how to budget parent and sub categories

LynnK

if I have a parent and several sub categories. Can I use a parent budget value, then as actual sub values with total against the Parent value. Hope the makes sense)

UKR

OTOH, if you're interested in seeing all your Auto - subcategories individually in the Budget view, like this ...

then NO, sorry, you cannot set a budget value for the parent category to "roll down" to the subcategories. Quicken won't let you do that. You must instead set budget values for each individual subcategory at the lowest level. The individual numbers will then "roll up" to make the calculated total budget for Auto.

This "roll up" applies to all nested subcategory levels, from the lowest sub-sub-sub-...-category (down to 16 levels) up to the grand total for each category group (e.g., Personal Expenses).

LynnK

Chris_QPW
I was able to copy your solution. I can get the transactions in the Parent but not the amount by sub-category. I just ran a spend by categories and got the sub-category breakdown. this will work for what I am trying to do. I am only going to budget for the Parent in the budget. I can run a spend report for the details.... thanks

Quicken_Tyka

Hello @LynnK

Thank you for taking the time to visit the Community to ask your question, although I apologize that you have not received a response.

If you navigate to the budget tab and select reports and choose "Current Budget" does this report displays the information you are needing to see?

Please let us know what you find!

-Quicken Tyka

Chris_QPW

Just saw this post.  If I understand the question you want to use the parent to set the budget, but have the actuals be in the sub categories.

If I have this correct, the answer is yes.  Note I'm going to show this in the Annual view.

Let me take my "Auto parent category as an example.
If I select Auto like this:


Now in the budget I can set a budget value for Auto as $1000.


And when I look at the actuals (by clicking on the actual value):

LynnK

Thanks for getting back to me. Its a small item. But has been hanging me up. I attached a Screen shot.

Example is my Cable charges. Jan 2021. I wanted to have one number the total cable say $200. But know what sub- Category it went into. in my 2021 budget I cannot enter a number in the Parent "Cable", I can only load the Sub budget numbers?

I have used Quicken for over 20 years but only now trying some of these features.

Thanks for the help....

UKR

OTOH, if you're interested in seeing all your Auto - subcategories individually in the Budget view, like this ...

then NO, sorry, you cannot set a budget value for the parent category to "roll down" to the subcategories. Quicken won't let you do that. You must instead set budget values for each individual subcategory at the lowest level. The individual numbers will then "roll up" to make the calculated total budget for Auto.

This "roll up" applies to all nested subcategory levels, from the lowest sub-sub-sub-...-category (down to 16 levels) up to the grand total for each category group (e.g., Personal Expenses).

LynnK

Chris_QPW
I was able to copy your solution. I can get the transactions in the Parent but not the amount by sub-category. I just ran a spend by categories and got the sub-category breakdown. this will work for what I am trying to do. I am only going to budget for the Parent in the budget. I can run a spend report for the details.... thanks

LynnK

Thanks Chris & URR - this is what I was looking for.... :)