Several things have happened recently that have made me decide that it’s time to upgrade the way I track my finances. First, the software I currently use (Microsoft Money 2006) is no longer supported. At some point it’s not going to work anymore. Not for a while, but that combined with other factors says it needs to be replaced. Second, currently we track our check register in Money and then transfer the info into a spreadsheet for our budget. It’s somewhat archaic. Finally, it’s cumbersome and time consuming. I’d like something that is all-in-one and that I can enter my register stuff in while categorizing it on the fly and that I can then click over and see the effect on budget and so on.
The software that I’m currently looking at and will likely demo is YNAB (You Need a Budget), MoneyDance, and Quicken. I’ve looked briefly at GNUCash and I’ve used Quickbooks before, but both are pretty heavy duty accounting software and the object here is to simplify, not have to learn proper double entry accounting procedures. So far, the front-runner is YNAB. But, I haven’t tested any of them yet so I only have the online sites to go off of. Which brings me to the online options. I think they are out. Some are very robust, but none of them will automatically bring in my information, and I have no need for access to it from anywhere, so it just seems like an added privacy risk that I don’t need to take.
Now, here’s where all you readers come in. I want to know what you use. What do you recommend? And what options/features have you found to be “can’t live without” in your software.
I started this blog to share what I know and what I was learning about personal finance. Along the way I’ve met and found many blogging friends. Please feel free to connect with me on the Beating Broke accounts: Twitter and Facebook.
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We also like YNAB – especially now that there’s an iPhone app available. You can check your budget wherever you are so you can decide on the spot whether or not you can actually afford what you’re contemplating to buy. Really helps if you’re on an especially tight budget.