The "Real Balance" feature requires too much editing to be accurate, for the most part.
Sometimes, technology has trouble surpassing basic tools like a personal monthly budget spreadsheet and a finance ledger.
MS office has great templates for monthly budgets, and you can pickup a small financial ledger from any office supply store. When it comes down to it all you need is a basic overview of how much you can spend and how much you've spent. I keep my receipts, round the balances, enter them in my ledger, then input them into my spreadsheet on a weekly basis. Considering how much we use electronic means of payment these days, it's quite painless to do.
If I have an unexpected expense I will note it as a new line item in my spreadsheet and update my projected budget accordingly.
Its straight forward and clean, assuming you do a decent job of updating your ledger. I spend maybe 45m/1hr per week updating my finances. A small price to pay. voila...
So you really have to wait until the first of the month to make a budget for that month? My budget changes monthly, and I can't plan ahead for it? I'm starting to get turned off from this application.
I agree. The whole purpose of budgeting is "Planning AHEAD".
I like this product but there are so many huge holes in it I'm working too hard to make it work for me (or not work). I would gladly pay for a product like this that has ALL the essentials working correctly.
I want to make my monthly bugdet in advance, how do I do this? Jul 25, 2009 05:40 pm
This post is about: Quicken Online
I'm new to the software, but pretty savy on this stuff. On the topic of budget, the Quicken Online tool really is just a forecast tool showing you how your account (check book) balance is going to change based upon future transactions. It is simple and pretty cool.
But, the issue I have is, it doesn't work. For example: How do I put in $100 / week at the grocery store? The 'upcoming' transactions shows the $100 dollars and shows it as weekly, but doesn't replicate the outflow over the month, so the forecasted check book balance only has the 1st 100 dollars taken out for the month. I got around this by deleting the repeating transaction and entering a 'one time' transaction for the next several weeks; thus, I now have the multiple entries in my 'upcoming' transactions and I can forecast my cash flow. If I can get through some other issues, I may be willing to do this, but if cannot get through a few other issues, I'll have to bag this software.
In summary, I was a dedicated MS Money user for 50 years, but it quit working and MS stopped supporting it.
I am now searching for the software for the next 50 years. I was hoping this free online version would give me a clue if I should purchase a version of Quicken. Right now, not inclined to purchase.
Regards all and I reserve the right to change my opinion.
I want to make my monthly bugdet in advance, how do I do this? Sep 17, 2009 06:59 pm
This post is about: Quicken Online
What you are all looking for is a zero based budget method. There are many options out there.If you search on the internet for zero based budget, you will find many free spreadsheets you can use with Excel. Some options you have to pay for are YNAB (http://www.youneedabudget.com/), Mvelopes (http://www.mvelopes.com/).
I started using a spreadsheet to get used to the zero based budget. I use Quicken Online because my wife (who isn't crazy about touching finances) logs on to our online quicken account and categorizes her transactions for her own account. I pay the bills out of my account. This way I can get a ballpark of how much we spend to move forward to a zero based budget. I travel for work so I love the fact that quicken is online so I can update account wherever I go.
I want to make my monthly bugdet in advance, how do I do this? Oct 22, 2009 11:56 am
This post is about: Quicken Online
New user here. Are you guys saying that the Goals screen doesn't carry through to the next month? So I would have to re-enter all the amounts I edited to reflect what I projected I would spend? Seriously?
Are you guys saying that the Goals screen doesn't carry through to the next month? So I would have to re-enter all the amounts I edited to reflect what I projected I would spend? Seriously?
The spending goals that you have configured will retain.
The spending values will reset to $0.
I have variable bills every month and I'm comfortable with creating one-time manual transactions in my accounts. By doing so I'm able to predict what's happening with that account, since Quicken Online shows me the projected balance.
The 'upcoming' transactions shows the $100 dollars and shows it as weekly, but doesn't replicate the outflow over the month, so the forecasted check book balance only has the 1st 100 dollars taken out for the month. I got around this by deleting the repeating transaction and entering a 'one time' transaction for the next several weeks; thus, I now have the multiple entries in my 'upcoming' transactions and I can forecast my cash flow. If I can get through some other issues, I may be willing to do this, but if cannot get through a few other issues, I'll have to bag this software. I was hoping this free online version would give me a clue if I should purchase a version of Quicken. Right now, not inclined to purchase. Regards all and I reserve the right to change my opinion.
I used Quicken Deluxe 2005 for years, then my PC crashed. I THOUGHT I had an install disk but it turned out to be blank. I must have bought it online and didn't know how to burn a CD.
Anyway, the Deluxe version had a full blown calendar and the ability to do repeating transactions up to a date you choose, or NO ENDING DATE if you want.
So if you actually BUY a version (which I'm trying to avoid <grin> ) you'll be happy, I'm sure.
I want to make my monthly bugdet in advance, how do I do this? Oct 31, 2009 06:22 pm
This post is about: Quicken Online
You can edit the monthly spending goals. You don't have to accept the Quicken recommendations. So if your monthly grocery goal is currently $300, you could edit it to be $150, or whatever. If you do this at the start of each month, it would serve the purpose you want, I think.
Just a reminder, too, that you can add or remove goals to suit your needs.
OK, this morning I finally thought about the right lingo I should be using. Not so much to see how far above my budget I am, but to be able to Schedule a Transaction. Way in advance!
I want to be able to follow a time line on a calendar and show me the days when I will be in the danger zone.
OK, this morning I finally thought about the right lingo I should be using. Not so much to see how far above my budget I am, but to be able to Schedule a Transaction. Way in advance! I want to be able to follow a time line on a calendar and show me the days when I will be in the danger zone. Thanks!
I suppose you've seen the button on your Q-Online homepage marked "Show Spending Outlook" in the section titled, "Stay on Top of Monthly Bills"? It creates a graph/timeline showing how much money we'll have left, by date, through the next pay period.
It looks like what you're looking for. However, it may not show the upcoming bills that, for you, are the heavy-hitters, and I don't know how to force a bill to appear appear on that timeline.
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