Once it’s funded, it will turn green!Īlso, when you click on the category, you can see a chart with how many dollars you’ve budgeted for Christmas thus far, and how many dollars you have to go. Until you fund the Christmas category with $100 for the month, the line item stays yellow. This would evenly divide $600 over 6 months, reminding you that you need to fund the Christmas category with $100 from April through September. You could set the Target Balance amount as $600, select Target Category Balance by Date, and enter the date as September, 2018. You’re starting in April, and you want to have the money by October, so that’s 6 months away. You can set a goal with a Target Balance amount, and then choose whether you want to fund it as a Target Category Balance, Target Category Balance by Date, or a Monthly Funding Goal.įor instance, let’s say you want to save $600 for Christmas. With YNAB, you can set savings goals right inside your budget! Consequently, you’re reminded of them on a regular basis and are more motivated to reach them.īenj and I have set both smaller savings goals, like Christmas and family trips, and larger ones, like our emergency fund and our first home. NOTE: If you’re looking for more ways to make budgeting fun, check out this post for 10 practical tips to change the way you budget! 3. This allows you spend more time dreaming about your financial goals and helps you to have fun!
YNAB BUDGETING FUTURE SOFTWARE
Good budgeting software removes so much of the stress and frustration that surrounds budgeting.
If the total at the end of a line item is green, then you’re good! If it’s red, you need to cover your overspending. YNAB’s simple design makes it very clear if there’s been any overspending. Is there enough money in “Household Supplies” to pay for that purchase? If not, can we cover it with a different category? The month isn’t even half over… Do we need to reign in our grocery spending? YNAB holds us accountableĪt any given time, a quick glance at our budget tells us everything we need to know.
Here are some of the other reasons why we love You Need a Budget. We’re personally able to save thousands of dollars every year simply because we can easily track every dollar that comes in and goes out. Oh, and more than $6,000 after one year.” Their website states, “On average, new budgeters save $600 in their first two months with YNAB. YNAB saves us far more money than it costs us. So here’s my honest answer to the, “Is YNAB worth the money?” question.įor us, the short answer is absolutely yes, it’s worth every penny! aligns with your personal financial principlesīenj and I have found that YNAB ticks all of those boxes for us, so we are more than happy to invest in it!.If you’re just getting started with budgeting, the number of options can feel downright overwhelming. Even if you’re a seasoned budgeter, you might be nervous to try something new.īudgeting programs function differently depending on the philosophies of the organizations that designed them. There are so many ways you can budget- from spreadsheets to paper planners, and apps to online software, like YNAB! The wedding went off without a hitch (pun fully intended), and Benj and I have been budgeting together with YNAB ever since. I even used it a few months later to budget for our wedding! It kept me accountable and stopped me from ordering live swans and ice sculptures.
YNAB was easy to understand and to use on a daily basis. I had never heard of this budgeting software before, but I took to it like a fish to water. It was during this process that Benj introduced me to You Need a Budget ( YNAB for short). We had fun estimating costs, running numbers, checking out apartment complexes, and talking to others about their expenses (i.e. Because that’s what normal couples do, right? (Right guys? C’mon, anybody?) So, being the nerds we are, we set up a mock budget together. Benj and I wanted to have an accurate idea of what living on our own would cost. We fell in love and started talking about our future life together.īefore long, the subjects of money and living expenses came up. Instead, I simply kept a running list of the money I’d earned and spent.īecause I lived at home with my parents, and didn’t have many recurring expenses, I had never given budgeting much thought. I had never done a zero-based budget until a few years ago, even though I’d faithfully saved money since elementary school (further proof that I’ve always been a nerd). (Or as my husband always responds, “No-the beginning.”) Once upon a time, I fell in love with budgeting. I’ve heard quite a few people ask, “Is YNAB worth the money?” It’s a fair question that deserves an honest answer, so let’s chat.