Quicken 2004 or Microsoft Money?

[Aleta]

I have both programs. I find that there are limitations to these programs. I'm also thinking about using an Excel spreadsheet to list all of my categories for income and expense. I entered information into Quicken 2004 last night. I'm sure I'll have to tweak it a bit.

[Aleta]

I had wondered if anyonw had a preference to Quicken or to Microsoft Money? I need to decide which one I will usel I find Quicken to be a little more difficult. I have heard that Microsoft is easier to use. Anyone use both that can enlighten me?

[Broken Arrow]

Um, I don't use either. Sorry. I know that Quicken's design interface attempts to mimick its real life equivalent (such as a check, for example), whereas Money's design interface mirrors more of a website. Intuitiveness versus Simplicity. Which is better? Whichever works best for you, I guess.

[Aleta]

Thank you. I guess it's just the way you find it easiest.

[PRICEPLUS]

Aleta, that in the end is the best way to pick. Whatever works best for you is the best!

[project15]

you can try MS Money for free for 90 days (or at least that's what they were offering a couple months ago). Just don't sign up for their message boards because they'll sneak a $9.95 service fee out of your account every month.

I tried MS Money and Quicken and didn't really like either so i made my own spread sheet to view all the information I ever wanted.

Money works great for me. I tried Quicken but just didn't find it to my liking.

I really do have a simple situation and probably would be just fine with a spreadsheet but in answer to your question...I find Money to be the preferrable of the two for me.

The budget feature doesn't seem (in my opinion) to be of much use but then I don't budget so that would make my opinion on that fairly useless. I do enjoy the ease with which I can track my spending though. Being able to follow my investments is nice but not something I couldn't do through Vanguard, Morningstar, Yodlee, or any number of other places.

[poundwise]

It will come down to tastes and subtle differences.

I say that because I am the opposite of the previous poster. I used Money for a couple of years and then tried Quicken. I've used Quicken since then as I prefer it and would not want to go back to Money.

Just to note: I have not/do not use either for budgeting. I use my own spreadsheet. Quicken is just like a giant ledger for me, keeping track of transactions and balances on accounts. I do use the Quicken debt reduction planner feature.

[boefixepa]

I've never used MS money so I can't tell you there. I'll second poundwise on Quicken. It's basically just a computerized ledger. It didn't help me cut back spending or see where my money was going. Nothing against the program, but it didn't help me except with the math.

Mvelopes taught me what a budget was and how to use it, yet still gave me the ability to keep the ledger and balance the accounts.

Whatever works for you is the best thing for you.

[Aleta]

Thanks. I've heard a lot of good things about Mvelopes.

[poundwise]

The Mvelopes system is excellent but the price ($129.60 per year, if paid on annual basis) is outrageous IMO.

[Broken Arrow]

There's an interesting underlying thought to what's being mentioned here, that I think is important to note:

That budgeting is at least a two-parter.

The first part is in setting up a budget, and then being able to tweak it later.

The second lies in tracking your transactions, so you can check it against the funds you've set up in your budget.

Of course, there are plenty of systems out there. Some will work well for first part, but not the second, and some are vice versa, while some others are capable both.

Whatever it is though, we need to find a way to address each of these parts before we can budget effectively.

Originally Posted by poundwise

I say that because I am the opposite of the previous poster. I used Money for a couple of years and then tried Quicken. I've used Quicken since then as I prefer it and would not want to go back to Money.

fine, give me my ball, I'm going home

[LuxLiving]

For budgeting I STILL like Jesse's software from youneedabudget.com.

I tried Quicken 2004 and it just made me feel stupid as it was not simple to understand what it was doing with my transactions in a way that made sense to me - but YNAB does.

In the end, OP, you have to go w/something that will work for you AND it may not be the first system you try out. Keep going till you find what works for you and how you like to track your funds.

[zetta]

Does YNAB have the ability to import transactions from my credit card and bank? I abandoned Quicken for Mvelopes but am interested in finding something cheaper if the functionality is equal.