How to Use Quicken Software to Manage Finances

Use Intuit Quicken to track personal finances on a home computer.

Intuit Quicken allows home users to track their finances on their computer. Enter bank-account information to track all of your transactions. Track the bills you owe each month or create a spending budget with Quicken to improve your finances. This financial software program handles all of the accounting procedures necessary to track your personal finances. When used correctly, users get an adequate picture of the money they earn and spend over time.

Instructions

1. Click the Home tab at the top of the Quicken screen. Click the Get Started button underneath the "See Where Your Money Goes" section. Enter the name of your bank. If you want to connect your account to the bank's Internet connection, click the "Connect to" button and enter your bank-account login information. This will automatically update your transactions within Quicken instead of manually adding each transaction. Add each bank account you have, whether for checking or savings.

2. Click the "Categorize Your Spending" button to personalize the spending categories for your transactions. Go through the list of recent transactions and click the name of the category you want to change. Choose a relevant category from the drop-down list such as "Rent", "Groceries" or "Utilities:Telephone." Add your own if you can't find it on the list by choosing "Add Category."

3. Enter your regular bills into Quicken by clicking the "Get Started" button under the "Stay on Top of Monthly Bills" section. Quicken will give a list of transactions that could count as regular bills based on your bank-account transaction data. Click the "Remove" button to remove any transactions that don't count as regular bills. Click the "Add a Bill" button to add a regular bill that's not on the list. Click the "Next" button to review the list of bills. Choose "Done" when you're happy with the result.

4. Review the bills you have to pay in the "Stay on Top of Monthly Bills" section in the Home tab. Upcoming bills are listed by due date with the earliest due date on top. Use this as a reminder of when to pay your bills and to stay on top of your finances.

5. Click the "Get Started" button under the "Track Spending Goals to Save Money" section. Review your average monthly spending for common categories. Add a dollar amount to the "Suggested Monthly Goal" column to set a budget for each spending category. Click the "Done" button when finished. Your budget categories will be listed under "Track Spending Goals to Save Money" in the Home tab.

Tips & Warnings

• Check Quicken regularly to track your expenses and available income.

References

• Intuit: Getting Started with Quicken 2010 for Windows

Resources

• Intuit Quicken Deluxe