Creating a Zero-Value Budget Template with a Zero Difference Value

LRL

I am trying to create a zero-value budget template that has a zero "Difference" value, as well, in the upper right column. I was able to zero out the categories but not the "Difference" dollar amount. See the image below.

If I understand correctly, that difference number should change as my income and expenses change, as useful tool when creating a budget to see real-time changes before finalizing a budget.

It seems the previous year's budget is somehow tied into the "Difference" value, something there doesn't seem to be an option to remove.

My zero-value budget has a 52K difference that I assume is from the previous year's budget as I don't have any values in the budget and the date range is for year 2024.

If I enter a monthly income, the year's total will be subtracted from the $52K lowering it to $39 but never to zero.

How do I get a zero "Difference" value?

Am I missing something? How do I create a blank, zero-value, zero-difference budget (aka template)?

Thanks,

John_in_NC

I suspect showing that column/#s does give you the answer you are looking for-assuming you are using the budget in a normal fashion.

I don't know how you have set your budget up as I am not there. (Right now, your displayed budget is blank.) But if you are trying to replicate a zero-value budget in which your goal is to have a $0 Income:Expense difference, than that difference will show.

If you expand the Summary section of your budget, you will see totals for Income & Expense, along with a "Difference" column. I suspect that that is the number you are expecting in the upper right. It will show in the expanded column.

Now, if you are trying to create some non-standard budget in which everything zeros out on both the income and expense side, well, then that will never work. This budget is not designed to work that way.

Perhaps I am reading your question wrong, so I apologize.

John_in_NC

You are correct that the "Difference" amount at the upper right is uneditable. It will show 12 months out from that budget's starting month of the current year. In your case, 2024.

What might help is if you click on this button:

Then you can show totals (either YTD or for entire budget year of each category. I don't know if this will be beneficial to you:

LRL

Thank you, John, for your help. I see those numbers, but they don't fix the problem. :-(

What I want doesn't exist: a blank budget with no dollar values. I am perplexed as to why this is not available. Last year's data isn't always needed or even wanted.

If this difference value had options to delete it and start from zero, that might solve this problem and create a proper budget template.

Hopefully, Quicken will address this.

John_in_NC

I suspect showing that column/#s does give you the answer you are looking for-assuming you are using the budget in a normal fashion.

I don't know how you have set your budget up as I am not there. (Right now, your displayed budget is blank.) But if you are trying to replicate a zero-value budget in which your goal is to have a $0 Income:Expense difference, than that difference will show.

If you expand the Summary section of your budget, you will see totals for Income & Expense, along with a "Difference" column. I suspect that that is the number you are expecting in the upper right. It will show in the expanded column.

Now, if you are trying to create some non-standard budget in which everything zeros out on both the income and expense side, well, then that will never work. This budget is not designed to work that way.

Perhaps I am reading your question wrong, so I apologize.

LRL

You are correct. I am trying to create a standard blank budget that starts from zero, and I know I can use the Summary values. So, the easiest resolution would be to ignore the Difference value in the top right corner.

However, it doesn't seem to add any value to my knowledge if I can't reconcile it with my new year's budget, and it becomes an annoyance whenever I have to open it.

I read posts from other users who were confused, as well, so it's not just me and is a known issue. If there is no way to zero it out for a new budget, hiding or deleting it from sight would make the budget cleaner-looking.

I submitted an idea request for a blank, zero-value budget.

It is what it is, and I now better understand where the Difference number comes from.

Thanks for your help. :-)

jacobs

@LRL I've read your posts but I'm still not sure I understand what you're wanting to do. You want a budget with zero dollars every month for every income and expense category in your budget? So the budget will just show the actual income and expense, and the difference will be the same as the actual?

But there is a way to create a new budget with zero values for the next year…

…which results in…

Is that what you're wanting to do?

Getting here is a little unintuitive. You may want to start by duplicating an existing budget (Budget > Duplicate Budget), just so you don't wipe out what exists if you want to go back to it, or make a backup of your Quicken data file.

In the new duplicate budget, click Edit budget, and then click the Budget Year up arrow. (Or on the main budget screen, position your cursor to highlight the year, rather than the month of the "Budget as of" box; then click the up arrow.) That brings up the first dialog box I show above. Click Zero Values, and you'll get a budget for 2025 will all zero budget values. If that's what you want, great. If you want an all zero budget like this for the current year, it's a little trickier…

Create a new budget with a starting date of 1/2025. Quicken will create a budget for 2025 using your existing 2024 transactions as its basis. Now in the Budget as of box, highlight the year (2025), and click the down arrow. You'll get the same dialog box about where to get the valves for a budget starting 1/2024. Click Zero Values and you should be ready to go.

Maybe there's an easier way to do this, but at least that may get you what you want.

LRL

Hi Jacobs,

Sorry for the confusion.

I want to create a blank budget for 2025 and eventually use it as a template. I don't want any data from the previous year, 2024, in the 2025 budget because I want to input new values and play with outcomes to see how best to manage my budget. I am starting over.

So, it needs to be zeroed out. I can now create such a template. But I can't remove the annoying Difference value in the top right corner, which has nothing to do with the new budget.

It is what it is.

That's my dilemma.

John_in_NC

LRL: I submitted another bug report for this. That upper right difference column should calculate correctly form the Budget start date.

If you create a new budget as of 1/2025, it certainly shouldn't show 2024 values.

LRL

Hi John,

Thank you. I look forward to this being addressed. It could be such a helpful tool.

:-)

John_in_NC

And FYI, that Difference amount will be correct come 1/1/25

jacobs

@LRL I'm not sure why you're paying any attention to the Difference amount — even though it's wrong — if you're setting up a new budget for 2025. the difference amount shows that it is looking at 2024, even though you're setting up a budget for 2025.

But if your budget is all zeros, your actual will also be all zeros (unless you have future-dated transactions in 2025 already).

As you start adding budget values for 2025, they will be reflected on the budget screen, and you'll see the total of your budgeted income, expenses, and the difference. Just ignore the number in the upper right. And as John said, once we go into 2025, the difference amount will then be correct.

LRL

Hi Jacobs, I understand and look forward to the Difference number correcting itself in 2025. I am a nerd and think that is exciting. Thanks.