One of the frustrating parts about setting goals in personal finance is that it can be a very vague experience. Without a framework to base your goals on, you end up with targets like "save $10,000 by the end of next year" or "pay off the credit cards." These are large, ambiguous goals without much … Continue reading Setting Useful Financial Goals →

I have a long history with YNAB (You Need a Budget), both good and bad. To make a long story short, I was using and loving Mvelopes, while YNAB had a lot of problems with its new release. YNAB then fixed those problems, Mvelopes went south and I switched back. Today, I use a combination of Quicken 2011 and … Continue reading Should I Upgrade to YNAB 4? →

It’s not often that I mention specific products on the blog, since you’re all capable of weighing the pros and cons of the various providers. Once in a while though, something special comes along that I just have to mention. Cloud Storage For some of you, cloud storage will seem like old news, and for … Continue reading Google Drive Saves You Big Bucks →

I started using Mvelopes to manage my budget in February 2009, less than one month after the launch of this blog. Since then, the software has remained mostly the same in terms of functionality, design, and price. Last week, Finicity launched a new version of the product with the promise of grand improvements. Unfortunately, my long-time … Continue reading Mvelopes Re-Design and Free Version Fall Short →