In Quicken Classic for Mac, you can delete a budget when it's no longer needed—such as after replacing it with a newer version or cleaning up outdated financial plans. Deleting a budget removes it permanently from your file, so it's a good idea to confirm that you won’t need the data later. If you're unsure, consider duplicating the budget for backup before deleting it.
Reasons to delete or keep a budget
Before deleting a budget, consider why you may or may not want to keep it.
Reasons to delete a budget
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It's outdated and no longer reflects your financial situation.
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You've created a newer version of the budget for a new year or plan.
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You want to reduce clutter and keep only current, active budgets.
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You made a copy of the budget and no longer need the original.
Reasons to keep a budget
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You want to review your past financial habits and compare trends over time.
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The budget includes historical data or custom categories you may reuse later.
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You're unsure whether you'll need to reference or restore the budget in the future.
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You haven't backed up the file or saved a duplicate copy.
If you're uncertain, consider renaming the budget instead so that it is clear the budget is no longer active. For example, if you are starting a new budget for a new year you might want to name the old budget Reference Budget 202x. To rename a budget, go to the Budgets tab, click the arrow next to the budget name, and choose Rename Budget….
Ways to delete a budget
You can delete a budget using either the feature bar or the Quicken menu. In both cases, you must first be on the Budgets tab.
From the feature bar
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Select the Budgets tab at the top of the window.
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Click the arrow next to the Budgets tab.
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Choose Delete Budget… from the drop-down menu.
From the Quicken menu
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Make sure you are on the Budgets tab.
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Go to the Quicken menu.
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Select Budgets > Delete Budget…
After selecting Delete Budget…, you'll be prompted to confirm. Once confirmed, the budget will be permanently deleted.