is it worth it and do yall find it usefull or is it just easier to do stuff the old fashioned way. I dont need anything fancey i just honestly forget about alot of stuff and am making an attempt to keep up with it better

3/27/2007 9:05:26 PM

if you are just trying to make a budget it's cheaper to just make an excel spreadsheet

3/27/2007 9:13:18 PM

do it, you'll appreciate it

http://lifehacker.com/software/quicken/ask-lifehacker--how-do-i-get-started-using-quicken-247245.php

3/27/2007 9:15:00 PM

Is there a demo out there anywhere?

3/27/2007 9:21:30 PM

Take an acc course shit did wonders

3/27/2007 9:24:15 PM

Quote :

"do it, you'll appreciate it"

Uhhhh, all the comments from that link you posted seemed quite negative to me.

[Edited on March 27, 2007 at 9:24 PM. Reason : ]

3/27/2007 9:24:18 PM

I've used Quicken for several years now and like it.

Be aware that you may be charged by your bank to use it, though. http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=468203

3/27/2007 9:24:24 PM

...

[Edited on March 27, 2007 at 9:34 PM. Reason : nevermind... didn't read all the way]

3/27/2007 9:31:50 PM

i dont know you jen, but based on like the types of threads u make, etc., i'd guess u need to do it the old fashioned way

if it aint broke dont fix it

3/28/2007 6:25:43 AM

it's worth it to use either Quicken or MS Money

My dad has used Quicken since the old DOS versions in 89/90, and I started using Money in 1998. I recently converted to Quicken, but they'll both do what you're looking for.

The ability to login to your bank and download the transactions is wonderful, virtually eliminating the need to reconcile your checkbook (unless you really want to with your paper statements at the end of the month- my dad doesn't, but I do)

With either program, you can start off as easy as you want. At the easiest, you will just download the transactions from your bank (or manually enter them if you really want to) into the software, assign a category, and track your spending that way.

Once you get comfortable with that, you can move into some of the more complex features of the program, like tracking your investments, budgeting, etc. I'll be honest that I never did much of the more advanced stuff before, but it's something I've been working on over the past couple of months.

One good thing is that Quicken has a money-back guarantee to let you try the software and if you don't like it, you can return it for a full refund. Their online store lets you download the product immediately.

3/28/2007 6:57:47 AM

^^^^^ did you even read it?

Quote :

"I'm here to tell you that the benefits of using the software greatly outweigh the initially scary climb up the learning curve."

Quote :

"Also, Quicken will automatically generate and track your budget, based on what you actually report spending, versus what you think you spend money on. The budgeting feature alone, for penny-pinchers and savers, is huge."

Quote :

"Now, you're absolutely NOT going to enter transactions by hand! That is so pre-internet."

Quote :

"once you identify a charge from Ralph's as Groceries, you'll never have to do it again. Quicken will remember and auto-categorize charges from Ralph's the same way again."

Quote :

"Most of all, finance software gives you peace of mind and a sense of control and awareness about what's happening with your dollars and cents - which is the best weapon you can have in your financial arsenal."

3/28/2007 6:59:56 AM

idk man this chick is a female and a pretty dense sounding one at that...i think having to learn some computer program is more trouble than its worth if she can just do it the old fashioned way

3/28/2007 7:10:54 AM

i used it when i was saving up money for a house. i knew that i needed a certain amount of money by a certain date, and this was an easy way to make sure i was keeping my budget on track.

after i bought the house, i stopped using it. im pretty tight with my money, so i didnt really need this type of thing to budget what and when i spend, but i can see it being very useful if you don't keep track of your money naturally.

3/28/2007 7:34:29 AM

^^^ all the comments from that link you posted seemed quite negative to me

3/28/2007 8:24:52 AM

^ ooooh. reader comments, not author comments. gotchya. i hadn't read those before. now that i have, it seems like there's as much praise as there are complaints in the comments. -shrug-

3/28/2007 8:49:07 AM

If it has a money back guarantee then I may be tempted to try it out.

3/28/2007 8:54:12 AM

Quicken honestly changed my financial life.


Once i started managing our accounts through quicken, I am able to establish saving goals, bill reminders, etc....


If you start managing investments, 401k, multiple accounts, loans, debt, assets, etc... through something like Quicken or Money, you really get a clear picture of your financial status.

3/28/2007 9:10:15 AM

You guys do realize you can do a lot of the things listed in the thread and in the article without quicken? Granted a program does makes it easier, I can still set savings goals and check balances online fairly quickly without the use of a 3rd party program or even excel for that matter.

3/28/2007 9:35:20 AM

Quote :

"a program does makes it easier"

which is the whole point. not saying software is for everyone, but it does have its advantages

[Edited on March 28, 2007 at 9:40 AM. Reason : . ]

3/28/2007 9:39:37 AM

Yeah, it just seems like a stretch to call it life changing or to use it as a scapegoat as to why you were unable to save money/budget before you had the program.

3/28/2007 9:42:46 AM

I just started using MS Money about a month ago. Yes I could do the same thing with some legal pads and/or an excell spread sheet, but to put it frankly, it has made managing my money/finances so much easier, I feel like the fifty bucks I spent on it (Premium Version), has compounded itself into returns at least two or three fold in a month.

3/28/2007 9:55:42 AM

It turns out the serial number used during the installation of my basic version was the winning lottery number and now I'm rich.

3/28/2007 9:59:45 AM

Quote :

"use it as a scapegoat as to why you were unable to save money/budget before you had the program."

if it helps people save money, that's great

i dont use it to help me save money, i just use it to tell me what all I'm spending my money on.

3/28/2007 10:07:29 AM

So, how does knowing I spent $600 on gasoline last year benefit me?

3/28/2007 10:10:01 AM

For things like gas it's more of an FYI. For things like going out to eat knowing how much you spent over the course of a year can help you realize if you need to cut back on how often you go out to eat.

3/28/2007 10:32:21 AM

How does it help you realize if you need to cut back on eating out?

3/28/2007 10:43:31 AM

I was hoping that it would be obvious. You do a report, see that you spend $700 last year on eating out, think to yourself "man that's too high", and make the decision to scale back on how often you eat out.

3/28/2007 11:00:29 AM

How do you determine if the amount was too high?

3/28/2007 11:02:05 AM

you compare it to how much you think is reasonable.

quit being a douche

3/28/2007 11:03:57 AM

How do you determine what is reasonable?

3/28/2007 11:05:29 AM

I'd say "reasonable" is not needing some program to do what any person with a highschool degree can do...idk, this is all IMO, hope omar doesnt delete this post

3/28/2007 11:15:39 AM

I'd also say that "reasonable" would be keeping track of expenditures in a small file rather than keeping track of them in a small filing cabinet. To each their own.

3/28/2007 11:38:09 AM

I often print out reports showing how much head I should get from my girlfriend based on how much I spend on her.

3/28/2007 12:15:47 PM

^ and how do you determine how much her bj's are worth?

3/28/2007 3:43:59 PM

He could perform a comparative market analysis for the area.

3/28/2007 3:51:31 PM

every dinner that costs me over $150 = 2 blow jobs or 1 intercourse

clothing item over $60 = 0.5 blow job

that's the going rates for us right now

3/28/2007 4:04:57 PM