Level Payment Plans

Question

I have set up a few level payment plans in the real world with various utilities, like gas and electric. Quicken doesn't seem to have a way to track these inside Quicken, since it's not a loan. I have hacked Loan Accounts or Cash Accounts to more or less handle these, but I was looking for others' suggestions on how they did this.  As a definition, a "level payment plan" is where I give the utilities a fixed amount every month (which they calculate) and they subtract their actual bill from that reserve.

Boatnmaniac · Answer

Since it is a recurring level-payment bill schedule you could set up a recurring Bill Reminder for it.  Then you could have the Reminder set up to automatically enter the bill into your payment account register prior to the actual due date or you can manually enter it prior to the due date.  When the payment transaction is later downloaded Quicken should match it to the Reminder that was entered.

volvogirl · Answer

Wouldn't you just categorize the payment directly to the utility expense category?  Just make a monthly recurring scheduled payment from your checking account.  And if they settle up and give you a refund put it to the same expense category.  I wouldn't try to set up an Account for it or do anything fancy.