As much as I tried to complete my budgeting posts before I went out of town, I didn’t accomplish it. I’m speaking at a blogging Conference this weekend, and knew that filling the fridge with some food for my family needed to take priority.:)
With my husband working in accounting, he has created an extensive budgeting spreadsheet for our family. I’m going to delete our personal information and share it with you as a PRD file when I return from my conference. In the meantime, some of my friends (and also a commentor on the previous budgeting post) has recommended a free online money management software tool – Mint. com. It’s really easy to use and over 1.5 million users house their budget there. It categorizes everything for you, every day. You can determine the categories yourself, and rename them whenever you want so if you’re not happy with the options Mint.com has set up for you, just choose your own. My only initial concern was that of the bank tracking. They have a very thorough explanation, and after much research, and recommendations, feel confident that it’s one of the best free software tools available.
(It’s been named the best online personal finance tool by Money Magazine, PC Magazine, and is PC World’s Editor’s Choice.)
If you need some initial help and direction, take a peek and check it out.
Just HAD to comment that, as a Quicken user for the past 8 years .. I switched to mint.com just four months ago and I’m in LOVE!!! It is hands down THE best and easiest way for me to budget our money! I could just squeal over the fact it’s free AND online, so you’re not committed to your program being on only one computer. I 100% recommend mint.com!!! YAY! 🙂
I use Mint and know a lot of friends who also do. It is a very nice site for budgeting! Their app for Android is subpar, but it is decently new so hopefully it will get better.
I’ve also wondered about bank-account tracking. Where did you do your research, and what exactly resolved whatever issues you had? The service has always sounded so great but these questions have made me wary enough to keep me from using it. Thanks!
You mentioned your family’s budgeting spreadsheet…I’d love to see what it looks like. I know my spreadsheet could use some help. 🙂 Have you posted the file somewhere? Thanks!