I don't think it will work exactly like you want... but its close. For
example, I budget 600.00 a month for groceries. As I buy groceries say
$200.00, and assign them to the grocery category, it takes that's months
budget of groceries to $400. Now, if I only spend $550, I can right click
and select reallocate funds to next month, so grocery budget next month is
$650.00 ( I don't think it does it automatically, just adds the extra $50 to
unallocated monies).

In addition, you can budget for a one time item, like a vacation.

Hopes this helps,


--
Denny Browne
"Raterus" <raterus[at]hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23$fbMFBjFHA.3316[at]TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
- quote -

Mike,

I have been looking to do the same thing that you want for some time
now. After I first started my first job, I would put a post-it note in
my planner on the 15th and the 31st of every month. At the top I would
write my take-home pay. Below that I'd write all the monthly bills and
monthly savings/investment account transfers (adding up to the paycheck
total). On payday, I would go down the list and cross each number off
once the check was written or the money transferred. Best system ever.

Anyway, back to your question: there is a book by Peter Aitken called
"Manage your Money and Investments with Microsoft Excel". It uses this
methodology and includes a CD-ROM containing all the templates that you
need to set this up in Excel. You should check it out.

BTW, I go back to the mvelopes concept every so often, but I can't get
past the price and the idea that some company has to have all my
financial data just so I can do grandma's envelope system in the new
economy.

Hope it helps!

Dave
Michael Ramey wrote:
- quote -

Thank you, that it a bit pricey!, but it is what I was looking for. I'll
keep it in mind. My other alternative here would be just to write a simple
program to do it.


"jcm" <jcm[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:30830787-E353-412D-9BB8-D5A6E4F5E43E[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

Money isn't designed to do what you're asking. Check out Mvelopes instead at
http://www.mvelopes.com. It sounds like it does exactly what you're
describing, although the Mvelopes service seems fairly expensive. They offer
a free trial.


"Raterus" wrote:

- quote -

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out Money 2005 to manage a budget my wife and I just
recently started. Our idea for a budget is to take my paycheck (two times a
month), and split it into categories based on our spending. These
categories almost become mini-accounts from which I make deposits too, and
issue expenses from.

These categories would be "filled" each time I get paid, for example, the
check I get the 15th gets split between the phone bill, electricity,
mortgage, whereas the check on the 30th is split into the Doctor, Gifts, and
Insurance categories

I main idea we had behind a budget is that all these categories are
mini-accounts, where money is added to them, and expenses take this money
away. These categories also would rollover unused money, that is if I put
in $50 for an expense, and only spend $35, next month I'll have $65 the next
month.

My questions are

1) Does money support adding to categories like I explained above, I'd
basically like to click a button when I get paid in the middle of the month,
and the paycheck is "deposited" into these different categories.

2) Do the categories rollover? This is essential for a "Vacation" category
for example, it's not like I'll be spending $X a month, each month on
vacations. I want to see some sort of accumulation when I don't spend.

Can MS money support this, without too much hassle?

Thanks,
--Michael