[Cialug] Finance Software

[David Champion]

Matthew Nuzum wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 8:36 AM, Todd Walton <tdwalton at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> What do y'all recommend for tracking finances?  I don't even really
>> have a good idea about how a person does this.  My current strategy is
>> mostly reactionary.
>>
>> Is there software to help me do this?  I tried Gnucash last year.  I
>> got from January 1 all the way to October or so and kind of sputtered
>> out.  I don't really need to track every financial transaction *after*
>> the fact.  I want to know what's upcoming, and what my finances will
>> be a week or two out  What do you do?
>>
>>     
>
> For inspiration and tips check out this site:
> http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/about/ Also, an *awesome* class you
> can take is called "Financial Peace University" created by Dave
> Ramsey. (someone I know from church teaches classes locally, if you're
> interested let me know and I'll get you in touch with him). Using
> stuff we learned in the class my wife and I, in the last 14 months or
> so, have paid off about $10k in debt and have made good progress in
> savings and we're a single income family.
>
> My personal technique is to make an accurate monthly budget (no fancy
> tools needed), have a $1,000 emergency fund (for now, but it will grow
> when my debt is gone), and use the "envelope system" of taking cash
> out of the bank and dividing it up into envelopes according to my
> budget. Then I don't use my debit card or credit card. The good thing
> is that you know how much money you have left simply by looking in the
> envelopes. :-) It took me several months to get an accurate monthly
> budget and during those months my emergency fund fluctuated quite a
> bit, but now things are pretty smooth and we look forward to having no
> debt except our house payment by spring.
>
> Anyway, that's what I do.
>   

My parents had a similar (maybe the same?) class at their church. Sounds 
like it has some very solid advice.

-dc