Personal Finances: Book-keeping (1 Viewer)

[Dafydd]

Later this year when I've moved into my bus I'll want to be able to keep track of my expenses. I'm budgeting on a fixed annual income, any future earnings will be a bonus.
There are a lot of different kinds of outgoings: annual recurring, maintenance, travel, accommodation (sites/aires), daily living, bank charges and saving for future costs (new tyres for example) etc... How do full-timers or long-term tourers manage their personal finances, those who make the effort that is?
Software?
Manually in some kind of ledger?

I'm a terrible procrastinator and in my bricks & mortar life operated a system of piles of paper and "if it's in the bank then spend it". But until I manage to generate some additional earnings from a career change (at least a year) I'll have to learn to keep a very close eye on how much I'm spending.

I'd be interested in any recommended system and general advice based on people's experience

 

[Munchie]

My manager does all this!

I am not allowed to go anywhere near money!!!

Every month she knows our fixed outgoings!

The sum of which is subtracted from our monthly income.

Then she keeps a record of what we have left and subtracts all spending from this total!

Then when I ask "can i get a new camera, computer, bottle of Scotch et al she looks at what we have left then says.......


NO!!!!

 

[camocam1]

I have set up and used an excel spreadsheet which has all income and fixed outgoings per month for the next 12 months
I can then add in others like birthdays etc etc and it shows me what spare ( if any) cash I have

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[rb62]

Mines the same,all kept up to date on a spreadsheet,found some of the little note books she used to use when we were first married over 40 years ago!
Mind you it obviously worked as we were able to retire early.

 

[Gromett]

I use LibreOffice spreadsheet.. Free.

https://www.libreoffice.org/

 

[clanjones]

I have always used something like Quicken for home finances but if you are a Windows user you can download for free from Microsoft (unusual as it sounds for MS!), 'Money Plus Sunset Deluxe'. I have been using it for years with no issues. It is pretty easy to use and has all sorts of capabilities. You can download it from the link below:-

Broken Link Removed

I'll be using it to monitor our outgoings on this new motorhome adventure we are embarking on as well!

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[Bailey58]

Since we retired 12 years ago I've kept our personal finances up to date with MS Money. It's a programme from an old MS Works but it keeps track of all our outgoings and bits and bobs of investment income. One small private pension stopped after a year and I may not have noticed for a while without my alerts. Easy enough to set up and half hour or so a month keeps everything up to date.

Edit: Probably no longer available but superceded by the above if I remember.

 

[clanjones]

Yep you are right I used to use MS Money until I rebuilt the PC onto Windows 7 and then found Money Plus Sunset Deluxe as MS Money was no longer available as I recall.

 

[Coolbeanz]

I use Nova expense app, it's a fab easy to use system and you can add any headings you want to suit the categories you need. Didn't take long to learn how to use every feature.

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[CherryPirate]

I use Acemoney which is available in Windows and Mac versions. There is a free version with limited number of bank accounts (2) or a paid version for $39.99. I have it running on both platforms sharing the current file in the cloud.

Worth a look I think

Colin

 

[sedge]

Gosh. We use the Bank statements, either online or the paper ones they send us (being a joint account we get one each every month! I usually ask Pete how much HE has left this month LOL) We only have one, all income and expenditure is done via that account. It earns interest, it's that bank Jessica Ennis is associated with. Fancy getting cashback on the regular bills you can't avoid paying! Marvellous. Bet we are their worst customers ! Never make a penny out of us.

 

[sedge]

Oh, PS My very first Bank account was with the Midland, my mom gave me the £1 to open it a few days before I started my first job.

In the front of the chequebook their were 2 or 3 pages to keep a record. Once I got married I would receive my salary slip, enter the amount and add it to the current balance then squish a list of the monthly outgoings and take that off so I knew to the last £0 0s 1d what was left for the month - and I've basically done exactly the same ever since.

We paid everything we could monthly by Standing Order (we still do, but Direct debits now!) out of my account, my husband(s) were weekly paid so they always covered food shopping, petrol etc etc. Only ever bought 'bigger' stuff on interest free credit, and only if we could afford it really. It's false economy to do otherwise. NB I never counted the mortgage as that much of a terrible debt even though of course by nature, they are! - because if we weren't paying for one we'd have to pay rent instead anyway - so mortgages are just a Fact of Life - not 'borrowing' IYSWIM.

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[denisejoe]

I still use an old MS Money programme (think it's the 2000 version)! I've also recently purchased YNAB (You Need A Budget) which you can download a trial of for 34 days to see if it'll work for you. I found it to be very useful so bought the full version, although if you watch their webinars (on line training videos), most of which are on at odd times, you get the chance to win a free copy at the end of each one.

Denise

 

[32143]

Keep track of our trips and home on MS excel, can access it from laptop, phone or via cloud on any other device if need. Simple to use works for us.

Lin

 

[Bailey58]

Since we retired 12 years ago I've kept our personal finances up to date with MS Money. It's a programme from an old MS Works but it keeps track of all our outgoings and bits and bobs of investment income. One small private pension stopped after a year and I may not have noticed for a while without my alerts. Easy enough to set up and half hour or so a month keeps everything up to date.

Edit: Probably no longer available but superceded by the above if I remember.

Yep you are right I used to use MS Money until I rebuilt the PC onto Windows 7 and then found Money Plus Sunset Deluxe as MS Money was no longer available as I recall.

I upgraded to Win7 a few months ago and re-loaded my old version of Money. Since reading this thread I've downloaded Sunset but it won't import my data from the old version. I've got 12 years on there so too risky to mess about starting with Sunset.

