Organize Your Finances: The Quicken Way!

Organizing Through Quicken

Guest Post from FDL

I have been using Quicken for years.  In fact, when the whole Y2K thing hit, I was using a version of Quicken that was so outdated it was laughable.  Now, here we are, ten years later.  I have upgraded once since then because I bought a new computer and needed to go with something more compatible with my new software.  I made the transition without too much lost sleep.
In my family, I pay the bills.  My husband enjoys all that other financial stuff.  I merely like a balanced checking account and keep a tight fist on the day to day spending.

My husband wants us to follow a budget, the very thought of such a thing makes me queasy.  Using Quicken to manage our checking account has been a very nice compromise.  Let me explain what I like about this wonderful money management system.
Years ago, twenty maybe, we decided to use a budgeting program and selected Quicken that had been recommended in a popular financial magazine we were reading at the time.  We installed Quicken on the home PC and I halfheartedly tackled the seemingly enormous task of   learning how to use the new software.

For at least the first year, maybe more, I refused to purchase the checks and envelopes that are really crucial to the time savings benefits of the program.  Finally, I bought the checks, envelopes and began to appreciate what this program can do for money management.

Quicken Is User Friendly

Thru the years, and different versions, Quicken has done a great job of being user friendly.  I don’t enjoy the tedious details of anything, especially financial details.  Quicken takes care of the details for me:

• Every expenditure is categorized.  Every new person/business I write a check or send a draft to, is placed into one of the categories.  The next time I pay this item, Quicken automatically remembers all the details, you change only what is different, such as the amount.
• You have complete control of the categories.  This part is very user friendly and always has been.  You are prompted all thru the process when you want to add or delete a category.
• You keep a running total of your balance.  When you receive your bank statement, it is a simple matter to balance your account.
• At anytime, it is easy to check how much spending is going on in any category.
• Need to know how much you paid to anyone for a service in 2000, or who you bought the refrigerator from, etc?  It is at my fingertips-no digging thru records from 2000.
• I do as much on line bill paying as absolutely possible.  It is a simple matter to then post these items in Quicken.   Of course, for those post dated charges, I simply put in the date they are to post.
• Because I cut and paste that confirmation code onto the the ‘check’  in Quicken, I never print all those confirmation pages.  So, I save paper (green and frugal) and printer ink (frugal).

FINALLY

Quicken makes it easy to keep track of spending.  I began using the program only to appease my better half.  This is one time the guy was right, it is a better way to organize and  pay bills and keep track of expenses.
Later,
FDL

FDL writes about clutter, and organization at The Fast Declutter Blog.

Tags: budgeting with quicken, quicken, quicken for budgeting, using quicken for household finance, using quicken to plan spending

This entry was posted on Friday, August 6th, 2010 at 6:59 am and is filed under Personal Finance 101, Planned spending aka budget. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.