How's the software going? I have used Microsoft Money for years but it's a gazillion years old now and no longer supported. Looking to replace it, but not so much in need of a budget as such. Would YNAB be good?
I also put up a no junk mail sign and i have found it great.
I am really liking the software and you could just use it to balance accounts but it is really about budgeting (we need to have a strict budget at moment because I am looking for work and life on DH income is only doable if very careful). There is a forum which is available on tapatalk so you can get the answer to most questions. It has a certain way of thinking about it that I like "no month is a normal month" for example.
I used to use MS Money too and a couple of years ago I tried looking round for an alternative but didn't come up with anything so just plowed on using that, but after hearing about YNAB and now really needing a 'budget' makes sense to use it (still using free trial till I need to buy but it is $60.00 + $5.00 for the app for phones if you want it). The phone app is definitely appealing to me.
You can import and balance just like in MS Money, just not sure if you don't use the budgeting part if is worth the money - also depends if you use MS Money for Shares etc - seems some people use YNAB plus other things for more complicated financial scenarios.
I do like the way I can deal with things like Medicare where I pay and then get money back - I hadn't worked out a great way of really seeing my spending on those items in MS Money.
The forum does seem to have a lot of money saving ideas in it, it does have an American slant to it. I haven't delved into that much yet - I don't really spend on "things" so much but do on eating out, visiting places, events etc - but you have to have some fun.
The free trial is for 35 days so is quite a reasonable amount of time to see if you like it or not.
With the free trial, just be sure to start it so it covers a whole calendar month
Not fully into YNAB yet. The sudden lack (and now limited use) of Internet and phone here have made it hard. Still transitioning from my cashflow. We are so tight for the next few months, I feel comfortable using both for now. Looking at the forums, that is quite normal, there a number of them that still like to project into the future. I can really see how getting the "buffer" will help eliminate the need to project so much.
The forums there are really awesome.
Really into it now wysiwyg.
Making sure I check out their forums each day, reading what others are doing with it (or trying to do) is really helping get into the philosophy of how it all works.
Debating whether to add the credit cards to it that I am paying off, so I can see my overall position.
Have got my phone back so should get back into it now. I also like the forums and learnt a little from one of the web teach session things. DH has really taken to putting in his cash spending, which is great as that was a black hole before. I do have credit card on there and am finding it useful as can easily see what have spent each month as opposed to spending plus balance (I pay off every month but because cycle is more like 56 days I would often think oh haven't spent as much that is just from last month now I know where I am all time). The way have got my offset mortgage set up also seems to work ok, I had to ask around on forums as seems that setup is maybe not so common in US. Have had to be in touch with support once about a "feature" but that was easy and quickly responded to.
There are a few Aussie's on there and by the looks of it, some non-Aussies are starting to understand Aus mortgages.
Have not got the credits cards on there, only the payments to them set-up as categories. I want to watch the video on how to handle them, but just don't have the bandwidth to do it.
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