Money/Buget Software?

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Foxhole

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Nov 15, 2011
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Foxhole
I need to do some serious budget cutting at home to cover the tuition cost for my special needs daughter. I was not planning on $1200mo for the next several years but it is what it is.. Now I am committed to do whatever it takes to get her what she needs.
What software do you like? Quicken/MS Money are there any others that are good. I hope to use my cellphone to down load my data if I can.
Thanks
Craig Fox
 
Personally I've used Quicken for years, prior to the Windows days. On my iPad I have Mint and PageOnce to help track things.
 
My wife and I used a spreadsheet for 7-8 years which worked well. We moved it to "the cloud" so we could both get at it. Recently, we moved to Mint. It does not work like the SS, but we are getting used to it. They recently updated their iPad app.

Probably because of how my brain works, but I've found most budgeting programs difficult to use/fit my/our life. Saving for non-regular and non-monthly events seems to be difficult no matter what system you use.

Getting a clear understanding of where your money goes is step #1. Nothing beats a pocket notebook and pen for that purpose, but if you are a heavy debit and credit card user, Mint can make that initial process easier because it automatically pulls in your data and tries to categorize it.

If you want to see the SS format we used, PM me and I'll send it to you.

Good Luck.
 
Take a look at Moneydance. Provides the key functions of Quicken without the forced upgrades & constant push for more money from you. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, IIRC.

MSMoney is gone - run out by Quicken.
 
I'm currently a Mint user. I use it on my iPad (and my wife on her Droid). I quit Quicken because of them sunsetting functionality and asking for more $ to 'upgrade' to get that functionality back.

Mint doesn't give me the cashflow forecasting that I got a lot of use from Quicken. I need that function back. I also have questions about how much data it will hold.
 
Thanks!!! I used Quicken in the 90's and got away from it. Like you said always asking for upgrades.$$ We are not large debt users. CC balance is about $300 other than car pmt and mortgage it seems most of the money goes to W mart and fixed cost like utilities/insurance/fuel... I'm going to drop the hm phone and Cable TV. and my getting back into an airplane is OUT for a few more years.:(
I'm going to take a look at each of these and see what fits us.
Many Thanks

Quicken
Mint
Page One
Cloud
Money Dance
Dave Ramsey Gazelle
 
I got myself debt-free (except for a mortgage) using Google Docs (now Drive). A few docs to plan and a spreadsheet with multiple tabs to maintain my bank accounts and track bills/payments. I like the whole cloud concept and use a RAID NAS at home.
 
MS Money is not gone. You can download the free, unsupported "Twilight Version" from Microsoft's website. I did it myself to install it on a new computer.
 
Excel works for me - what I do is track extended cash flow so that I know there is enough money to pay bills.

I track my checking account for the entire year, one column per paycheck. Budget items are here, including infrequently budgeted items, scheduled out for the entire year. Unexpected items are added to the budget when I find out about them.

I balance this once a week or so against my online checking account. At any time I can tell how much free cash I will have available, from now until about next May, assuming no more unexpected items. But, since I can track backwards too, I know my average unexpected spending plus mins/maxes so I feed that forward as a future budget item.

I know when I have to cut something back and that's the key - keeping up with the system frequently so that you don't get off the tracks for a month before you discover it. Make small control corrections rather than great big ones.

I backup my PC documents to my Mac, which is using Time Machine. I could do offsite, but in the end this is just a tracking document. I could recreated it from my last month's checking account statement in a few hours.

If you already have Excel, then this already works for you and is free.
 
I use Quicken (for more than a decade) just to download transactions and for the great reporting.

For "Budgeting" I have been using for a couple of years YNAB (www.youneedabudget.com) with great success. More than a piece of software, it is more a method of living on the previous month's money and always understanding what is coming and being able to absorb it.

Lots of similar methods exist, but that is my vote. Quicken / YNAB.
 
Ramsey is good to listen to. We did a modified version which turned out to be a godsend since I was forced into an early retirement last year. We got debt free except the mortgage, which we refied down to a 10 year. It has allowed us to be in a position to stretch the package I got out over 2 or more years while I hunt for something I'd like to do for the last few years. If I don't find something I can collect SS next year at 62 and be okay.

It really is just a matter of forcing yourself to be disciplined into not buying stuff on impulse and forcing yourself to put extra money towards your debt.

I know we're a little off track, but I think it is important for people to head in the debt free direction.

Almost forgot that through all of this I have 1/2 of a Warrior, got my IR and fly fairly regularly.
 
I think it is important for people to head in the debt free direction.
Click to expand...

Why? The rich do exactly the opposite and leverage themselves deeper into debt with everything they acquire.
 
Henning said:
Why? The rich do exactly the opposite and leverage themselves deeper into debt with everything they acquire.
Click to expand...

That's not really true. Making sweeping generalizations causes folks to draw incorrect conclusions.

Many of the "rich" learned the debt/liquid/illiquid asset lesson long ago - and many, if not most, wealthy folks have assets that far outweigh the debt that they've taken on. Most do a financial calculation before making an investment (or hire financial planners to do it for them).

Some don't, however I don't define a person having a negative net worth as being "wealthy".

The average person doesn't have assets to back up the debt they take on. And a lot of debt used by the average person goes into depreciating assets (or day-to-day expenses) - mortgage debt is potentially an exception where the LTV ratio is low (there are a lot of folks underwater on their mortgage). Debt for depreciating assets is foolish in the long run. Debt where one doesn't have the income to service the debt is also risky.
 
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