Quickbooks equivalent?
- Thread starter Durbob
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riptides
Super Star Member
I am a fan of the Microsoft bloatware called Excel.
Using pivot tables, it allows you to do charts, reports, etc. etc.
Using a simple formula you can create a wonderful debit/ credit spreadsheet.
Do you have that available?
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Using pivot tables, it allows you to do charts, reports, etc. etc.
Using a simple formula you can create a wonderful debit/ credit spreadsheet.
Do you have that available?
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
When it comes to MS Windows software, free software USUALLY means one of the following 2 things: either it is horribly bad, or it is filled with spyware/adware tag along programs.
With that in mind, here is a free financials package that I am aware of: Ace Money Lite
I do not know which of the 2 categories above that one will fall in. Let me know. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
If you are adventurous there is a VERY VERY good freeware/opensource money management package called GNUCash. It has to either be run on Linux, or on Windows with the help of the CygWin environment (kinda sorta a linux emulated environment for windows).
You wouldn't be saving any money this way, but you could also run GNUCash on Linux from a VMWare emulation session.
Hope I didn't confuse the issue even more.
With that in mind, here is a free financials package that I am aware of: Ace Money Lite
I do not know which of the 2 categories above that one will fall in. Let me know. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
If you are adventurous there is a VERY VERY good freeware/opensource money management package called GNUCash. It has to either be run on Linux, or on Windows with the help of the CygWin environment (kinda sorta a linux emulated environment for windows).
You wouldn't be saving any money this way, but you could also run GNUCash on Linux from a VMWare emulation session.
Hope I didn't confuse the issue even more.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I am a fan of the Microsoft bloatware called Excel.
Using pivot tables, it allows you to do charts, reports, etc. etc.
Using a simple formula you can create a wonderful debit/ credit spreadsheet.
Do you have that available?
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )</font>
Thanks, I don't see excel on here anywhere.
Using pivot tables, it allows you to do charts, reports, etc. etc.
Using a simple formula you can create a wonderful debit/ credit spreadsheet.
Do you have that available?
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )</font>
Thanks, I don't see excel on here anywhere.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( When it comes to MS Windows software, free software USUALLY means one of the following 2 things: either it is horribly bad, or it is filled with spyware/adware tag along programs.
With that in mind, here is a free financials package that I am aware of: Ace Money Lite
I do not know which of the 2 categories above that one will fall in. Let me know. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
If you are adventurous there is a VERY VERY good freeware/opensource money management package called GNUCash. It has to either be run on Linux, or on Windows with the help of the CygWin environment (kinda sorta a linux emulated environment for windows).
You wouldn't be saving any money this way, but you could also run GNUCash on Linux from a VMWare emulation session.
Hope I didn't confuse the issue even more. )</font>
Thanks, i downloaded the program and will see if it does what i want it to do.
With that in mind, here is a free financials package that I am aware of: Ace Money Lite
I do not know which of the 2 categories above that one will fall in. Let me know. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
If you are adventurous there is a VERY VERY good freeware/opensource money management package called GNUCash. It has to either be run on Linux, or on Windows with the help of the CygWin environment (kinda sorta a linux emulated environment for windows).
You wouldn't be saving any money this way, but you could also run GNUCash on Linux from a VMWare emulation session.
Hope I didn't confuse the issue even more. )</font>
Thanks, i downloaded the program and will see if it does what i want it to do.
Wingnut
Veteran Member
you'd know if you paid for it ... Microsoft prices it's products as though they're actually useful. Of course, since I bought Quickbook 10 years ago, Intuit certainly has decided it's a cash cow!!
I've never found a "free" or "shareware" product that's really good at business expenses ... after all, that's a niche market that has to be done right or the IRS sends burly guys to knock on your door.
Quickbooks is #1, while Great Plains and Peachtree are the "big dogs".
