Intuit Quicken XG

If lack of time is an issue, note that Intuit reckons it takes only five minutes to take control of your accounts using Quicken XG, although this is PR-speak for the time it takes to run through the Setup Wizard. Unfortunately, there's more to it than that and, although Quicken XG is more streamlined than before, software of this calibre will always take a while to master.

Which accounting package to use, Quicken or Money, now very much depends on how you like to pay. In its favour, Quicken XG is less cluttered than Money, particularly as you can choose which work centres you want to see and hide what doesn't apply to you. However, if you just want a basic home finance manager, you'd be better off looking elsewhere. Microsoft Money 2003 Financial Suite, for example, is still available from Amazon.co.uk at just £20. Then again, who knows what pricing strategy Microsoft is planning for next year.

Author: Tim Woodward