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Text File | 1990-06-11 | 24KB | 796 lines

H O M E M O N E Y M A N A G E R I I Copyright 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 - Steven C. Hudgik HHH HHH MMM MMM MMM MMM IIIIIIIII IIIIIIIII HHH HHH MMMM MMMM MMMM MMMM IIIIIIIII IIIIIIIII HHH HHH MMMMM MMMMM MMMMM MMMMM III III HHHHHHHHH MMMMMM MMMMMM MMMMMM MMMMMM III III HHHHHHHHH MMM MMMMM MMM MMM MMMMM MMM III III HHH HHH MMM MMM MMM MMM MMM MMM III III HHH HHH MMM M MMM MMM M MMM IIIIIIIII IIIIIIIII HHH HHH MMM MMM MMM MMM IIIIIIIII IIIIIIIII THE HOME BUDGET, CHECKBOOK, AND CREDIT CARD MANAGER HOME MONEY MANAGER II VERSION 3.00 HomeCraft Computer Products P.O. Box 974 Tualatin, OR 97062 (503) 692-3732 The two HMMII disks contain version 3.00 of Home Money Manager II dated 06-11-90. This software has the following files: DISK ONE ****************** HMM.EXE - Introduction and copyright notice MENU.PGM - Main Menu and checkbook program HMM-HELP.HLP - Help screen data SET-UP.PGM - Set up account names and formats INTRO.DOC - Introductory information MENU.OVL - File required for program to run DISK TWO ****************** PRINT.PGM - Printed reports and searches CREDIT.PGM - Credit accounts REVIEW.PGM - Reviews month by month budget status SUMMARY.PGM - YTD Summary of budget status HMMII.DOC - This documentation for HMM-II INTRO.DOC - More detailed introduction PRINT.BAT - Batch file to print documentation HMM-II Will Create The Following Files *********** CHECKS.DAT - Check register data files MEMO.DAT - Memos associated with check entries CREDIT.DAT - Credit register data files BUDGET.DAT - Current budget data (actual & targets) REGISTER.DAT - Stores account names and settings **************************************************************** **************************************************************** **************************************************************** HOME MONEY MANAGER II (HMM-II) IS PROVIDED AS SHAREWARE. SHAREWARE IS A METHOD OF SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION THAT ALLOWS YOU TO TRY THE SOFTWARE BEFORE YOU BUY IT. SHAREWARE IS *NOT* PUBLIC DOMAIN OR FREE SOFTWARE. IF YOU LIKE HOME HOMEY MANAGER II, AND ARE USING IT, YOU ARE REQUESTED TO REGISTER IT. THE COST OF REGISTRATION IS $49. SHAREWARE WORKS BASED ON YOUR HONESTY. IF YOU ARE USING HMM- II, PLEASE REGISTER. YOUR REGISTRATION WILL GET YOU THE LATEST VERSION OF THE SOFTWARE, THE COMPLETE 100+ PAGE MANUAL, A FREE COPY OF THE NEXT UPDATE, AND ONE YEAR OF FREE SUPPORT. YOUR REGISTRATION FEE WILL ENABLE ME TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING AND IMPROVING HMM-II. WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO SUPPORT AND IMPROVE HMM-II. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MANUAL AND SOFTWARE IS COPYRIGHTED - 1987 BY STEVEN C. HUDGIK. THIS SOFTWARE AND MANUAL MAY BE GIVEN AWAY TO OTHERS FREE, BUT MAY NOT BE SOLD OR COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE. NEITHER THIS MANUAL NOR THE HMM-II SOFTWARE MAY BE DISTRIBUTED AS OTHER THAN SHAREWARE. NEITHER THE MANUAL NOR HMM-II SOFTWARE MAY BE INCLUDED AS A PART OF OR COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE WHETHER COMMERCIAL, SHAREWARE, OR PUBLIC DOMAIN. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS HMM-II requires an IBM PC, XT, AT or PS/2 computer or compatible with 256K of memory. A printer with a minimum of 80 columns is needed for printed reports. USING HOME MONEY MANAGER II Hard disk users should copy all of the files, from both HMM-II disks, into the same directory on their hard disk. Floppy disk users should make backup copies of the two HMM-II disks. Then place the #1 disk (the disk with HMM.EXE on it) into the "A" drive. When you want to use the CREDIT registers, REVIEW function, SUMMARY function or the PRINTED reports you will need to put the #2 disk in the "A" drive before selecting any of these from the Main Menu. Put the #1 disk back in the "A" drive before pushing F10 to return to the Main Menu. HMM-II is started by typing HMM at the DOS prompt. When HMM-II boots up it checks for valid HMM-II data files. If you are using HMM-II for the first time, an error message will appear. Follow the directions on the screen to create new data files. If you are using floppy disks, put a blank formatted disk in the "B" disk drive. This disk will be used by HMM-II for data storage. (Read the SET-UP section for more detailed information). The Function Keys The function keys provide a way for you to increase the speed of responding to HMM-II prompts. There are three in particular that I'd like to highlight. F8 - Pushing the F8 key will bring up the HELP screen for the prompt you are at. Anytime you need additional information about HMM-II push F8 (or you can also enter a question mark) to see a help screen. This manual only breifly describes HMM-II. If you need additional information, push F8 to see the help screen that discusses the area you are in. (Note: the HMM-HELP.HLP file must be on the same disk as the module you are using. Because of limited space the help files are on disk one only. If you are using disk #2, put disk #1 in the "A" drive before pushing F8. After reading the help screen put the #2 disk back in the "A" drive).