Columnar Pad or Software?

After a long night of looking over the personal finance software that is out there, I've decided they're all quite a little investment. They appear helpful, but at this point, the purchase would kind of be like paying someone to tell me how much money I don't have to pay them.

Okay, so maybe it's not that bad, but still. When you're trying to be frugal, every choice has to be made on a level of necessity. Do I need to keep track of my finances? Yes. Do I need to pay for software to do so? No.

Eventually (as in, when I'm not living so close to the end of my means), I will buy some personal finance software for the ability to run a report and create a Schedule C and other fast-lane tax abilities. However, since it is not necessity at this point, I choose to look for spreadsheet options.

Having a computer utterly crash to the point the computer techs said they were unable to retrieve old data from the hardware, set me firmly in the business of sharp pencils and green-yellow checkered columnar pads. If you own a business, I would highly suggest purchasing (or borrowing from you University library) an accounting textbook. Go through and learn how they teach accountants to set up financial records sheets and create your own. Then, do the same for your personal finances.

There is a serious peace of mind that comes from knowing that you can't lose all of your information from a software crash.

Wait, I hear some of you saying. What about using online backups? Well, to that I say, To each their own. Personally and professionally, I'm not comfortable with keeping all of my financial data online. Something about that just sounds like it includes an inherent risk that I'm not ready to take.

Back to the compromise between financial software and pen and pad calculations.

After my long search last night, I finally just opened my Microsoft Excel and searched "Personal Fiance" from the online spreadsheet search. The one that I felt offered the best options of data entry and budget view was one called "Family Budget (monthly)." Part of the appeal was my affinity for Sage products, as well as the comforting, familiar look of the coloring.

Once I get into the habit of recording my finances on a daily schedule, then I will at least know that purchasing software won't just be an underutilized waste of money. If I kept better records right now and had the money for it, the reason I know I would be purchasing software is because of the future forecasts that they are created to show that (at least the spreadsheets I looked through) did not have. I think those are vital to really setting a course for a financially fit future.