I was using the essential to try to avoid the advanced complications on
income. Can I set up a 2nd budget using the advanced to try this, but not
use the one I've already got? (I had a few months salary before I quit so I
averaged that.) Also, how can I make sure that any categories I've assigned
exp to are in the budget? Thanks.

"Chris Cowles" wrote:

- quote -

If the accounts where you keep your retirement funds are outside the
budget, and retirement accounts, by definition, are, transfers into the
budget accounts (e.go., your main checking account) are considered
income by Money. They're in a special category called 'Transfers into
budget', which you cannot control. Schedule your transfers, and Money
will budget it as regularly occurring income.

To answer your question more precisely, Money will let you do a budget
without income.

Are you using the Advanced Budget?
--
Chris Cowles
Gainesville, FL

"HBFLA" <HBFLA[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A2D49303-9E14-4224-9206-5DD57F9F712F[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

I like that approach, it's much more accurate. It seems like the program
won't let me do a budget without income tho, am I missing something?

"Chris Cowles" wrote:

- quote -

"HBFLA" <HBFLA[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1AFD8FDC-2933-44EA-A1A5-2E3B4E830A36[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

Exclude your retirement fund source from the budget. Transfers from
those accounts to your budget accounts will be shown in the income group
as 'transfers into budget'. Transfers to those accounts from budget
accounts will be shown in the expense group as (obviously) 'transfers
out of budget'.

I recommend that you schedule a transfer from your retirement fund to
your spending accounts. You should determine in advance how much you can
afford to withdraw and sustain the account balance considering
inflation. That becomes your 'retirement income', in addition to
pensions, SS, etc.

If you schedule it monthly and include budget amounts in the cash flow
forecast, any amount not transferred within a given calendar month will
be dropped. If you schedule it annually, Money averages out the
remainder to be withdrawn over the remaining months. If your expenses
are lower than expectations and you withdraw less than originally
planned, Money will actually increase the projected withdrawal as the
year progresses.

For irregular expenses such as car repairs, or irregular income (that
you can depend on) such as sales commissions, that makes sense. But if
it's you choosing how much to take out of your savings, it doesn't, at
least not to me. If your view is similar, schedule the transfers
monthly, or some period less than annual.
--
Chris Cowles
Gainesville, FL

In microsoft.public.money, HBFLA wrote:

- quote -

I think I can help with that part.

Banking-> AccountTools-> Categories&Payees-> Categories will get
you to Categories. Even better, you can click Shortcuts at the
top, and configure in Categories (and other favorite places) for
single-click access.

Then Select a category that you want to be rid of and click Delete
or Move at the bottom. If you are using the category for existing
transactions, Money will ask what category you want those
transactions reassigned to.

Advanced Find&Replace may also be useful in
changing a bunch of existing transactions to a given category.

Tools-> Settings-> CategorySettings-> ChooseCategoriesAndSubcategoriesFromSeparateLists
might give you a better view into the dual hierarchical category
(subcategory) system. If you don't like the effect, change it back.

I'm an early retiree so my "income" is money from my accounts when I need it,
usually lump sums I take for a few months access. do I have to budget that
by taking a monthly average?

On the expense side, I have too many spending catgories to make it useful.
How can I re-organize categories and subcategories?

Thanks