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[Puddleduck]

I use (and have used) Money Manager from MoneySoft for decades. The basic programme (not free) will do all you want and more The next step up Final Accounts puts it all in to formal accounting format and will do tax calculations

We have three linked bank accounts for personal finance. A savings account and two current accounts. One current account is for the direct debits, standing orders and other regular payments and we transfer enough money into that every month to cover these outgoings. The savings account is for short term instant access type savings (next to no interest of course) and is our safety cushion. The second current account is where we pay in our income and from where we transfer to the outgoings account and to the instant access savings account. I keep a close eye on what is where and move money around as necessary making sure there is enough in both current accounts but not too much!

 

[peterc10]

I have always used something like Quicken for home finances but if you are a Windows user you can download for free from Microsoft (unusual as it sounds for MS!), 'Money Plus Sunset Deluxe'. I have been using it for years with no issues. It is pretty easy to use and has all sorts of capabilities. You can download it from the link below:-

Broken Link Removed

I'll be using it to monitor our outgoings on this new motorhome adventure we are embarking on as well!

I agree entirely with this.

We used to use Quicken for all our personal and self employed accounts. But it was no longer supported when I went over to Windows 7. Looked high and low for good simple to use accounts package that had lots of features. All of the free ones I looked at had limited features, until I came across the MS Money sunset edition for free. Tried it and it is very good - in fact much better than the Quicken that it replaced.

 

[Gromett]

I don't use a financial package to do it partly because of the reasons listed above. Software gets deprecated, file formats change and companies stop supporting software.

A basic spreadsheet does everything I need including my business side and the file format is so stable I have been using the same spreadsheet since 2002 (with upgrades) of the free software.

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[Dogsense]

Check out this application: https://itunes.apple.com/app/money-monitor-free-for-ipad/id666603677?mt=8

 

[Dafydd]

Thanks for all the replies. No one has recommended a book and pen I see... how times have changed...

I don't use a financial package to do it partly because of the reasons listed above. Software gets deprecated, file formats change and companies stop supporting software.

A basic spreadsheet does everything I need including my business side and the file format is so stable I have been using the same spreadsheet since 2002 (with upgrades) of the free software.

Grommett are you using the LibreOffice you linked to above?
Fifty years old and I've never used a spreadsheet application... I think something simple-ish would be best for me to maximise my chances of actually keeping up with it. I've got six months to train myself into the habit so there is hope...

 

[Puddleduck]

Nothing wrong with analysis book and pen if you have time to update and cross check the additions.

And if you need a back-up you will need to photocopy and send "off site" for storage

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[iandsm]

If you have an iPhone " accounts" by Graham Healy is the app to go for. Very comprehensive with any number of accounts each of which can have budgets for barious items. You can show a running balance at any time and set up recurring payments like dad's etc. you can also transfer money between accounts. I have used it for the last 5 yes and think it's the dogs what's its. Nothing else compares. BUT you have to use an iPhone.

 

[Dafydd]

And if you need a back-up you will need to photocopy and send "off site" for storage

Photocopy?! You mean carbon-copy ;-)

I still find myself feeling amazed at computers and the internet... Apple give me 5Gb of free cloud storage, I can keep a copy of my accounts file there... along with scan-copies of documents etc. Sounds like a plan

 

[iandsm]

You can also get backups off of you device by sending to yourself as an email. As well as automatic backup to Apples cloud. No brainier really.

Should have mentioned you also have graphs showing exactly where you spend and on what categories together with detailed spending lists and the ability to search entries. Do if you want to know how much you spent on diesel, aires, campsites, groceries it's all laid out for you.

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[SMB]

Another vote for MS Money, I have the 2004 version and its excellent though I hadn't heard of the sunset version. Thread saved just in case of laptop malfunction while abroad

 

[peterc10]

If you want something simple to use then use dedicated software like MS Money or others people have suggested. To be useful a spreadsheet needs a lot of setting up with formulae and macros.

 

[Dafydd]

I found this one (I'm a Mac user): MoneyControl - Income and Expense tracker
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moneycontrol-income-expense/id634892482?mt=12

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[Gromett]

Thanks for all the replies. No one has recommended a book and pen I see... how times have changed...
Grommett are you using the LibreOffice you linked to above?
Fifty years old and I've never used a spreadsheet application... I think something simple-ish would be best for me to maximise my chances of actually keeping up with it. I've got six months to train myself into the habit so there is hope...

Yes I use LibreOffice. I started on Excel back in 98, but moved to openoffice in 2001. When Oracle took over Sun they started to mess about with OpenOffice the community forked and LibreOffice was born. They have moved very very fast with it and it has become seriously impressive and improving all the time.

I never saw the point to spreadsheets until I started my business and they have now become essential to me. In fact I use the spreadsheet more than the word processor.

As for Age. My mum started using spreadsheets in her late 50's and without any help from me.

Spreadsheets are not that hard for the basics which is all you need to keep track for accounts.

If you are at the Stratford show I can give you a quick half hour lesson if you want.

 

[Dafydd]

Thanks Gromett I'll download it and have a play. I'll download a free accounts app like the one above and do the same. Then I'll choose one or the other... I think the point about consistency of support over the years (or failure of this with some software applications) is a good one and seeing as all I want is a fairly simple "home budget" I don't think I want interaction with online bank accounts or hmrc style accounts preparation... maybe a spreadsheet will be the job.
Kind of you to offer a demo but I'm not on the road until the winter so I've some time to teach myself, that and learning Wordpress... and a photo application... it's going to be a computery few months.

 

[magicsurfbus]

I use MS Excel simply because I spent a long time teaching others how to use it - I accept it may not be the best.

However, it does allow you to (literally) start with a blank sheet and custom design your accounting system to your own unique circumstances.

It's also possible to link different spreadsheet files together to draw data into calculations, so you don't need to maintain one all-powerful God sheet with everything on it.

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