Simplejoe software

[skittles2u5h]

I've been reading and trying to decide on budget and credit card tracking software. I want to plan a budget and also track credit card debt and payback.

So many of the software have you pay first and not give you a free trial. I've tried a couple, and one doesn't carry totals or information from each sheet to the next... so that one is out. I've now found a site for simplejoe and wondered if anyone had any feedback on that one? I've followed many of the links that are on this site, just not sure without trying one if it has what I'm lookking for... I guess I want to see my balance to date for my budget info; and for credit card payback, I like want I saw at simple joe with regards to different scenarios, but I also want to know if I owe say $1,000, may a $25 payment.... my current balance...

Am I just not seeing the credit card repayment options when I just am looking at "budgeting" software?

[puck36]

I'm not sure what simplejoe is but I use Quicken. Quicken will let you do the follow:

1. Download and track your checking, savings and credit card accounts — in one place.
2. Create and follow a budget.
3. Schedule payments and pay bills right from Quicken.
4. Verify accuracy of your bank statements and avoid any inappropriate fees or charges.

It only cost $29.99. Also you can try it for 60 days risk free.
Personal Budgeting Software - Quicken Basic 2007

Quicken will do everything you want and may even do more.

[myself]

I must wholeheartedly agree with puck36.
Quicken (even the basic version), can provide everything that the Simplejoe software does, for a fraction of the price.
It also includes a debt repayment planner (although you may have to have the Quicken Deluxe version for this).

I personally use Quicken Deluxe, and I know that it includes the ability to connect to my various financial institutions, and get updates on basically all of my accounts with it's one-step updated. This included fetching current stock information, as well as contacting my brokerage to get any buys/sells and addition of money into my "retirement" account. Along with a fair amount of reports that can be customized to see the same information during a certain time frame (like "last year", "current year", "current quarter", "previous quarter", etc.), and to limit what account and/or categories are included in the report.
For instance, I usually look at a net worth report about once every 3-4 months, just to make sure that my net worth is going up, and not down, but I have 2 versions of the same report saved. One that adds all accounts (including housing assets which can fluctuate radically), and one that doesn't include housing/auto assets.

Keep in mind I'm using Quicken 2005 Deluxe:
- I didn't care too much for their amortization schedules, only because I wanted to check out things like annual interest, instead of just monthly interest and a total at the bottom.
- I also wanted to do some checking on differences in rates and term for an amortization, while keeping any scheduled prepayments like they were.
- I also wanted to see what the "halfway" point was, which to me is the point where more than half of the monthly mortgage payment goes toward the principle, and not to the interest.
- And because of those things, I didn't want to have to click on a button merely to recalculate everything.
So, I wrote my own amortization program which allows you to simply type in the numbers and it recalculates every time you type in a number.

[anonymous_saver]

Try going to your local library and download Quicken for free at your home computer. I get everything from the library, I just can't justify paying for things you can get for free. :

[txjman]

Look at zilchworks.com. I believe they have a free trial.

[poundwise]

Actually, both the folks at simplejoe and at zilchworks have what looks to be nice software offerings to me. The problem with both is the pricing. I just don't see why they seem to think its better to sell 100 downloads at 39.95/29.95 than to sell 1000 at 19.95/12.95/9.95 or some other more reasonable price. Or, to put it another way, I'm not sure why they think their product is better, or rather more marketable, than Quicken or Money, which each have basic versions below $20.

[mrvirgo]

anonymous_saver
Could you please detail the steps necessary for downloading Quicken for free by using the library's computers?
In the past, I have downloaded Quicken trial versions, used them and, after the trial period is over, paid for the full version. I don't see how going to the library would allow me to end up with a totally free version of Quicken on my home PC.
Thanks.

[myself]

Originally Posted by poundwise

Actually, both the folks at simplejoe and at zilchworks have what looks to be nice software offerings to me. The problem with both is the pricing. I just don't see why they seem to think its better to sell 100 downloads at 39.95/29.95 than to sell 1000 at 19.95/12.95/9.95 or some other more reasonable price. Or, to put it another way, I'm not sure why they think their product is better, or rather more marketable, than Quicken or Money, which each have basic versions below $20.

Poundwise, that was my take on the two products as well.

Adding to what you said above, you can also download from quite a bit of credit card companies and other financial institutions (according to the Quicken website, that's 5,124 participating financial institutions in 2007), the balance of a given account (or in my case more than one account from the same company). Why does this help? Well, for one, I don't mistype some information in for an account (such as interest paid or current balance). Then I can use Quicken's "Debt Reduction Planner" to make sure everything is going OK.

I rarely type anything into the computer anymore for Quicken, since all but one account (out of 11 or 12), is readily down-loadable, either directly through their one-step update (8-9 are like this), or by logging directly into the accounts' website and choose the download/Quicken file.

Do I update Quicken? Yes, about once every 4-5 years. Which for me (because I buy the Deluxe version), is like spending $10/year for the software.

[myself]

Originally Posted by mrvirgo

anonymous_saver
Could you please detail the steps necessary for downloading Quicken for free by using the library's computers?
In the past, I have downloaded Quicken trial versions, used them and, after the trial period is over, paid for the full version. I don't see how going to the library would allow me to end up with a totally free version of Quicken on my home PC.
Thanks.

I'm guessing that anonymous_saver is suggesting that they install the free trial, then go back and get another free trial after uninstalling the software.
You can perform a backup using Quicken, so being able to restore all of your data is pretty easy.