Budget Enhancement - Add the ability to insert comments/notes into the Annual View (14 Legacy Votes)
Budget Enhancement - Add the ability to insert comments in the cells of the Annual View, in much the same way that one can insert comments into an Excel cell. Make it a popup or mouseover type action. This will help remind me of my budget assumptions as the year progresses. Im surprised that adding notes or comments is not already included! Pls. correct me if I overlooked this!
I noted that this idea was previously submitted in the MAC community. Not sure how well the Windows and MAC dev teams sync wrt development, so placing it also under Windows.
Pls. Vote!
Scott
I noted that this idea was previously submitted in the MAC community. Not sure how well the Windows and MAC dev teams sync wrt development, so placing it also under Windows.
Pls. Vote!
Scott
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Comments
Allow versioning of annual budget view : My budget process is to:
1. first, create a 2017 Budget Baseline at the start of the year.
2. then, every month or quarter, create a 2017 Budget Latest Estimate that tweaks the baseline figures (moving $ around with a goal of net 0 or decrease in overall budget).
3. finally, use that 2017 Budget Latest Estimate as a basis for 2018 Budget Baseline.
4. Rinse and repeat.
Right now, I save off a baseline budget via screen grabs....wasteful...I then use the current budget as my latest estimate. Would like all that in quicken, in a similar way Tax Planner does (Projected, Scenario 1,2,3).
It was painful, today, to have turned on Mobile Sync for the first time and realize later that a dozen or so figures got changed....Cant point it to anything different, other than mobile sync. Access to a saved-off baseline or LE would have been helpful.
If you like this idea and the first one, above, please vote it up or make them better by commenting!
Scott
The only downside is that any changes you make you have to show in both places. The upside is that Excel will be not be trashed by Mobile Sync which in my opinion is the #1 worst "feature" in Quicken and the #1 cause of many issues with Quicken.
I
created a spreadsheet last year, built up all the formulas, organized it
similar to Quicken's annual budget view and commented it in Excel. At
the time, I was experimenting with a better budget forecast idea I had
posted. Nonetheless, I found messing with Excel and Quicken too time consuming and redundant for either forecasting, cash flows or comments.
Today,
I document (comment) my more important one-offs as an Outlook task, due
in the month that I budget for it in Quicken. I would have plenty
more comments if I could do it directly in Quicken budgets. And, I would have a faster, easier time during my budget review.
I'm
not trying to make Quicken to be Excel-like, they both have their
places, but the commenting idea, especially on budget figures, is a
basic user feature, especially for one-off items and items that change
during say a monthly review. I'm not saying it's an basic or easy technical
implementation, maybe is or is not. As a user, this
feature, IMO, is a natural extension of the budgeting process - new or
latest estimate. The natural budgeting questions are captured "close"
to the figure, in Quicken, and not in some other application. "What does this figure represent"? "Why is it important"?
"Why did it change?? et al.
As for the "save off versions" part of the above idea, I think I would have less need for this feature, if I could, from my comments, recreate my thought process.
A picture is worth a thousand words,
as they say. Image 1 shows where these comments could be conceivably
added. Image 2 shows where these comments could be conceivably
viewed. Maybe there are more clever places to do this in the UI !
Vote it up, if you like it, or make it better with your own ideas (then give it a vote!)
Scott
2018 QW HBR r7.5
Image 1:
Image 2:
I have been using Quicken for years to track expenses, but only recently got serious about budgeting. I update the budget for the upcoming month based on what I expect for the month, so some categories are higher or lower than normal because something is going on that month in that category. For instance, I may increase the Restaurant subcategory of Food because we expect to eat our more that month. Or the car may need to be serviced, the kids may be attending an event, etc.
However, sometimes I get into the month and can't recall why I increased/decreased that category. Is there a way to add notes to the budget to remind myself of those specific expected expenses?
I use Quicken 2019 for Windows, Quicken on the web, and Quicken Mobile iOS.
Hello CMsLifePlan,
I am turning this post into an Idea thread.
Currently, there isn't a way to do this and I was unable to come up with any workaround to show this information across all the platforms.
I was able to add a note to the description with the desktop version but was unable to see this note of the Mobile or Web App.
Thank you for taking the time to come to the Community and add this contribution!
-Quicken Tyka
Note: This conversation was created from a reply on: Budget Notes -.
When you change the budget, would creating a reminder for the expense work?
Note: This conversation was created from a reply on: Budget Notes -.
I do use bill reminders for expenses I'm sure of like utility bills, and I guess I could use them more for this. But this is for more vague things, like I'm expecting to eat out more next month because friends are coming into town toward the end of the month, or Home Supplies may be higher because we're organizing a storage room.
Note: This conversation was created from a reply on: Budget Notes -.
Tyka,
Your using Mac, right? There is no description field with QWin. Either way, it's an idea long overdue.
Note: This conversation was created from a reply on: Budget Notes -.
A similar idea here: https://getsatisfaction.com/quickenco... QW HBR
Note: This conversation was created from a reply on: Budget Notes -.
Thanks Tyka! Where did you find a place to add a note on the desktop version?
Note: This conversation was created from a reply on: Budget Notes -.
As GeoffG points out, there is no "notes" feature closely associated with budgets in Quicken Windows. Can't say re: Mac.
There sees to be interest in this idea! Hopefully it has legs. But only if it gets the votes that indicates interest!
Have a look (vote) at this similar post re: commenting in budgets: https://getsatisfaction.com/quickencommunity/topics/budget-enhancement-add-the-ability-to-insert-comments-into-the-annual-view
Regards,
Scott
2019 QW HBR
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I budget for 47 categories x 12 month for a maximum of 564 discrete opportunities to forget my reasoning.... Of course, in reality I wouldn't document everything...so....its only around 60....
Please don't forget to vote!
[removed self-referencing link]
I understand that if a budget category goes over, that we need to take from another category or move things around. My question is more just to remember what we're budgeting for within a category or even subcategory like home furnishings.
I'm using Premier subscription.
Thank you for taking the time to bring this to the attention of the Community!
I went ahead and merged your post with an ongoing Idea for this same feature request. Our developer's review Idea threads to get an idea of what people would like Quicken to offer.
Be sure to add your vote by clicking on the gray triangle right above the current vote count, located in the blue box at the beginning of this thread:
Quicken Natalie