When commodity prices drop, it’s more important than ever to keep your farm records  current and close at hand so you can track your finances throughout the year and not just at tax time.

At a series of workshops this winter Nebraska Extension Educators will be teaching and demonstrating Quicken, a popular commercial record-keeping package that is user friendly, inexpensive, and easy to find. Quicken is flexible for ag and non-ag business enterprises and separates out family living expenses.

Quicken’s checkbook register makes for a familiar environment to begin computerized record-keeping. The software offers home and general business income and expense categories, and educators will show how to easily import farm categories to match the tax Schedule F.

Quicken allows organization of finances by category and subclasses and offers a tag feature useful for splitting enterprises by partnership share or by ranch. Quicken allows users to split transactions, so one check written at a local gas station can be divided among several expenses: fast food, oil for the tractor, and farm fuel for the feed pickup.

Reports such as transactions, cash flow, account balances, balance sheet, comparison, and tax summary can be easily generated and the information can be filtered and the layout modified. Quicken files can also be exported to QuickBooks®, used by many tax accountants.

The hands-on training will include computer time with Quicken. Educators will also show how to run reports helpful for financial decisions.

Each workshop is limited to 10 participants. The cost of the workshop is $20/participant.

•  Sidney — Jan. 10, 1-4 p.m. at the Western Nebraska Community College (Room 122); to register call Karen DeBoer at 308-254-4455
• Alliance — Jan. 11, 1-4 p.m. at the Box Butte County Extension Office; to register call the Box Butte County Extension office at 308-762-5616
• Scottsbluff — Jan. 12, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the University of Nebaska Panhandle Research and Extension Center Bluestem Room; to register call Jessica Groskopf at 308-632-1247
• Bridgeport — Jan. 16, 1-4 p.m. in Bridgeport at the Morrill County Extension Office, to register call Jessica Groskopf 308-632-1247
• Lexington — Jan. 18 4-6:30 p.m. at the Dawson County Extension Office; to register call Sarah Schlund at 308-324-5501.
• Clay Center — Jan. 19, 2-4:30 p.m. at the Clay County Fairgrounds; to register call Brandy VanDeWalle at 402-759-3712
• O'Neill — Jan. 26, 3:30 - 6 p.m. at the Holt County Court Annex; to register call Amy Timmerman at 402-336-2760.
• Kimball — Feb. 2, 6-9 p.m. at the Kimball County Extension Office Meeting Room; to register call Aaron Berger at 308 235-3122