No "difference" column showing in Budget

Kay Kibby
Kay Kibby Member ✭✭
I just updated to Quicken for Mac6.62. There is no column for "difference", just budget and actual. Is there something I can do to get the "difference"column back? I export all the data to an Excel spreadsheet and will have to redesign it if "difference"is permanently gone.

Best Answer

  • jacobs
    jacobs Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    @Kay Kibby Glad you reported that. Since you said you exported to Excel, I thought you were saying your export didn't contain the difference columns, and I wasn't able to replicate that. So I'm glad you did an export and realized the difference columns are there.

    To recap: onscreen, the difference is shown in the YTD column to the right of the categories (which, as John pointed out, can be toggled to be visible or hidden); the monthly columns show actual and budget, but not difference; the export shows difference for each month, but not YTD. (But since you export to Excel, as long as you have actual and budget for each month, you really don't need the difference column, as you could calculate that column by subtracting budget from actual.)
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993

Answers

  • John_in_NC
    John_in_NC Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Nothing has changed in the update to 6.62-you likely have hidden the difference column.

    Click on the icon I have highlighted in red-that will toggle the "difference" column. I also have the submenu selected where you can choose to show YTD/Entire Budget Year values.


  • Kay Kibby
    Kay Kibby Member ✭✭
    Thank you John. That takes care of the summary column, but I am looking for a difference column for each individual month. Your example shows the stacked view, I am using side by side. It used to show 3 columns for each month: Actual Budgeted Difference. Now it just shows Actual Budgeted
  • Quicken Jared
    Quicken Jared Quicken Mac Subscription Alumni ✭✭✭✭
    Kay Kibby said:
    Thank you John. That takes care of the summary column, but I am looking for a difference column for each individual month. Your example shows the stacked view, I am using side by side. It used to show 3 columns for each month: Actual Budgeted Difference. Now it just shows Actual Budgeted
    Hello @Kay Kibby

    I am sorry to hear about this issue with columns in Budgets. Thank you for continuing to speak with us about this issue.

    Have you tried restoring from a backup saved prior to when your software update was completed? You can do this anytime by going to File > Restore from Backup... in the upper menu at the top of the screen while Quicken is open. Provided that you have been saving backups regularly by going into the same menu and clicking File > Save a Backup..., you should be able to restore from a recently saved backup to determine if you are seeing the same changes in the restored file. Be sure not to restore from a backup saved prior to January 2022, as there may be conflicts caused by updates that were actively installed at that time.

    I look forward to hearing about your results when attempting this.

    Thank you,

    Quicken Jared 
  • Kay Kibby
    Kay Kibby Member ✭✭
    Hello Jared,
    I am sure I could restore from backup and get the three columns. However, if this is a permanent change in the budget layout I will just have the same problem the next time I update the software. If the change to two columns per month is permanent no problem - I will rework my Excel spreadsheet.
    Kay
  • Kay Kibby
    Kay Kibby Member ✭✭
    Just found out - although the "difference" column does not show on the budget display, it does export to Excel. So no problem, I guess.
    Kay
  • jacobs
    jacobs Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    @Kay Kibby Glad you reported that. Since you said you exported to Excel, I thought you were saying your export didn't contain the difference columns, and I wasn't able to replicate that. So I'm glad you did an export and realized the difference columns are there.

    To recap: onscreen, the difference is shown in the YTD column to the right of the categories (which, as John pointed out, can be toggled to be visible or hidden); the monthly columns show actual and budget, but not difference; the export shows difference for each month, but not YTD. (But since you export to Excel, as long as you have actual and budget for each month, you really don't need the difference column, as you could calculate that column by subtracting budget from actual.)
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • Kay Kibby
    Kay Kibby Member ✭✭
    Yes! I guess it's always been that way and I only just noticed it. Thanks so much for your help.
    Kay
This discussion has been closed.