An alternative to MS-Excel, which is a LOT cheaper but has at least as much functionality is Corel's Office - Quattro Pro. I've been using it (as well as Excel) for over 15 years. Botrh are very easy to learn and build all sorts of macros to simply repetitive tasks ... as well as fairly decent analysis. In addition, the "page" layout makes it simple to keep track of income and "outgo" separately, yet use together for net worth calculations and tax calculations. There's also a huge resource out on the 'Net ... folks who are happy to help with macros, functions and others th9ings you need to make spreadsheets "useful"
hope that wasn't overkill and headspinning ... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
I've never found a "free" or "shareware" product that's really good at business expenses ... after all, that's a niche market that has to be done right or the IRS sends burly guys to knock on your door.
Quickbooks is #1, while Great Plains and Peachtree are the "big dogs".
An alternative to MS-Excel, which is a LOT cheaper but has at least as much functionality is Corel's Office - Quattro Pro. I've been using it (as well as Excel) for over 15 years. Botrh are very easy to learn and build all sorts of macros to simply repetitive tasks ... as well as fairly decent analysis. In addition, the "page" layout makes it simple to keep track of income and "outgo" separately, yet use together for net worth calculations and tax calculations. There's also a huge resource out on the 'Net ... folks who are happy to help with macros, functions and others th9ings you need to make spreadsheets "useful"
hope that wasn't overkill and headspinning ... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Alan L.
Elite Member
Excel is a wonderful program, but quite possibly the most horrible tool devised for accounting. Thats OK, it was never designed to be a general ledger. Don't waste time. Get QB, or better still Peachtree. Why worry about $300 or less when it comes to doing the job right, and with the least amount of time and headaches.
There are other decent low end accounting packages too, all of which would be are far sight better than trying to make Excel do the accounting.
There are other decent low end accounting packages too, all of which would be are far sight better than trying to make Excel do the accounting.
chili
Bronze Member
The problem that I have found with Quickbooks is that you have to go to classes that various people give to learn how to use it. Their commercials make it sound so easy when in fact
it is not. Quickbooks may be to much to keep up with something simple.
it is not. Quickbooks may be to much to keep up with something simple.
Alan L.
Elite Member
Microsoft Money would be a better tool than Excel or nothing, but its still not really an accounting program. Unless it has changed since the last time I looked at it, it is a non-business (personal) checkbook program like Quicken. Not a general ledger.
Frankly I'm really no particular fan of Quickbooks (I like Peachtree better), but if you know accounting you won't need a class. The reason you need a class is to learn what it is you are trying to do with the program.
A checkbook program like Quicken or Money tracks your checkbook and credit card balances (I really don't know anyone who actually tracks credit card balances in this program), can track note payable balances if you code the transactions correctly, and tracks expenss by category. Thats all. Thats not really all you need for it to do if you want it to actually handle the accounting for a business.
However, some of my clients use these programs and we use the data to post a real general ledger. But its not even good for that if you want to do payroll, invoicing, job costing, and such.
Something else to consider if you don't want to come up with the money up front is to use an online accounting program. Both Peachtree and Quickbooks have versions for this, and they only cost a few bucks a month. We like this because we can access the client's books real time without disturbing the client, and they always stay updated and backed up. There are also other web-based accounting systems that you can use that will transparently interface with your accountant's expensive writeup software. You pay your bills and invoice your customers, record your collections. Your accountant does the rest.
Frankly I'm really no particular fan of Quickbooks (I like Peachtree better), but if you know accounting you won't need a class. The reason you need a class is to learn what it is you are trying to do with the program.
A checkbook program like Quicken or Money tracks your checkbook and credit card balances (I really don't know anyone who actually tracks credit card balances in this program), can track note payable balances if you code the transactions correctly, and tracks expenss by category. Thats all. Thats not really all you need for it to do if you want it to actually handle the accounting for a business.
However, some of my clients use these programs and we use the data to post a real general ledger. But its not even good for that if you want to do payroll, invoicing, job costing, and such.
Something else to consider if you don't want to come up with the money up front is to use an online accounting program. Both Peachtree and Quickbooks have versions for this, and they only cost a few bucks a month. We like this because we can access the client's books real time without disturbing the client, and they always stay updated and backed up. There are also other web-based accounting systems that you can use that will transparently interface with your accountant's expensive writeup software. You pay your bills and invoice your customers, record your collections. Your accountant does the rest.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Microsoft Money would be a better tool than Excel or nothing, but its still not really an accounting program. Unless it has changed since the last time I looked at it, it is a non-business (personal) checkbook program like Quicken. Not a general ledger.
