About YNAB

Overview

One fan of YNAB has described the system/methodology as “different, not difficult.” That sums it up quite nicely.

YNAB is first and foremost a methodology for handling your money. It is focused on the budget rather than the account balance. Instead of asking yourself if there is enough money in the checking account to go out to eat, you’re going to ask yourself if there is enough money in the Eating Out category.

Focusing on the budget first lets you plan for expenses in such a way that big bills can be paid when they arrive, and there are no surprises. Being budget-focused instead of balance-focused smooths the ups and downs of your financial roller coaster (complete with a few barrel rolls and loops!).

With a sure-fire methodology, we’ve just made sure the software doesn’t get in the way. (It doesn’t.)

How It Works

The YNAB Methodology has Four Rules, which you can read about in more detail if you’d like. They are:

  1. Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck
  2. Give Every Dollar a Job
  3. Save for Rainy Days
  4. Roll with the Punches

The YNAB software, either as a spreadsheet or standalone application, is built to help users follow these Four Rules. The software is flexible enough that you can tweak things to fit your situation, but once you find out what life is like with a few Rules, we’re pretty sure you’ll want to have them stick around.

YNAB’s Benefits

Save Time

  • You’ll no longer have to time your bills with your paychecks.
  • You can import your bank transactions without having to share your private bank information.
  • Easy-to-use interface lets you focus on value-added activities instead of being confused by useless “bell and whistle” features.

Gain Control

  • Gain peace of mind by leveraging a proven methodology that naturally aligns your spending with your true values.
  • Monitor your spending by easily seeing what you have left to spend in any number of customizable spending categories.
  • Pay cash for large purchases by setting aside money into spending categories each month and watch the balances grow.

Reach Your Goals

With software requiring as little time as a half-hour or so each week, there’s no need to worry that you’ll start and then throw in the towel because of time constraints. Plus, as soon as you begin increasing your savings and paying down your debt, you won’t want to stop.