I have come to the conclusion that I need to start watching my personal finances. I have downloaded some demo's (Quicken/ Microsoft Money) but it is not quite what I am looking for, in fact it is too in-depth.

I really just need something very basic and simple. Something that sets up a budget, and helps me track the numbers in my bank accounts.

What do people here use?

Good post; I'd be interested, too.

Checkbook?

save more spend less.

maybe check out some of these open source alternatives...

http://www.osalt.com/money 

I use a version of Quicken w/o any of the bells and whistles (none of that auto-downloading crap). I just have my accounts and the balances and I input expenses and reconcile it at the end of the month.

And it shows me at a glance how and why I'll be working for the rest of my life.

ScottHar

^a good reason not to use this type of software.

Scott,

I am with you. I do not need the downloading crap. Microsoft Money 2007 looks like a good tool but I can't find it. Everything I find on Quicken's or Microsoft's website is this new BS.

MS Money, earlier releases, can be found reasonably at this big auction site.

I've been using MS Money for a couple of years. I'm seriously considering switching to Quicken-Business.

How about getting a ledger book. You know, a note book with columns?. Write down all your bills you pay every month, the the order you pay them. Save all your reciepts, then every month, go over them, write them down also. Now you can see at a glance, where all your money goes, where to cut back, how to budget.

Better than computer program, because if you stick with it, it will reinforce the thought to save and manage your money by physically hand writting everything down.

I've done it for 20 years, and know exactly how I'm going broke. ;>)

If it is simply for personal finances, just create yourself some simple Excel spreadsheets. Update them monthly at least. Know exactly how much you owe on everything. I also like to have columns for interest amount and interest paid. This will piss you off and you'll be so ready to go into debt destruction mode.

Budget everything, big and small. Gas, lunches, monthly prescription for the fiance (wink wink), that once a week happy hour. Anything that is regularly occuring, budget it in. You have to find out exactly where you are with your finances. How much do you REALLY have left over every month? Then you can create a savings plan.