* F9 - This key provides a quick way to move backwards through the menus. When you push F9 you will be moved back to the previous menu. F10 - Here is your shortcut to the Main Menu. At almost any point, in any part of HMM-II, you can push F10 to go directly back to the Main Menu. The other function keys, F1 through F7, have functions related to specific parts of HMM-II. Prompts at the bottom of the screen will tell you what function keys can be used and what each key will do. Getting Started The first menu you'll normally see is the HMM-II Main Menu. when you boot HMM for the first time an error screen will appear that says the HMM-II data can not be found. Push F1 to change the disk drive for data storage to the appropriate letter for your computer. This is usually C for hard drives and B for floppy systems. You can also change the drive used for data storage by pushing #7 when the Main Menu is on the screen. <7> Change Data Disk Drive HMM-II allows you to store data on disk drives "A" through "P." When you first boot HMM-II it will have a default setting of "B." The current setting will be displayed in brackets on the #7 line of the Main Menu. To change this push #7 and then select a letter from A to P. If you should ever get a "Path Not Found" error message, then go to the Main Menu and be sure that the drive set for data storage is a drive that really exists. <6> Set-Up Push #6 on the Main Menu to create new data files so they'll be ready for HMM-II to put data in them. This process reserves space on your disk so you won't get a disk full error message part way through the year. Before using HMM-II for the first time go to the Set Up menu and Create New Data files. Creating New Data files (or a new data disk) makes blank files and erases any data entered previously. If you are using a floppy disk system, place a formatted disk in the "B" drive. This is the drive normally used for data disks. Push #8 to Create A New Data Disk. You'll then be asked to enter a code to proceed. This is a safety feature because this function will erase any existing data. The code is 203 - the area code for Connecticut. I'd suggest that you make a trial run the first time you use HMM-II. This will allow you to learn how the software works before you actually use it. For this trial run use the default settings for making a new data disk.** NOTE: At the prompt that allows you to select between making a completely new data disk, or new check and credit registers only, select a complete new data disk. You would make new check and credit registers only when starting a new year or clearing data files. Making a complete new data disk erases and makes all new blank data files, including a new REGISTER.DAT file. This file is used to store the names of your accounts, payees, etc. If you make new check and credit registers only, you'll save the names you've entered for your accounts, expenses, etc. The next step is to enter the names you want to use for your check registers, sources of income, expense catagories, etc. The choices on the left side of the Set Up Menu allow you to enter and change these names. The names you enter here will be displayed on the screen when needed in the future. One set of names are called Standard Payee Names. These are the names of people of businesses to whom you write checks. Once entered here in set-up, these names can be quickly entered in a check register (as the payee). You can also enter an address for each name. This address can then automatically be printed on checks.*** Names of registers, budget catagories & payees can be changed at any time using these same screens. Just type the new names over the old entry. HMM-II also provides a budgeting feature that allows you to set up a budget and then monitor how well you stay within that budget. You will first need to date your budget periods by pushing #7 on the Set Up Menu. You can set up budget periods on a monthly, bi-weekly, or twice a month basis. Once your budget periods are set up, use the Create A Budget feature to enter your budget goals for each income and expense catagory. HMM will automatically put the correct amount in each budget period. Before using HMM-II to print checks you will need to set up your check format. You can select the check size being used, position each item on the check, and select how the printed check will look. Once you've set up your check format use the test print feature to confirm that it's correct. Use plain paper for the test print and then hold it, and a check, up to a light in order to see how well they match. <1> The Checking, Savings and Cash Registers This section of HMM-II describes how to enter transactions in a check register, keep track of your balance and reconcile your bank statements (i.e. make sure that neither you or the bank made a mistake). There are 12 check registers available, allowing you to keep 12 separate checkbooks. The capacity of each register can be set using the SET UP module (#6 on the Main Menu). This does not mean that you need to have twelve physically separate checking (or they could be savings or cash) accounts. You may wish to allocate the money that is physically only in one account for several purposes. To do this, name one checkbook for each purpose. HMM-II can then add the appropriate registers together to give you a combined total to match against your bank statement. For example, my wife