I would like to run a report that shows the balance of each category, not just the in and outs

I want to know the balance of each category.

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Answers

  • Tom Young
    Tom Young SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Run an Income and Expense by Category Spending report.  Make sure all Accounts, even hidden ones, are selected and set your time period from the earliest transaction date in the file to "today." 
  • Thanks Tom, I tried that but it still does not give the balance of each category. Only the inflows and outflows.
  • Jim_Harman
    Jim_Harman SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    The last column of the report Tom referenced shows the balance at the end of the selected period.

    Are you looking for a running balance or something else?
    QWin Premier subscription
  • Thank you Tom. I see what you are saying and understand it. However, for my purposes I just wish I could get a report that says "x" took in income of "Y" and had expenses of "z", so therefore the balance is "b" all one 1 line.
  • NotACPA
    NotACPA SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    BUT, that  "x took in Y" is going to be entirely dependent upon time frame chosen.  Even if you select "include all dates" as the time frame for your grocery expenses (for example) you're going to have grocery expenses before you started using Q.
    Also, in Q, an Income Category only has expenses if you reverse an income item.  And an Expense Category (say, your groceries again) only has income if you take  something back to the store.
    SO, I'm totally unsure as to what you're expecting to see on your report ... other than Income in the income categories and expenses in your expense categories. 
    Because Categories  don't have balances.

    Q user since February, 1990. DOS Version 4
    Now running Quicken Windows Subscription, Business & Personal
    Retired "Certified Information Systems Auditor" & Bank Audit VP

  • Jim_Harman
    Jim_Harman SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2019
    So you are looking for a report that would let you select a time period and would have a row for each Category and column headings of Category, Income, Expense, and Balance? [edit: maybe Total would be a better heading than Balance because as Tom says Categories do not have balances]

    The only way I know to generate that would be to start with an itemized categories report, select Update to Show and Transaction detail, export the data to Excel and manipulate it there.
    QWin Premier subscription
  • volvogirl
    volvogirl SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Uh,  what is X?  Is that an account like your checking account?  Is it a specific category?  Your whole data file?  A specific person or Tag or business, Rental?

    I'm staying on Quicken 2013 Premier for Windows.

  • Tom Young
    Tom Young SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    " I just wish I could get a report that says "x" took in income of "Y" and had expenses of "z", so therefore the balance is "b" all one 1 line. "

    You're going to have to "roll your own" here, in Excel. 
    I'll assume "x" is your entire file.  If "x" is really "you" instead of "spouse" then you're in for a lot of work.  Every piece of income and expense will need to be distinguished between "you" and "spouse" and if some expenditure isn't a "P&L" expenditure, e.g., a car purchase, then you're going to have to somehow split that item between the two of you.
    Of course 'took in income" and "had expenses" MUST have a time span element to it.
    For sake of argument I'll assume that "x" is your entire file and the time span contemplated is a calendar month.   In that case you'd run a Net Worth report with a beginning date of the 1st day of the month and the ending date as the last day of the month.  You'd specify an interval of a month.  Set "include unrealized gain" as either included or not, depending on your preference.
    Take the Overall Total at the beginning of the month and put that in column A of Excel.
    Run a by Categories spending report for the same period, with unrealized gain set according to how you set the balance sheet.  Put the income number in column B of Excel and the expence number in column C.  In D set the formula as A+B-C.  The result should be the same as shown of the Net Worth report.  If it's not, you've messed up.
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