best finance software
 

I need just a personal finance software so i can keep track of my bills and accounts. What are the best ones out there?

I liked Quicken when I used it. Lots of options and a good program, IMO. I just got lazy about entering all of the data.

If you have a little computer smarts, you can set up some Excel spreadsheets just as easily.

I like Quicken -- it's easy and intuitive to use. Also used QuickBooks when I owned a retail business for the same reasons.

Now I actually do my own spreadsheets in Excel (as Lebell suggested) mainly because I don't need all the features of Quicken, but where I do need to keep track of something, Excel lets me go way deeper into detail than any packaged financial software that I'm probably smart enough to use.

I'd recommend Quicken though. Can't imagine that you'd be disappointed.

I like Microsoft Money. I can use it for a while and get everything organized, but then I'll stop and it will all fall apart.

I've tried using Excel, but I can't figure out how to get it to show a running balance of my accounts. It's one of my favorite parts of Quicken, along with the ability to categorize my transactions so I can do a nice little spending report later and say "oooh boy 70% of my expenses were on electronics." So until I can figure out how to get Excel to do those, I'll be sticking with Quicken. I have been wanting to try GnuCash, but its not exactly windows friendly.

I use Quicken. It's easy and has tons of reports if you want to see where you're spending your money. The last two years I bought Turbo Tax and, since both come from Intuit, I got a free upgrade to Quicken. I probably would have bought Turbo Tax anyway and now I have the most current verion of Quicken as well.
One thing Quicken offers is to keep a copy of your files as a backup via the internet. I decided against it, as I don't want someone from Intuit having access to my personal financial records. Maybe a bit paranoid, but better safe than sorry. Quicken has a built in backup option and I just use that.

I can't stand quicken. I can't get it to download my bank info, despite the bank tech support and me trying to make it work. (The bank's support, becuase quicken insists that the bank's verification process is rejecting my info--when on the line w/the bank they've confirmed my info is right.)

Also, I set up my 401K to display in quicken, but for whatever reason when it updates, it doesn't do it right. Quite some time ago I changed an investment in the 401k, and quicken won't update my info on that investment at all. Thank god I don't depend on that POS for my finacial info or I'd be fucked.

Whatever one you start with will probably be the one you stick with. I'm a Microsoft Money guy myself (i really like the whole integration with MSN money plus).

Uhhhh....just have two columns of cells....one to input the data, one with a formula that takes the previous row's balance and adjusts it by the current activity. Run out of room? Add more rows.

Several people have mentioned Quicken - and I heartily agree. I've used it since the early 90s and have been through several revs. It is incredibly easy and "Intuit"-ive to use. You won't regret choosing it.