After reading on My Money Blog about how easy (and free!) Pear Budget is, I downloaded it and gave it a look-over. I was impressed – because it runs in Excel, the document size is practically nothing. It’s well thought-out, and easy to use. Unfortunately, I could also tell it wasn’t for me. I have two monthly expenses right now: my car and my credit card payment. Besides that, all I really buy is gas for my car. I keep track of all my money’s comings and goings in a Excel document that I wrote myself, and although I was in love with Pear Budget, I knew our time had not come yet.
But that doesn’t mean I didn’t find someone else to thrust it upon! While I was in LA, I set it up for The Fella. I uploaded it into Google Docs and Spreadsheets, because The Fella works from two different computers, and I wanted him to be able to access it from either. Some of the features (such as the red triangles) don’t work in Google Docs, and some of it looks a little funny, but all of the basics of the program still work.
The reason Pear Budget is good for The Fella and not for me is that he has actual expenses and income, living on his own and having real jobs and the sort. Basically, this program might not be useful for anyone college-aged or younger, but once you’re living on your own, I highly recommend it. It’s free, it’s super easy, and because of Google Docs, you can decide whether you want it to be online or offline.
I like it!
If you have $10,000 worth of credit card debt at 10% interest would it be advantageous to get a loan from your 401K to pay it off and pay yourself back?
Vj,
I think this is an important question, so I’m going to give it its own post – watch for my response within the next couple days!
As far as you “being at the bottom of the ladder”? I declared Ch7 4 years ago. Got laid off after returning from the mid-east, then started teaching-For a “inhuman” salary. Teaching was fun and I will be going back to it part time as well as trying a work at home call center thingy too. My point? Along the way I did odd network jobs and got into real estate, then left that for the teaching job. Well, I found PearBudget and said..WOW..I can use that whenever I get my own home. I found a program that gave me funds for a down payment. Out in the country and using PB, I can SEE where I spend my dollars (YOU GOT to enter your slips people) One of the best and most simple to use budget programs EVER!! Keep climbing girl-I know I did and PB helps and continues to help!!
Having a good program for budgeting money is critical especially in these hard times but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t have a clue where their money goes each month.
If you want a stable financial future, I think you’ve really got to sit down and map out your income VS expenses so that you can plan for future savings. As the saying goes … If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!