Frankly I'm really no particular fan of Quickbooks (I like Peachtree better), but if you know accounting you won't need a class. The reason you need a class is to learn what it is you are trying to do with the program.
A checkbook program like Quicken or Money tracks your checkbook and credit card balances (I really don't know anyone who actually tracks credit card balances in this program), can track note payable balances if you code the transactions correctly, and tracks expenss by category. Thats all. Thats not really all you need for it to do if you want it to actually handle the accounting for a business.
However, some of my clients use these programs and we use the data to post a real general ledger. But its not even good for that if you want to do payroll, invoicing, job costing, and such.
Something else to consider if you don't want to come up with the money up front is to use an online accounting program. Both Peachtree and Quickbooks have versions for this, and they only cost a few bucks a month. We like this because we can access the client's books real time without disturbing the client, and they always stay updated and backed up. There are also other web-based accounting systems that you can use that will transparently interface with your accountant's expensive writeup software. You pay your bills and invoice your customers, record your collections. Your accountant does the rest. )</font>
I'm a truck driver and all i'm looking to do is keep track of my expenses and income and then have a printout at the end of the year.
Thanks
Durbob,
Frankly I'm really no particular fan of Quickbooks (I like Peachtree better), but if you know accounting you won't need a class. The reason you need a class is to learn what it is you are trying to do with the program.
A checkbook program like Quicken or Money tracks your checkbook and credit card balances (I really don't know anyone who actually tracks credit card balances in this program), can track note payable balances if you code the transactions correctly, and tracks expenss by category. Thats all. Thats not really all you need for it to do if you want it to actually handle the accounting for a business.
However, some of my clients use these programs and we use the data to post a real general ledger. But its not even good for that if you want to do payroll, invoicing, job costing, and such.
Something else to consider if you don't want to come up with the money up front is to use an online accounting program. Both Peachtree and Quickbooks have versions for this, and they only cost a few bucks a month. We like this because we can access the client's books real time without disturbing the client, and they always stay updated and backed up. There are also other web-based accounting systems that you can use that will transparently interface with your accountant's expensive writeup software. You pay your bills and invoice your customers, record your collections. Your accountant does the rest. )</font>
I'm a truck driver and all i'm looking to do is keep track of my expenses and income and then have a printout at the end of the year.
Thanks
Durbob,
MS now has Money Small Business (which is what I use), it has actually gotten pretty good.
I did very well in trig, geometry, alegebra, calculus, physics etc in school. But that small review above is coming from someone who is FAR... let me stress that even more.. FAR, FAR from being competent in accounting. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif In fact, accountants can sense that I'm so INcompetent when it comes to accounting they throw grapes at me when I go out and eat. hehe
I think Money small business does a good job of poking and prodding the information out of you in a way that a non-accountant understands and handles necessities also.. payroll etc.
I just can't get past using parenthesis around negative numbers. Why not just use a - symbol? heheheheheh
You accountant types..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I did very well in trig, geometry, alegebra, calculus, physics etc in school. But that small review above is coming from someone who is FAR... let me stress that even more.. FAR, FAR from being competent in accounting. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif In fact, accountants can sense that I'm so INcompetent when it comes to accounting they throw grapes at me when I go out and eat. hehe
I think Money small business does a good job of poking and prodding the information out of you in a way that a non-accountant understands and handles necessities also.. payroll etc.
I just can't get past using parenthesis around negative numbers. Why not just use a - symbol? heheheheheh
You accountant types..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Wingnut
Veteran Member
if you do find something ... let us know .... my "little brother" is a long haul trucker too ... and he's paying an accountant $100/mo (gasp!) to do his books. I think he's NUTS but he probably has a point since he has no organization skills at all.
have you looked at any of the drivers packages available? I was just looking for him and found one called Truckers Helper
have you looked at any of the drivers packages available? I was just looking for him and found one called Truckers Helper
milkman
Elite Member
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Don't know if you got my P/M, but I have one that I don't use any more since I'm retiring. If you want it, P/M me your address and I'll send it to you. It's a trucking software program that keeps a running tally of P/L. among others.
