Even if you carefully track your spending, dutifully entering into a ledger program all your checks written and bills paid, there is always a share of spending that escapes notice — cash purchases.
Where do all of those $20 bills go during the week? Quicken’s new iPhone app is one way to answer that question. It not only connects to your bank, showing you how much money is in your account (adjusted for pending expenses), but also lets you enter your cash purchases.
Because it tracks monthly payments over time and projects them ahead, the “What’s Left” number on the home screen tells you how much money you have available, not just how much is in your account.
If the automated system gets the projections wrong, you can tweak them manually.
The free Quicken app also has its own PIN, set up on installation, so if you lose your phone, those who find it can’t casually check your account.
Those without an iPhone aren’t completely shut out: Any mobile phone with Web access can use a simplified online site, . Roy Furchgott
