[moneydance] Fw: Envelope budgeting

[Roz Wild]

As far as I can see, the only reason to use income categories rather than 
expense categories for the envelopes is to ensure that an available balance 
in an envelope is a positive number. Could you instead use expense 
categories and keep in your head that a minus sign represents available 
funds (in much the same way that when my phone company tells me my bill 
is -1.16 it means I've overpaid them)? This may make it easier to keep track 
of which column things should be in. Or maybe not :).

I have a feeling that envelope budgeting really needs its own separate 
software. It's a pity that mvelopes doesn't exist in a stand-alone, non-web 
based version. I have found other programs on the web that claim to do 
envelope budgeting (hope it's ok to post links to Moneydance rivals). They 
all seem to be US centred unfortunately (I can cope with dollars instead of 
pounds, but the date format trips me up everytime).

my spending plan: www.myspendingplan.com (web based and free)

Crown Money Map financial software: www.moneymapsoftwaresupport.com
MoneyWell: http://nothirst.com/moneywell
Budget: www.snowmintcs.com/budgetinfo/index.php
Home Budget: http://softperfection.com/hb
MAKE$.CENTS www.empowers.com:8080/empowers/jsp/index.jsp
YNAB www.youneedabudget.com
(all of which seem to have much more restrictive trial policies than 
Moneydance or require you to pay up front)

I really like Moneydance, especially the responsive attitude of the 
developers. As someone who has not really practised envelope-based 
budgeting, I guess what I would like to know  is whether it offers a big 
advantage over traditional spending-tracking software. Perhaps you can give 
me some feedback from your own experience?

Cheers,
Roz
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Graham Borland" <graham at moonbog.net>
To: "General discussion related to Moneydance" 
<moneydance-info at moneydance.com>
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 11:26 AM
Subject: Re: [moneydance] Fw: Envelope budgeting
>
> I quite agree, it's awkward. Doing transfers from one envelope to
> another means you put the amount in the opposite column from the one you
> think it should be. I get confused by this every time.
>
> All that would be needed to make it work seamlessly and intuitively
> would be:
>
> 1a. Allow categories to be listed on the home page, c.f. bank accounts,
> so you can see envelope balances alongside your physical bank balances.
>
> OR
>
> 1b. Update the "Edit Categories" window so that negative balances are
> drawn in red. (And zero balances are drawn in light grey?)
>
>
> 2. Amend the way Expense categories work, or provide a new "Envelope"
> type of category, so that they show a positive balance when funds are
> available to spend (as Income categories currently do) but which work as
> Expenses for graph/report purposes.
>
>
> I believe these two simple changes would provide all that we need for
> genuine envelope budgeting support with no confusion or difficulty.
>
>
> -- 
> Graham Borland
> graham at moonbog.net
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>
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