and I like to save a little money throughout the year for our vacation. So, whenever we can, we put a few dollars into our savings account. We're also saving for my daughter's education in the same account. Thus we have three account names in HMM-II for this one savings account; SAVINGS, VACATION and EDUCATION. If our HMM-II register for vacation shows a zero balance, even though there is still money in the checking account, we know that the money we have is set aside for other things and can not be spent. This is a very powerful feature of HMM-II as it allows you to set a financial goal (i.e. to go to Hawaii) and save for it by defining a separate checkbook/savings register to keep track of the money being saved for that goal. Once a checkbook is established, you may never need to set it up again. You can keep entering checks, as you write them, and HMM-II will enter them in your budget on the correct dates. You do not need to start a new check register, even when the new year starts. There are times when you may write a check to pay for several different items. You'll then need to divide that check among several account numbers. HMM-II allows you to do this and it keeps track of your entries so you can see when the total of the individual entries matches the amount of the check. This is called a split transaction. The check entry screen is designed to look like a single line in a check register. Enter the appropriate information at each location on the line. Pushing ENTER advances the cursor to the next location. Pushing F3 moves the cursor back to the previous location. You can enter a standard payee name by entering the number that appears next to that name or by typing the first three letters of the payee name you want to enter. You can also decide whether or not to use the budget and automatic credit payment features. A toggle is provided that allows you to turn the budget and credit registers on and off. With the budget off, no values will be entered in the budget records when a check is entered. If the budget is on, then each check or deposit will also be recorded in the budget. With the credit registers on, when you write a check to make a payment on a credit account, that payment will also automatically reduce the amount due in the credit register. If the credit register is off, this interaction will not take place. Using HMM-II with the budget or credit registers off will increase speed at which HMM-II operates. If you are not using the budget, you should turn it off. If you are not using the credit registers, you should turn them off. Direct Transfers From One Register To Another Go back to the screen that lists the names of the 12 check registers. There is one other function we need to discuss. In addition to the 12 registers, at this prompt you can also select to transfer funds directly from one register to another. Enter the letter "T" and a series of questions will appear asking for the register the funds are being transferred from, the register they are going to, the amount, a check number (if you've written a check to make the transfer), and the date. A final prompt will give you a chance to check the information before it is entered in the register. If everything is correct, push the letter "Y" and the transfer will be recorded in the two registers involved. It will not be recorded in the budget. There are several circumstances in which you'd want to use this direct transfer function. An example would be if you have split the balance in your checking account among several HMM-II registers, you may wish to transfer money from one register to another. For example, you might want to transfer funds from the register that keeps track of the money you're saving for an emergency to the register used for paying your daughter's college expenses. You have not written a check or actually moved any funds. All that has been done is that you've changed the allocation for some of your money. If you are using a check register to keep track of your cash expenses, when you write a check for cash you would not want that check entered in the budget. This is because the money the check was written for will be entered in the budget when you spend the cash. REGISTERS - MISCELLANEOUS FUNCTIONS The Miscellaneous Functions allow you to review your entries, void or edit any entry, reconcile your accounts and perform other functions. Go back to the Check Register Menu and look at choice "<2> - Miscellaneous". Next you'll be asked to pick the specific Check Register you want to use. You should then see a list of the first ten checks in the register and a window at the bottom of the screen containing a menu with 9 choices. Before we look at the items on the menu let's see how to look through the entries in the register. The up and down cursor keys are used to move the cursor from one entry on the list to another. Push the down cursor key and the cursor will move down by one entry. When the cursor reaches the end of the list the next nine entries in the register will be displayed The last, 10th entry on the previous page, becomes the first entry on the new page. You can also use the PgUp and PgDn keys to move through the register by pages. The HOME key will return you to the beginning of the register. The END key moves you to the last entries in the register. As