YNAB You Need A Budget

[bidanya]

I was wondering if there is a way to archive a category. I have a Master Category for Renovations and then have sub categories but once we have completed a project and balance is zero I dont want to keep that sub-category but would like to still have the past information available.

[malisab]

Someone may come behind me and be able to say differently, but since the Basic forum is generally pretty quiet, I'll take a stab at it.

I think that the overall answer is no. But there is something that I think you could use as an option, and also a couple things to consider.

The thing to consider is that if you are sticking with Basic, you'll be starting a new file in January. So if you can live with it for another three and a half months, just live with it.

If you, like me, are on Basic because you're a Mac person, YNAB 3 is due to arrive before then. So if you're thinking of upgrading to that, the wait may be shorter than until January.

If you want to get rid of it now, I think you do have an option. But it would just be hiding it, and you'd have to remember that if you ever went back to look at past months. You could, I believe, unprotect the budget sheet and the overview sheet and just reduce the height of the row for the offending category or categories to 0. They'd be there, but hidden. I'm always very nervous unprotecting the sheets lest I lean on something and delete a formula. But I think that would work. You could also just save a copy of the file before you shrink them with a file name that indicates that those are the months that include that category, so you wouldn't have to un-hide them to get info about that category.

Come to think of it another option would be to save that and just start a new file in, say, October that doesn't include that category. Just type in your category and account info again using your ending balances for September.

[gatherer]

ON ething I do is just move the category to the bottom of the budget page. I then move all the budgeted numbers down there too so that it works. this frees up a space for something else of more importance at the top

[maryea]

I have a Master Category at the bottom of my budget called zRetired where I put old categories. I understand that in the new version there will be a better way to handle this.

[malisab]

I have a Master Category at the bottom of my budget called zRetired where I put old categories. I understand that in the new version there will be a better way to handle this.

I'm pretty sure maryea didn't realize that the post was in the Basic forum. We don't have Master Categories and nothing alphabetizes itself.

ON ething I do is just move the category to the bottom of the budget page. I then move all the budgeted numbers down there too so that it works. this frees up a space for something else of more importance at the top

gatherer, if you are talking about Basic, can you be more specific? You cut and paste the name of the category to a row lower on the budget sheet. I'm guessing that the items on the register move automatically to follow that move? And the money that you budgeted, THAT you have to move manually any month that you budgeted something there. Is that it?

[maryea]

Oh, sorry you're right, I didn't realize that.

[gatherer]

ok. say I want to archive my wedding expenses. I highly doubt I'll have to use this category again. we will assume my category title is "Allowance - Marriage"

1. I find a blank row at the bottom.
2. I type into the category column "Allowance - Marriage"
3. Then I go to each month and move the budgeted amount for this category down (by just typing it in) to this new category
4. Then I remove the budgeted amount from the old category's row
5. Everything at the top of the available columns should show Zero again
6. in the Category column I delete the name "Allowance - Marriage" from the old spot where this category was.

All done.

If you are still unsure. I can post some screen shots

[malisab]

No, that's great thanks.

I wanted to make sure that the entries in the register followed along on their own. It appears that they do.