CSV Files

Have you ever heard of Comma Separated Values? If you download bank statements, paypal statements, or anything similar you should know exactly what they are, but if you don't I'll explain. CSV files are a way to download your statements so that many different programs can use them instead of downloading something that can only be used in Microsoft Money or Quicken. When you download a csv file , you're essentially downloading a table of information, but each column is separated by a comma. Many programs can read these files, but if you try to read it in notepad, it might look a little confusing.

The solution to this is to use a CSV Reader. This can come in handy, especially if you do paid blogging. I download my monthly statements from Paypal every month, but Quicken and Microsoft Money are a little hard to understand for those of us who hardly use them, so I download the CSV file. When I open it with a CSV reader, it converts to a grid table full of everything I need to know. It's easy to read, loads much quicker than trying to use one of the money management programs, and is very easy to use! When I print my records, I get a nice spreadsheet that I have no problem deciphering without all the hassles of money management software.

This post is courtesy of csvreader.com.