselID which would have "0233" entered as data being the PrimaryKey number for the Queen Mary. You could then do a query to search Seaman Table to get a list of crew members currently serving on this vessel and VesselTable to get the vessel Name and other details.
In this example, There is a relationship between the Vessel Table Primary Key and the Seaman Table VesselID field. This is shown on your screen as a line between the two tables. Relationships are very important.
Sometimes you will Make a Table "on the fly" so to speak and this could be a permanent or more likely temporary table.
If you do this again, "make a table" then the first table and all it's data is lost forever. ie the new table over writes the old table.
How do you get information into a table and out of a table and how do you compare, manipulate, calculate and sometimes mess
up the data in a table?
This is where you should spend some time and be aware of the different tools and there correct name and use.
You have Queries. These can search one or more of your tables and collect data that is related either directly or in a roundabout way depending on how complicated your needs are. You can have queries nested so to speak. ie one query collects some data and then another query will use that data and do something with or too it and then another query will do another task. Say you 3 queries. You normally run the 3rd query and the other two will automatically provide the data as required.
Types of Queries include Select, MakeTable, Append, Update, Crosstab and maybe more. MakeTable would make your Temporary Table. Append would add data to a table, Update will change some or all of the data in your table, Crosstab can give a spreadsheet like view of your data and the most common is select which just selects your data but i shouldn't use the word "just" as it can do a lot of work but it won't disturb existing data.
You have Forms. Forms allow you to view data in one or more of your tables and most often these use a query to supply the data as in the case of looking at a customers invoice. The data on the invoice is not all in one place. It has been assembled by queries and is just displayed in a format that makes sence to you but when you close the form, all is gone.
Forms can allow you to Edit, Delete or Add some data to your tables - stored information - or to a query which would be information that is required to complete the next task a query is attempting to do.
You have Reports which are similar to Forms but can be Previewed on your screen or printed onto paper or emailed.
To get back to your Database task. You will need to use Table, Queries, Forms and Reports to both construct your Database and to use it.
What I have found is that a Database may take longer to setup then say an excel project but once it is done it will provide a better facility for both entering data (eg buying and selling items) and then to have Reports and Balances of the events and end of period reconciliations.
Enjoy your project and trust the above assists.