Mothering › Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Frugality & Finances › Budgeting: what tools do you use?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Budgeting: what tools do you use?

post #1 of 11
7/1/10 at 8:53am
Thread Starter 
I'm looking for a free budgeting program-- what do you use? We are debt-free aside from a mortgage and a student loan, but I want to carefully track spending to be able to increase savings and avoid waste.

TIA!!
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 11
7/1/10 at 9:41am
I use paper, a calendar, a calculator and a pencil. Whenever I try anything different I mess it up.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 11
7/1/10 at 10:43am
I keep everything in an Excel file. It is a simple and effective. I have checked out a lot of budget software, but like a simple system best.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 11
7/1/10 at 2:20pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the replies.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 11
7/1/10 at 5:53pm
We use Quicken.

However, I always recommend people start with paper and pencil. It has proven to be most effective time and again.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 11
7/1/10 at 6:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amys1st View Post
I use paper, a calendar, a calculator and a pencil. Whenever I try anything different I mess it up.


We use quicken as a computer based check register (I love being able to have a pie chart at the click of a mouse), but we budget on paper.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 11
7/1/10 at 7:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthiegirl View Post
I keep everything in an Excel file. It is a simple and effective. I have checked out a lot of budget software, but like a simple system best.
This is what I use (except I use OpenOffice ). I have looked at a lot of software too and its just much easier for me to use formulas I create and get the data I need, instead of a bunch of data and stats they "think" I want to see. Its much easier for me to keep track in a a spreedsheet, and I don't do anything more fancy than adding and subtracting!
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 11
7/2/10 at 8:18am
We started with paper, moved to xl, then upgraded to the free Quicken and then graduated to MS Money - over a period of 6-7 yrs.

Love MS Money. It is not free though. I have an xl file that I wrote, where you can enter the everyday spending in one page (tab) and see the expenses in categories in the next tab. Sorry, I don't have this anymore, I'd have been glad to share.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 11
7/2/10 at 9:03am
16 alternative money management services - some free ones too

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/20...ance-programs/
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 11
7/2/10 at 12:32pm
okie, last one... I promise. lot of finance planning spreadsheets in google docs.

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/20...m-google-docs/
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 11
7/2/10 at 12:57pm
We have a two step process - DH has an excel spreadsheet that he keeps our budget in, it tracks all of our spending past and upcoming..

I balance the checkbook against the checking account and then we balance against our spreadsheet.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Frugality & Finances
Mothering › Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Frugality & Finances › Budgeting: what tools do you use?