Quicken 2000 Has software ever changed your life? No? Just wait until you try this.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Put this at the top of your January to-do list: Spend money tosave time and money. Sound screwy? Not when you put out about $50to buy money-management software. Install Quicken Deluxe 2000 orMicrosoft Money 2000, and, either way, come December you'llsend me a thank-you note. Why?
Quicken changed my life-it honestly did, and it's a rarechunk of software about which such strong stuff can be said. Foryears I hadn't a clue what my account balances were, and neverwas my checkbook balanced. Oh, often I'd come close-within $50was good enough by my loose standards-but that was only after apainful few hours once a month when the statement rolled in.
No more. Since I started keeping my checkbook in Quicken, voila,it's balanced. I glance at the printed bank statement, itmatches my Quicken records, and that's that for the month. Andthis is true even though my accounts now are vastly more complex-abrick-and-mortar bank for ATM access, an online bank for freeelectronic bill-paying and a couple of money-market accounts.
Better still, when it comes time to file taxes and my CPA callswith questions ("How much did you give your college alumniassociation?"), I know the answers in a few mouse clicks.Before, I dreaded those niggling questions. The simplest issue tookme hours of poring through yellowed receipts to resolve. But withQuicken, it's a simple search and, as a bonus, it's easy tocategorize expenses and income into tax-related groups. Want toknow what you spent on your cell phone in 1999? Just ask Quickenand it'll tell you. Keep clicking that mouse and you'lluncover more than enough deductions to pay for the software.
How hard is Quicken to use? If you can use a paper checkregister, you can learn this highly user-friendly software in a fewminutes. Even if you can't use a check register-certainly Inever seemed able to-we're talking software that's madewith the term "no-brainer" in mind.
What about Microsoft Money? For my money, Quicken is a bitbetter-a tad easier to use, backup and tweak to suit your owntastes-but if Money is free (and Microsoft bundles it with variousnew computers), use it and don't give another thought tospending extra cash for Quicken. The programs' differences areminimal, certainly not worth $50.
Oh, and don't delay following this advice. Quicken or Moneycan be kicked into action at any time of the year, but when a fullyear's financial records are in place (meaning: start on ornear to January 1), the benefits are all the sweeter atyear-end.
