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Set Up a Budget in Personal Finance Software

How to Use Personal Finance Software for Budgeting

By Shelley Elmblad, About.com

Creating a budget is one of the best reasons to use personal finance software. Use the budget feature in your software to easily set up a budget, then fine-tune your budget as you see where you can spend less. Create budget reports to keep your spending in line with your budget goals.

To create a budget and keep an eye on budgeted expenses in personal finance software, you need to categorize transactions in all accounts.

What is a Spending Category in Financial Software?
Find out how financial software uses categories to define income and expenses to define your budget.

What is a Split Transaction?
Find out what a split transaction is and when to use transaction splits to accurately categorize spending for your budget.

Defining Income and Expense Categories: What Categories Should You Use for Your Budget?
Find out how to define spending categories so you can set up and manage a personal household budget.

More Budget Detail: How to Use Subcategories
Use the right level of detail for budget reporting.

Sales Tax: Options for Recording Sales Tax in Split Transactions
Should you budget for sales tax? Should you divide sales tax into subcategories? Or, should you forget about sales tax altogether? Find out which method of recording sales tax is right for your budget.

Safely Delete Budget Categories
Find out how to delete budget categories and subcategories without messing up your budget reports.

Budget Software
Find out what budget software is best for you.

Explore Financial Software

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