Best way to keep track of money?

[Orange Julius]

I'm not asking about investing or anything. More like accounting. What's the best way to track your money, expences, income, liabilities, assets, etc. I've been tracking my money on a few excel spreadsheets that I made but it's starting to get a bit chaotic. Anyone know of or use any good personal accounting software packages out there? Thanks.

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[wook]

I'm not asking about investing or anything. More like accounting. What's the best way to track your money, expences, income, liabilities, assets, etc. I've been tracking my money on a few excel spreadsheets that I made but it's starting to get a bit chaotic. Anyone know of or use any good personal accounting software packages out there? Thanks.

You ever look at Quicken?

Wook

 

[southerndoc]

Quicken for Mac sucks. I think Quicken for Windows is better.

I really liked Microsoft Money and it's the only program I used with Windows that I cannot use on my Mac (unless I go through Virtual PC, which I just loaded a few days ago).

 

[Solideliquid]

Quicken for Mac sucks. I think Quicken for Windows is better.

I really liked Microsoft Money and it's the only program I used with Windows that I cannot use on my Mac (unless I go through Virtual PC, which I just loaded a few days ago).

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...re.woa/wo/7.RSLID?mco=3F7C2177&nplm=TE884LL/A

 

[Plastikos]

I use excel, but i only track bills, payments, and balances. Seems to work for now. Pretty soon though i will have an actual income to deal with and throw in the mix, so that should be interesting.
If i tracked all the little expenses i think i would freak out, "WTF, we spend $250 at hollywood video a month"! That makes my wife like me more.

 

[Bobblehead]

I've used Microsoft Money for many years now to track cash, bank accounts, credit cards and investments. It's very good for categorizing your varying expenses using whatever system you devise. Start with the default categories and as you get more comfortable you can start creating your own custom categories. Each of these can be set to a different tax treatment which allows you to more easily fill out your taxes at the end of the year by grouping all of your related expenses (i.e. things to write off vs. independent contractor income as opposed to itemized deduction against your salary, etc.)

 

[THP]

If you really want to keep track of your money and also limit what you spend get rid of your debit cards. Especially if you are married and have joint accounts. What I have started doing - No more POS transactions, instead my wife and I get a certain amount of cash for the week and we are limited to it. That way you only have to keep track of bills.

When both of us have debit cards and use them to buy random sodas and what not, its impossible to keep up with balance sheets.

 

[cchoukal]

I use a combination of MS Money on the laptop and Ultrasoft Money on my palm pilot. I can track what I spend on the Palm when I'm out and about without having to keep track of receipts, and then the data sync w/ MS money during the hotsync. MS Money also has a lot of reporting/graphing features, and can automatically download and incorporate statements from your bank's website.

 

[Samoa]

I've used Quicken for many years and love it. Especially around tax time.

 

[cdql]

I'll tell you what...I'll watch it for you!

 

[kbrown]

Quicken for Mac sucks. I think Quicken for Windows is better.

I really liked Microsoft Money and it's the only program I used with Windows that I cannot use on my Mac (unless I go through Virtual PC, which I just loaded a few days ago).

I have had my Mac for almost a year now. I had to buy the Virtual PC switch thing to be able to load USMLEWORLD last year. I hated that program. It was sooooooo slow. Southerndoc, have you, or anyone else, had that problem with the virtual PC program for Macs???

I would love to use MM for finances but refuse to go through the hassle of loading Virt PC everytime.