14 DAY TRIAL // Remember when you were little and you used to save your money in a piggy bank? Think of me what you want, but I still have my own piggy bank where I keep all the change. But let's not head that way because it is not the case for a digression.
I just remembered about the piggy bank because the name of the following software is PiggyBob. Notice the resemblance? The software is designed to help you keep track of your income and your expenses and see if you can afford to be extravagant.
The software is developed by Nakagava and it comes as a 30 days trial version. If you realize that the application is worth keeping and provides real help in organizing your expenses, then you will have to pay $19.95.
The interface of the software is pleasant enough and somehow calming the spirits. Maybe this will help the user not to lose the temper when s/he sees the total amount spent. There are all sorts of buttons in the toolbar that will provide you the necessary information about your expenses. They are grouped into two categories: data entry and statistics.
The first category contains the means to add expenses, income and events. Maybe I should have told you from the beginning that you can make daily entries with your income and expenses and set a certain period for creating the statistics.
Adding expenses is as easy as shopping for women or spending money on trinkets, but less satisfactory. First you have to choose the day you made that expense, specify the amount spent, provide a brief description (i put in here the object I spent the money on) and include it in a category, e.g. Rent, Apartment Expenses, Bills, etc.. By default, the software comes with no categories at all, so you will have to define them.
The categories can be messed with in the sense that you can add as many as you want, edit or delete them. In Statistics the categories will be displayed under Group. The exact same steps are to be taken when you add your income, but with far more joy.
The Add Event window is designed to store special events in your life and alert you. The alarm sound file can be changed from the default one to any .wav file you have on your computer and which fits your taste. The events added require an hour for the alarm and, if it is a repetitive one you can configure the frequency of the alert and the end of the alert date.
In the statistics area, the user can view graphics with the money management and see the balance between income and expense. If you want a more detailed display of your expenses you can click on the Expenses button (far left side of the application window) in the Graphics menu and you will be displayed the pie with all the expense categories. This way you will see what the bigger slice is and try to reduce it a little.
A similar graphic will be displayed for income. Besides the visual display, the user will also get the percentage for each category and the total amount of money "invested" in that slice. Check the Calendar to see the events you have added. Right-clicking on one day will bring you a drop-down menu containing the Add Event, Edit and Delete options.
The period for the statistics can be set by the user so you can view it for a certain month or week. If you need an annual evaluation suffice to check the Annual box right near the period setting.
In the Tools menu, the user will find the Currency option where s/he can change the currency symbol and its position (before or after the amount). The preview will show you exactly how the change will take effect.
All the software's bars can be dragged outside the application window and arranged according to your own needs.
The Good
The software is super easy to use and it does not require complicated accounting skills. Things are so simple that even a baboon could calculate the bananas ate during a year.
The sound alarm file can be changed with any WAV file on your computer.
The Bad
The calendar and statistics windows could have been a little more vivid. There is a great contrast between these two and the upper part of the application window.
The Truth
I don't know about you, but could use an accounting system to monitor my income and, more importantly, my expenses, as I always forget what I spend my money on.
Try the software for 30 days for free, with no limitation and decide if it is worth the money and effort. I say it is pretty useful. You may even become more organized when it comes to spending money.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
