Keeping Track of savings etc - Spreadsheet or Software ?

JustAnotherSaver

I currently use a MS Excel spreadsheet

Although it takes time entering details for so many accounts. I should do it on the first few days of the month but often leave it mid-way until i can be bothered to get round to it.

I'm sure that even with MS Excel there's an easier way to do it but that i'm just not fluent in Excel enough to know about it.




My wife wants me to detail all accounts we have, current, savings, investment, complete with details like direct debits, standing orders, amounts & what they're for because i literally do all the banking & if for example i dropped dead later today she'd not have a clue what was what because there's so much going on.
I did make a start on it but i'm not sure what's the best software for it. I started out in Excel but wasn't happy with how it was going. Moved to MS Word & it looked clunky.

Bobblehat

Excel spreadsheet plus a relatively simple flowchart style diagram manually created in PaintShop Pro. Could have done the latter in several other pieces of software, but the idea is to give a visual diagram of SO & DD movements between accounts showing day of the month and amount, account bonuses (interest % etc), account start and/or end dates, bonus requirements etc.

I find the diagram helps me to stay on top of 15 to 20 accounts, some that have a 12/24/36 month lifespan and help plan where to shift money to next or which account to use as a sacrifice for the next switch. It also gives a quick visual reference for each account's balance of incomes and outgoings.

aajax42

You might find this interesting

Linton

aajax42 wrote: »

You might find this interesting

Note that this refers to the US version of Money. The UK version can be downloaded from https://www.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/2011/11/27/download-microsoft-money-2005-for-free/.

The comment about problems with Windows-10 are not correct - I believe it refers to an early pre-release version of the OS.

The UK version will accept download files from most (all?) the High Street banks and investment price, index, and FX rate downloads can be picked up using the software available from https://gaiersoftware.com/Money

tempus_fugit

I use YNAB and a couple of spreadsheets to keep track of things generally and to do forecasts. I did once create a spreadsheet that was based on version 4 of YNAB and it worked pretty well, but it didn't handle some things well such as adding new accounts, i.e. it wasn't particularly scalable without a lot of work. I now use the new version of YNAB, which although is subscription based, is only about £35 a year, so less than £3 a month and it is worth its weight in gold. I also use MoneyDance, which is really the long-term "database" of transactions. That cost about £50 several years ago so it has paid for itself several times over.

DawlishDilbert

Silly thing is that I was an Excel guru in my last job so I should be able to put something together - I've just used Moneydance for so long now!

Perhaps now that I'm retired I will fill my time putting together something in Excel!

mhoc

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

I currently use a MS Excel spreadsheet

Although it takes time entering details for so many accounts. I should do it on the first few days of the month but often leave it mid-way until i can be bothered to get round to it.

I'm sure that even with MS Excel there's an easier way to do it but that i'm just not fluent in Excel enough to know about it.




My wife wants me to detail all accounts we have, current, savings, investment, complete with details like direct debits, standing orders, amounts & what they're for because i literally do all the banking & if for example i dropped dead later today she'd not have a clue what was what because there's so much going on.
I did make a start on it but i'm not sure what's the best software for it. I started out in Excel but wasn't happy with how it was going. Moved to MS Word & it looked clunky.

But if you were run over by the proverbial red bus any accounts in your name only would be on hold anyway - at least from the time someone drops off a copy of the death certificate to the bank or the building society.
Not sure what happens with joint accounts.

But it is a worry, my partner, although not a wild spendthrift, does not have much financial acumen. He could get himself to Aldi to feed himself but as to checking that bills were paid on time and managing multiple savings accounts etc ...

whats

Not that it will help. I use Quicken 2000.
I would love to use something more up to date.

Just tried AceMoney - but it has less features then what Q2000 has. Though stock/shares import is better (= working).
Tried Moneydance last year, never got on with it (can't remember reasons).

The latest versions of USA quicken are very expensive, and I think needs a USA address to register.

Definitely a market opportunity - though maybe too small as MS/Intuit left,

Paul_DNAP

darren72 wrote: »

How does everyone keep track of all the different accounts they hold, how much is held in them and any maturity dates, etc.

Are you all using your own spreadsheet or something similar ?

I've been using a very basic spreadsheet but looking to do something a bit more as I have lots of old accounts on it too that are no longer needed (but need the interest info for tax returns).

Does anyone use any software/spreadsheets they can recommend for this purpose ?

I've got a basic spreadsheet.


The first page is a summary of all the savings I have, where they are, account numbers, rates, maturity date and of course balance. It's not advanced excel, just a table.


The main page is a list of all accounts on rows and I make a new column every time I update it, this makes a nice "total over time" graph. I update this on a irregular pattern, usually after opening a new account or after ISA-interest-season, but I always try and do it towards month end (after all direct debits are out, before salary is in).


I don't need to keep a track of the interest payments as closely as you as I don't do my own tax returns, and I don't think my sheet would be able to do that in the current form.


The other important page is "upcoming plans" which is a fairly undisciplined list of thoughts and reminders about what I have coming up. (Things such as "April 2018 - fixed rate ISA matures, look for new home for it" - the last entry on that is in 2020 when my NS&I 3yr bond matures.