Update: It turns out the problem I was having is due to a definite bug in MoneyWell, which I was able to work around by simply closing the document and re-opening it. It seems that in some cases MoneyWell does not update its user interface when the data changes until you close a document and re-open it. This should definitely not be the case.
One example I described in my message below, where I created a transfer from my checking to my savings, and assigned the expense side of the transfer to a bucket, but the displayed amount still in the bucket did not change. Simply closing the document and re-opening it caused the bucket to now correctly display the amount of the transfer as having been drained from the bucket. I was not able to reproduce this bug in a sample document I created for that purpose, so I can't give you an exact sequence of steps to follow to reproduce the problem. If I find one I'll send it to you. Adam On Apr 1, 2009, at 9:21 AM, bilbo wrote: > > Hi Kevin, > I am evaluating MoneyWell 1.4.3. I am attempting to model my monthly > savings goal as you described below, but run into a problem. I don't > know if I've uncovered a bug in MoneyWell, or if I'm doing something > wrong or just misunderstanding how it's supposed to work. Here's what > I can do to reproduce the problem: > > - I create a Savings bucket, which has $2000 in it. That is, it shows > $2000.00 in green next to it in the Buckets list. > > - I transfer $2000 from my checking to my savings account, by dragging > the checking account to the savings account, and entering today's > date, and 2000 in the amount field. > > - I set the bucket for the outgoing expense side of the transfer, the > one with the minus sign next to it, to Savings. > > The problem is my Savings bucket still shows that it has $2000 in it! > It should be empty now by my understanding. If I click on the > Savings bucket, it even shows my transfer transaction, with -2000 as > the amount, yet the bucket still has $2000 in it. Why isn't the > amount of the transfer transaction being subtracted from the bucket > amount? When I enter normal (not transfer) transactions, everything > works as expected and the bucket amounts go up or down by the amount > of the transaction. > > Thank you, > Adam > > On Mar 7, 6:29 pm, Kevin Hoctor <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hi Dave, >> >> The main purpose of an envelope budgeting system is to make sure you >> divide up your income and set it aside for various purposes and then >> only spend what is in envelopes. Given this concept, yoursavings >> accounts are your destination for money but not necessarily a bucket. >> >> If you have money automatically diverted from your paycheck to >> savings, you don't need to track this with buckets. It's never in >> your >> cash flow so just track the bank register of yoursavingsaccount and >> be thrilled that you are so good about setting aside money. >> >> For certain infrequent expenses, I know they are coming but won't >> happen until later in the year (birthday and Christmas presents as an >> example) but I have a buckets for Gifts Given and others to hold >> allocated money so I can set it aside. >> >> For unexpected expenses, I use mySavingsbucket and set aside a >> consistent amount each month and any extra I can stock away in it and >> then transfer that money to mysavingsaccount making sure to assign >> the outgoing expense side of that transfer to theSavingsbucket so it >> drains that bucket. >> >> I don't try to track unexpected expenses. Instead I try to >> continually >> build a war chest of money so I'm ready when they happen. There's no >> way to budget for everything but it sounds like you have a good >> handle >> on it. Just don't try to forcesavingsinto buckets except for the >> setting aside money part. >> >> Peace, >> >> Kevin Hoctor >> [email protected] >> No Thirst Software LLChttp://nothirst.comhttp:// >> kevinhoctor.blogspot.com >> >> On Mar 6, 2009, at 1:43 PM, Dave Hirsch wrote: >> >> >> >>> First: I've read a great deal on this list about how to set >>> upsavings >>> accounts, but I'm not sure this has been covered. >> >>> I have threesavingsaccounts: >>> 1) Summersavings: Part of my paycheck gets automatically diverted to >>> this to account for the fact I get paid 9 months a year. I have >>> control over this money and would like to track it, but the money >>> doesn't come to me as part of my regular paycheck, which gets >>> deposited into my checking account. >>> 2) Infrequent Expenses: Many of my buckets are meant to besavings- >>> related, to build up money until needed. For example, my gifts >>> bucket >>> saves up until needed, primarily around December. This account is >>> intended to be the real account in which that money resides. >>> 3) Rainy Day Fund: A general accumulation account into which I >>> transfer $200 per month from my checking account. >> >>> I understand that I could just keep all the money in one account and >>> keep track of it using buckets, but that doesn't appeal to me, >>> especially since I'm still getting up to speed with Moneywell, and I >>> might make mistakes with it, causing me to mis-identify how much >>> money >>> I have in a given bucket. Having separate accounts is extra >>> insurance >>> against spending mysavings. >> >>> The Rainy Day Fund can be dealt with using one of the methods >>> described here: >>> http://alan.petitepomme.net/blog/2008/04/tracking-savings-in-moneywel >>> ... >> >>> How to deal with the other two, though? >>> Summersavings: I'd like to consider this income deferred, and not >>> even assign it a bucket, until I withdraw it during the summer. At >>> that time I'd move it to checking and call it income. Perhaps >>> that is >>> unwise, though? And if I do that, every contribution to Summer >>> Savingsmakes my Unassigned bucket be nonzero. >> >>> Infrequent Expenses: No idea. Help, please. > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "No Thirst Software User Forum" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/no-thirst-software?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
