SOA Calculator feedback

Clariman

Thanks for your comments. I'm really pleased if it is helping people, because that is what it is all about and makes the development of it worthwhile.

Clariman

Lorne

Most certainly is helping people, I find it invaluable and it makes it easy to see where bills could be cut and offers a very systematic way of viewing my finances. I take the surplus figure at the bottom and use it in connection with the snowball calculator at whatsthecost.com to work out where my overpayments should be going. These 2 tools are a complete God send!

Clariman

Lorne wrote: »

Most certainly is helping people, I find it invaluable and it makes it easy to see where bills could be cut and offers a very systematic way of viewing my finances. I take the surplus figure at the bottom and use it in connection with the snowball calculator at whatsthecost.com to work out where my overpayments should be going. These 2 tools are a complete God send!

It did cross my mind to build a snowball calculator into the SOA calculator so that it said "you have a surplus each month. would you like to see how that could be snowballed to pay off your debts?" but I think that would make it rather complicated!

tyllwyd

This is feedback following from comments on another thread, but I thought it might be better to post it here to keep things in one place.

To be honest, I agree with the comment (on the other thread) that the results of the SOA calculator look very busy with all the 'zero' entries included, and I find it more difficult to get my head around the information given (although I appreciate that it is very thorough!)

Would it be possible to maybe change the '0' to a dash, or no character at all, so that as you glanced down the second column you would only see the entries that have been completed?

Why is it important to keep the column of results aligned? In the past, people just put the figure near the entry. I'd be happer with a fixed space between the category and the entry, rather than all the dots and columns. It doesn't look so neat from an accountant's point of view, but most of the time the people reading here won't be worried about adding up the columns. And then you could use the normal MSE font, rather than courier which everyone agrees doesn't work well here.

Clariman

tyllwyd wrote: »

This is feedback following from comments on another thread, but I thought it might be better to post it here to keep things in one place.

Good idea. Will add my latest reply from other thread onto this thread.

To be honest, I agree with the comment (on the other thread) that the results of the SOA calculator look very busy with all the 'zero' entries ....Would it be possible to maybe change the '0' to a dash, or no character at all, so that as you glanced down the second column you would only see the entries that have been completed?

That could be done but I am not convinced that it would look much better??

Why is it important to keep the column of results aligned? In the past, people just put the figure near the entry.

It is not necessarily important. Personally, I find it easier to read down a list of expenses and amounts if it is laid out in columns, rather than reading it all higgledy-piggledy. See next post which is a copy of my comments on the other thread.
Clariman

Clariman

There appear to be 2 areas that some people would like to see an improvement: font and the sheer volume of items, some of which may be 0. There are trade offs.

If someone wanted to create a couple of polls, then I'd happily reconsider the 2 items.

Q1. Nice font versus column layout. Which of the following would you prefer (sorry you can't have both).

* As it currently is i.e. laid out neatly but with the existing font that some people aren't mad on
* Change to a nicer font but lose the neat column layout

Q2. Do you want nil values displayed?

* Yes, because it prompts us to ask the poster why they haven't included anything for that expense category. It is better to see it as 0 than not have it.

* No, because it clutters up the screen and we'll take the risk that something is missing

I dont' know how to create a poll here. Feel free if you want to.

On the second point, it would be possible to miss out the nil entries and then just list them as not completed e.g. a line below the table that says something like:
Oil, Mortgage, Buildings insurance, Pet insurance, Medical all 0

Clariman

GeorgeUK

Posted this elsewhere, but i think the thread may now be obsolete - the layout from the SOA calculator looks fine for me
UNTIL
It is used in a quote. It seems that when the text is put into a quote, Italics are activated and the text can be a little difficult to read.



BECOMES



And with alot of Italic text together - can get/seem a bit messy.
So i don't think changing the font will really achieve anything.
At least, that's my theory.

I think it is better to have the nil values in. If the poster wants to take them out they can just say in the thread that it is a complete SOA. I think it's better to have it shown in the first post, then if it's quoted elsewhere - it could be cut back.

Clariman

Hello all.

The new SOA Calculator has been online for 4 or 5 weeks now, so thought I'd see how you are all finding it. Is it straightforward to use? Is there anything else it could do that would make it better (hoping the answer is no! LOL)? Are you finding the warning messages useful memory joggers - if so, are there any other things it should check for? Any feedback appreciated.

Clariman

bogged_down_with_£

I think it is very helpful indeed!! Thank you x

rupe34

hi - the SOA calculator gets a major thimbs up from me! Its brilliant - thank you!!:T