you select each item in the menu at the bottom of the screen, prompts will appear on the screen that tell you what to do next. When you get your monthly bank statement showing which checks have cleared the bank, you can then mark off those checks. (With the cursor on the entry that has cleared push #6). You can then reconcile and HMM-II will tell you what your actual balance is and give you the balance you should see on the bank statement. In Miscellaneous HMM-II can search for check numbers in the register, list all of the checks starting from the beginning of the register, find the 10 oldest checks that have not cleared the bank, or find checks based on their date. Once you find the check you are looking for, you can print out the information associated with that check. You can even have HMM-II print a copy of that check. <2> Credit Registers The Credit Registers work the same way as the Check Registers. If you want to follow your credit purchases and keep track of how much you owe to whom, use a Credit Register to do it for you. Like a Check Register, each Credit Register allows split transactions and keeps a running balance for your credit accounts. Credit purchases are entered on a screen similar to the Check Register screen. However, you don't need to enter payments in the Credit Register. When a check, written to make a payment on a credit account, is entered in the Check Register, it will also automatically decrease the balanced owed in the appropriate Credit Register. Thus payments on a credit account only need to be entered once. You can name up to twelve credit registers and set the capacity for each register. The features available for the Credit Registers are slightly different, but like the Check Registers you can search for a date, list the entire register, and void or edit any transaction. Now let's move on to the third item on the Main Menu. <3> Review Budget This module allows you to look up and review the totals for any budget period. The budget period can include an entire month, half of a month or two weeks depending on how you have defined your budget periods. For example, you could look at what you have budgeted and spent for the month of March. The REVIEW function will also list your total budgeted income and expenses, as well as your actual total income and expenses for a budget period. In addition, if you've made any errors or you need to update it, you can make changes in your budget from the review screen. <4> Summarize Current Budget Status This function is very similar to REVIEW except that instead of looking at a single budget period, you get a summary of your budget up to any point in the year. This can be a year-to-date (YTD) summary or a summary that includes the entire year. Reports can be printed based on a calendar or fiscal year. Fiscal years require that you set up monthly budget periods. <5> Search / Printed Reports HMM-II provides a large number of printed reports. You can sort your data files by budget catagory, by payee name, or get a year to date summary. BE SURE YOUR PRINTER IS TURNED ON BEFORE GETTING A PRINTED REPORT! Home Money Manager II is published by: HomeCraft P.O. Box 974 Tualatin, OR 97062 Because of the available disk space this manual is an abbreviated version of the full HMM-II manual. We have tried to cover all of the important aspects of HMM-II. Combined with the extensive help screens you should have enough information to use HMM-II. However, HMM-II is a very large and detailed program and not all of the features are documented here or in the help screens. A 100+ page manual is required to provide that full documentation. A copy of this manual is provided to all users who register with us. We are continuing to improve and update both the documentation and software. For example, we hope to reduce the program code size in the future to provide more room for documentation on disk. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to us at the above address. (We will respond to letters from registered users, and as time permits to suggestions from non-registered people). * To save disk swapping you can delete some files from the #2 disk and then copy the HMM-HELP.HLP file to the #2 disk. For example, if you are not using the Credit Registers you could delete the CREDIT.PGM file. Or you could also move some of the files to a third disk and have HMM-HELP.HLP on all three disks. ** HMMII can record a total of 3200 transactions per set of data files. Normally 2100 are set aside for the Check registers. If you need more you can select the expanded check registers. This will reduce the number of transactions possible in the Credit Registers to provide more room in the Check Registers. *** You can also preset an account number that will be associated with each payee name. Any time you select that payee name the account number will automatically be entered and the cursor will skip directly to the amount line. Each budget catagory can have an amount associated with it. Each time that budget catagory is entered the amount will automatically be entered and the cursor will skip to the memo line. Thus it is possible to select your morgage company as the payee and have the payee name, account number, and amount all automatically entered. e payee name, account number, and amount all automatically entered.