Budget categories and reminders could be linked and automatically adjust by timeframe and percentage

JonG4JC

I just set up my budget, but in order to see my forecast accurately, I have to go and enter all the budget categories as reminders. I work on commission and my income fluctuates with every paycheck. Tithing and taxes are always a percentage of income, and other categories like gas are weekly occurrences. So I'd like to have reminders and budget categories that automatically adjust themselves based on percentages, and have other categories automatically spread themselves out throughout the week, month, etc. so I can see the expense flow forecast.

Tom Young

I'm not sure I'm following along with you here. 

"Budgeting" is essentially the process of making forward-looking guesses as to how your finances play out over the coming year.  Having made your guesses and entering your guesses in the budgeting module, you should know exactly what your "forecast" looks like.  If you guessed that May income would be $7,000 and May expenses would be $6,300 you expect May to look like a "profitable" month, and hope the Actual numbers play out that way.

Where I'm losing you is your stated need to enter Reminders.  Reminders affect your Actual results, the numbers end up comparing your Budget to.  If you're allowing Quicken to enter these Reminders many months in advance, which is fine, then to a large extent those Reminders are guesses too, especially if your income and expenses fluctuate a lot unpredictably. 

In the budgeting process we all know that certain items - taxes and tithing in your case - are a function of income and in those situations having the budgeting module being able to calculate these items based on your income guesses would be a benefit.  You might want to make that an idea that other users can vote on.