I am just graduating and I have a job on the way, so it's time I start putting together a budget. What program sould I use? I hear MS Money isn't bad...

1/5/2006 5:11:53 PM

i gave a run at Money... it was pretty pointless because one of my cards didn't support the extensions.

seriously, excel is prob your best bet.

1/5/2006 6:01:39 PM

Notepad

1/5/2006 6:43:22 PM

Staples had a deal with Quicken and TurboTax ... not sure if its still running.

And the simple ansewr is "it depends" on what you plan to do with the software. It it just checkbook balance type stuff? Portfolio management? Mulitple accounts? Etc. etc.

1/5/2006 8:59:43 PM

Microsoft Money works great with Bank of America and too a lesser extent Wachovia

1/5/2006 9:04:42 PM

http://www.microsoft.com/money/

Try Money Deluxe 2006 for 90 days. Buy TaxCut for your taxes and you get Microsoft Money for free.

1/5/2006 10:46:10 PM

You can always try to dig up an older copy of Quicken. You can probably get an '02, '03, or '04 edition for $5. Addition and subtraction hasn't changed all that much over the past 5 years so you won't be missing out too much on what the latest version has to offer.

[Edited on January 6, 2006 at 7:23 AM. Reason : -]

1/6/2006 7:22:47 AM

Quicken didn't really work well with USAA.

1/6/2006 7:27:28 AM

Quote :

"seriously, excel is prob your best bet. "

been using excel for 2 years now


need pointers, pm me (btw we do our budget to meet +/-$25/month)

1/6/2006 7:43:31 AM

^^ Money 2005 worked with USAA, no problem.

1/6/2006 10:51:22 AM

Quote :

"been using excel for 2 years now"

+1

1/6/2006 11:24:41 AM

^
+2

1/6/2006 8:20:27 PM

I'm not pleased with MS Money. If I update a budget - new job, different apartment rent, etc., it updates it for past months - not just those included in the budget. so I can't really look at what I budgeted last year vs. this year b/c I have to close one to open the other - and now when I look at 2005 it budgets for 2x the salary

my bank will d/l to either Money or Quicken, so I think I'll try quicken next

1/7/2006 1:23:54 PM

Quote :

"Best personal budget software? "

your brain

seriosuly, people who need software to help them spend within their limits are weak.

1/7/2006 3:01:51 PM

but stronger than those who don't do anything

1/7/2006 4:00:16 PM

^ agree

it really helps my wife and I understand where our money is going, what we try to save, and account for everything

1/7/2006 4:05:16 PM