How to show asset purchase on spending report

dexmom

Hi! I am trying to create a Spending Report that shows all expenditures for a time period. When I use the Spending by Category report, I am only getting expenses, not asset purchases. For example, if you buy a car, that's a transfer from a bank or credit account to an asset account. When I enable transfers (internal, external, etc.) in the Advanced tab, I am getting unwanted transfers like credit card payments (transfer from bank account to credit account). I've been able to solve this issue in my Budget by setting up asset transfers (e.g. to autos, house) with the Essential expense tag. But even selecting all tags in the Spending Report doesn't fix this issue. Thank you!

Boatnmaniac

@dexmom -

….if I exclude a credit card account, I don't get the expense transactions made with that credit card.

I think, perhaps, you misread what I had posted. In the report Customization, the credit card box should be checked on the Accounts tab. But in the Categories tab, uncheck the box for the transfer category for that credit card. For instance, if the name of the account is Credit Card then the transfer category would be [Credit Card]. So keep Credit Card checked on the Accounts tab but uncheck [Credit Card] on the Categories tab.

Then your credit card expenses transactions will be included in the report but the transferred payment transactions will not.

…the Budget Report doesn't match my Budget, but that's a bug I will report to Quicken.

Have you checked all of the drop-down options and Customizations (via the Gear icon in the report) to make sure they are selected properly? Again, if you want to exclude the payment transfers to the credit card, make sure the transfer category box for that credit card is unchecked.

Also, I'd suggest that you click on "Manage Budget Categories" and make sure all of the required categories boxes are checked and the not needed categories are unchecked.

Tom Young

@dexmom

Here's a simple illustration of how things work with reports. The file only has 3 Accounts in it, a checking Account, a credit card Account, and an asset Account named Home Furniture.

On "today" $8,000 of Home Furniture were purchased with the credit card, coded to the Home Furniture Account, and the credit card was also used for a $5 purchase Categorized as Home Repair.

On "today" the checking Account paid the balance due on the credit card of $8,005, and was also used to buy $100 of groceries Categorized to the Food & Dining Category.

Here's the Spending report for "today" with all the above Accounts selected, all Categories selected, and Transfers set to "Exclude internal."

Here's that same report now with Transfers set to "Include all." Since ALL Categories have been selected - and that selection INCLUDES all the Accounts - every transfer is shown, reported as the "Categories" of "From/To (Account name)."

And now here's that exact same report with ONLY the Home Furniture Account selected as a "Category."

And that seems to be the report you want. The Accounts are all "feeding" information to the report, but only the Home Furniture Account is selected under the Categories tab of the customization screen, so that purchase (a transfer) IS shown as a form of "expense" (even though it really isn't an expense).

NotACPA

Look at a Cash Flow report for your need

Boatnmaniac

When I enable transfers (internal, external, etc.) in the Advanced tab, I am getting unwanted transfers like credit card payments (transfer from bank account to credit account).

With transfers enabled, in the Categories tab scroll down to where the transfer categories (the account names that are enclosed in brackets) are listed. Uncheck the boxes for those transfer categories you do not want included in the Spending report. Those transfers will no longer show up in your Spending report.

BTW, I agree that a Cash Flow report might your need, as well.

dexmom

Thanks @NotACPA and @Boatnmaniac When I exclude transfers to an account, I exclude payments to that account (good!) but I also exclude expenses in that account (bad!) For example, if I exclude a credit card account, I don't get the expense transactions made with that credit card.

I figured out how to get what I want… Since my Budget is set up and working correctly, I can run a Budget Report from the Budget screen. Unfortunately, the Budget Report doesn't match my Budget, but that's a bug I will report to Quicken.

Boatnmaniac

@dexmom -

….if I exclude a credit card account, I don't get the expense transactions made with that credit card.

I think, perhaps, you misread what I had posted. In the report Customization, the credit card box should be checked on the Accounts tab. But in the Categories tab, uncheck the box for the transfer category for that credit card. For instance, if the name of the account is Credit Card then the transfer category would be [Credit Card]. So keep Credit Card checked on the Accounts tab but uncheck [Credit Card] on the Categories tab.

Then your credit card expenses transactions will be included in the report but the transferred payment transactions will not.

…the Budget Report doesn't match my Budget, but that's a bug I will report to Quicken.

Have you checked all of the drop-down options and Customizations (via the Gear icon in the report) to make sure they are selected properly? Again, if you want to exclude the payment transfers to the credit card, make sure the transfer category box for that credit card is unchecked.

Also, I'd suggest that you click on "Manage Budget Categories" and make sure all of the required categories boxes are checked and the not needed categories are unchecked.

Tom Young

@dexmom

Here's a simple illustration of how things work with reports. The file only has 3 Accounts in it, a checking Account, a credit card Account, and an asset Account named Home Furniture.

On "today" $8,000 of Home Furniture were purchased with the credit card, coded to the Home Furniture Account, and the credit card was also used for a $5 purchase Categorized as Home Repair.

On "today" the checking Account paid the balance due on the credit card of $8,005, and was also used to buy $100 of groceries Categorized to the Food & Dining Category.

Here's the Spending report for "today" with all the above Accounts selected, all Categories selected, and Transfers set to "Exclude internal."

Here's that same report now with Transfers set to "Include all." Since ALL Categories have been selected - and that selection INCLUDES all the Accounts - every transfer is shown, reported as the "Categories" of "From/To (Account name)."

And now here's that exact same report with ONLY the Home Furniture Account selected as a "Category."

And that seems to be the report you want. The Accounts are all "feeding" information to the report, but only the Home Furniture Account is selected under the Categories tab of the customization screen, so that purchase (a transfer) IS shown as a form of "expense" (even though it really isn't an expense).

dexmom

@Boatnmaniac and @Tom Young Thanks for the tip on accounts vs. categories. I did not realize that accounts were also listed as categories. I wish they were spelled out as "transfers in" and "transfers out" as they are in Budgets. I tried your approach with the Spending Report, and indeed I was able to see my home improvement purchase flowing to my House asset account. I don't like the Spending Report because it doesn't have the monthly columns, so I am focusing on the Current Budget Report. With the tip you gave me, I got that one dialed in to exactly match my Budget, which is what I was shooting for.

Thanks again! :)

Boatnmaniac

I'm glad we were able to be of assistance.

BTW, the Spending by Category report can be set up to provide monthly spending details.