Mint

I don't typically make New Years Resolutions. But since it is a new year and I'm in the cleaning and organizing mode, I have decided it's time to get back on track of keeping track. Of our finances, that is.

I like to know where our money is coming from, where it's going and what it is doing for us. In the past, I have used several programs including Quicken and Microsoft Money. I wasn't totally happy with either, but they did the job. Microsoft Money is no more and Quicken seems to have gone online. So I have been trying out different options to see what is out there in this modern age of technology.

I think I've found something that I might actually like. It's not tasty like Thin Mints (Yummy!), but it has the same great name. Mint.com offers a free online financial management service.

Pros:

• It's simple to set up (if you have online access to all of your financial accounts).
• It updates every time you log on - giving you a very current financial picture.
• The spending analysis and budgeting tools are simple, but easy to tweak to your needs.
• It remembers transactions and automatically fills in repeat transactions. It will even let you set up rules for certain transactions which saves lots of time when you go to categorize everything.
• It's FREE! Plus no software upgrades every year.

Cons:

• You can split budget categories in a transaction, but it is a little clumsy and time consuming.
• Well, I've only actually come up with one con so far. But I've only been using it for a few weeks. So I'm sure I'll have something to add after I spend a little more time getting to know it's quirks.

So, if you are in need of a little financial organization you may want to check out Mint.com and see if it's as appealing to you as it is to me!