I never had the energy to use the capable-but-cumbersome program Quicken to manage my money – which is why I ditched Quicken for a newer program called Mint.

Like Quicken, Mint lets you import and aggregate information from your accounts at banks, brokerages and credit card companies.

The system then organizes your expenditures into categories like "food" and "automotive" so you can see where all your money goes.

Mint is surprisingly accurate at distinguishing restaurants from garages from dentists. It's also quite easy to correct whatever errors it does make.

Once you import your data, Mint parses your accounts and your regular transactions, and it suggests improvements.

The system gave me some smart suggestions – like finding a checking account that pays more interest – and it gave me some stupid ones – like replacing my current TV package with a cheaper but lesser plan.

Mint also makes it easy for users to set up their own budgets.

It only takes a few minutes to choose overall spending limits and individual limits in dozens of categories.

Users who want to drill deeper – by, say, capping gasoline expenditures without capping total automotive outlays – can find or create relevant subcategories with just a few extra mouse clicks.

Drawing up a budget might be easy, but Mint also helps with something much harder: sticking to the budget.

Users can check Mint from any Internet-enabled device before purchasing anything. They can tell Mint to send them text messages anytime they go over budget.

Check your account online? Yes, unlike Quicken, which lives on your computer, Mint keeps all your information on its Web site.

The thought of all that data online will probably scare many people away from Mint, and perhaps it should. There's always the possibility that hackers will find their way onto any server that's connected to the Web.

That said, Mint uses some serious security tools to keep your information as safe as it is at your bank or brokerage, and it has a lot of cool features to recommend it.www.mint.com

Pros: Free service makes it easy to track expenses and stick to a budget.

Cons: Lacks many features of programs like Quicken. Web hosting may be a security hazard.

Verdict: Not for Quicken power users or folks who fear hackers, but a great tool for folks who want to get their finances in order.

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