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7 Responses to “Zenhabits: 6 Free Alternatives to Quicken & MS Money”

1. Amit Says:
   May 24th, 2007 at 7:34 pm

   I use Buxfer and am extremely happy with it. It allows me to track how much my friends owe me, in addition to knowing where I am spending my money. I can set up repeat transactions (for my cable bill, rent, etc.), report transactions and query balances using SMS, and set up budgets (I can query real time for the amount remaining in my budget. Plus, I get real-time updates whenever I exceed my budget).

   Buxfer also allows importing of transactions in different formats. Not only that, it automatically categorizes the transactions into meaningful categories.

2. Elissa Says:
   May 24th, 2007 at 8:13 pm

   ASAP is nice and all, but when is NOW gonna happen???? :)

3. Cap Says:
   May 25th, 2007 at 7:02 am

   Amit: Thanks for the note on Buxfer, will check it out.

   Elissa: Ah I know :( I wish ASAP = Now.

4. Jodi Says:
   May 26th, 2007 at 12:28 pm

   i used ms money and hated so much that i ditched it after 3 weeks and now i continue to use excel. i now have complete control over the way transactions are categorized. the main problem with money was that it was listing credit card purchases as money spent, and then automatically listing credit card payments from my checking as more money spent, when in fact it was the same money.

   in excel i have more control over how the charts and graphs are, what i’ve paid and what money is left. i do not have to wait for updates that many times do not work.

   I use it for planning my wedding in honolulu, complete with endless formulas and color coding. i will soon start to record my forex investments/trades on it also.

   i admit i am an exceloholic and organize everything on it, but it is the only thing that will work for me. you make it as basic or complicated as you want.

   and as a side note, just got done reading robert kiyosaki’s rich dad, poor dad. very good book, hopefully one day i’ll be outta the rat race.

   cap, since you went to waikiki last year, do you have any money saving tips? this will be my 3rd time, but no mater what i do, i end up spending more than i want. thanks.

5. Elissa Says:
   May 30th, 2007 at 4:06 pm

   I just stumbled upon another neat (and highly useful and capable) free alternative to Quicken & Money, ClearCheckbook. It looks quite awesome… in fact, so awesome that I’m breaking my resolution to hold out for Mint. :P
   But no worries, ClearCheckbook will just be a good basis for comparison when I start using Mint.

6. Ken Says:
   May 30th, 2007 at 8:05 pm

   After Intuit disabled my Quicken 2004 last month I decided not to be “forced” into purchasing 2007. I searched briefly for an alternative but ultimately decided it was time to stop obsessively categorizing every transaction. It has been liberating and I’ve reclaimed that time for more enjoyable activities.

   My plan is simple. My wife and I charge all necessities (gas, groceries, clothing, household items, etc.) on our rewards credit card and I pay off the entire amount every weekend. I spend a few minutes verifying each charge prior to making the payment and end it at that. All monthly bills are paid through my banks online bill pay or automatic withdrawls.

   For a budget each member of the family gets a set amount for an allowance that serves as our discretionary money to be spent on whatever we want. This includes the difference in price for things over their budgeted amount (clothing, restaurants, etc.)

   I use a simple excel spreadsheet to track all account balances, assets and loan balances and update it periodically for a check on my networth.

   Simple, less time consuming, and the best part… FREE!
   No CRAP to buy, download, upgrade, update or troubleshoot.

7. misti Says:
   June 4th, 2007 at 2:25 pm

   Hey Cap. What do you use to track your finances and budget your money?

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