I have been using Quicken for more that 10 years, it answered all the accounting needs I had:

Pros:

- Multi-curancy (I have one French account)

- Caluculate interest on Mortgage

- has custom dates for tax summary therefore I can have a report from 6th April 2010 till 5th April 2011 (for UK tax)

- is easy to use

- does download from my UK banks

- has a good budget tool.

- good reconciliation.

Cons

Intuit has stoped supporting Quicken in the UK long time ago (untill now it seams) therefore I have not been able to update it and it's now running on a very slow old computer & this computer need to retire.

My options:

GnuCash (Free): Doesn't have custom dates for tax summary, report start from 1st day of the month till last day of the month. UK tax date starts on the 6th April. No mortgage calculation.

iBank 4 (£38): Still testing it, I have some problems with my old data (I don't know if I should start from scratch or correct all the mistakes brought up in the QIF file.   iBank includes a list of US tax codes and their descriptions! I need to see if this is compatible with UK tax.

MoneyDance(£35): I think it doesn't do the mortgage calculation (I have not tested) I don't know if I can select categories as tax related for a tax summary at the end of the tax year.

Quicken essencial for Mac: http://personal-finance-software-review.toptenreviews.com/mac-personal-finance-software/ says quicken can't calculate

and iBank wrote  that Quicken Essentials for Mac cannot export data in QIF, OFX, and QFX formats. contradicting Top10 reviews.

YNAB and Liquid Ledger No download from bank possible.

If you have any opinion please let me know, I am a bit lost.

Are you going on holiday?

The happy frogs are now looking after your pets when you are away from Harrogate.

Our first pet will be a Bearded Dragon named Boz who will live with us for 10 days in February. We are all very excited about her visit. 

Pet care Fees

Rabbit: £3.00 per night (£2.00 per additional rabbit sharing a hutch)
Guinea pig, Ferrets or bird: £2.00 per night (£1.00 per additional small animal sharing a hutch)
Rabbit & Guinea pig sharing one hutch: £4 per night
Hamsters, gerbils & mice: £1.00 per night per cage (£0.50 per additional small animal sharing a hutch)
Chickens: £4.00 per night per coop
Small tank of fish, Happy Frogs or stick insects: £0.50 per night
Snake, Lizard, Tortoise Boarding: £5 per night (our first guest will get the first 7 nights for free)
 
Your pet will live with us as part of the family. We reserve the right to refuse animals if we beleive the health and safety of our children could be put at risk. 

Bring with you any toys, bedding, cage or tank and written instructions that will make your animal feel at home and happy. We also ask that you provide all your animals food and any other dietary requirements; their stomach is quite sensitive and therefore change of diet could cause stomach upsets.

I bought sliced ham, on the front it reads in BIG LETTERS : “Support our UK Forces. Purchase this ham” . On the back in small print, it reads: “Cooked and packed in the UK using pork from the EU and South America”.

At the moment with the British economy flagging it is fashionable to buy products decorated with the Union Jack, lift the product up and you read MADE IN CHINA, same with World Cup merchandising and 2012 Olympics. Every Time you are a patriotic British you help the Chinese Economy.

The Action for the Environment Group is comprised of representatives from local environmental groups, businesses, and community and statutory organisations, allowing a wide range of environmental, social and economic interests of the community to be considered.

3 Double Bed and 2 bathrooms                   £789pcm + bonds      

A superb house situated in Hurstleigh Terrace, a fashionable and convenient residential location, close to Harrogate Stray, the hospital and popular shopping parade.

This property offers generous accommodation arranged over three levels.

The well presented unfurnished accommodation benefits from gas central heating and partial double glazing and comprises:

3 Double Bed and 2 bathrooms, dining room, living room, fully equipped kitchen which is well equipped with an extensive range of wall and base units. It benefits from having a washing machine, built in microwave, oven/grill and a 4 ring gas hob, integrated fridge/freezer.

Externally there is a good sized courtyard-style garden to rear with double wooden gate providing play area or off street parking. 

First floor bathroom with shower

Second floor bathroom with WC, shower and bath.

To request a viewing please call me on 07968 744 719. You may also email your interest to home@marieparker.co.uk

With compost bins available to all residents within York and North Yorkshire at low costs, now is the time to start producing compost ready for next summer.

220l compost bins available at £15 including delivery
330l compost bins available at £17 including delivery
Green Johannas available at £59 including delivery

Purchasing a bin is simple, just visit

http://www.greatgreensystems.com/ or call 0800 731 2572.

Make sure you quotes RAF01