YNAB You Need A Budget

[jesse]

Here is a link to about two dozen online tutorials for YNAB Pro. Even if you're using YNAB standard, the methodology taught is exactly the same.

YNAB Tutorials

Feedback is welcome.

[domino]

Wow, someone's been busy.

[jesse]

Tell me about it. My quest to make it easier to get started. Let me know if you think there are some tutorials that are missing. I'll rip my hair out and then probably start on them.

[reyesfamily01]

I know you are working on this in the future but sound would really be great in the tutorials. I was astounded when I clicked on the tutorials link it made my day.

[Sairey724Gamp]

Any of the Buffer links bombed my computer (I tried at least 3 of them) and the only way to recover was to re-boot. I noticed they are 6 minutes long. My download speed should have been okay; however, I do have limited memory. Perhaps that is the problem? I never got any kind of error message or anything, just a locked keyboard and even CTRL+ALT+DEL didn't do a thing. Any ideas?

That being said, I was able to view several of the other tutorials and was truly impressed. However, I am definitely NOT a visual learner and they were driving me nuts. I appreciate their value for other people, but personally I'm much happier with my hard-copy, printed out, real-book, hold-it-in-my-hands Set-Up Guide.
Sairey

[WairereRose]

I'm with you there Sairey, you can't beat paper for a book

[jdawg101]

I want to say "thank you," Jessee, for following up on my suggestion for making these video tutorials for YNAB; I think they're very concise, easy to understand and more importantly, helpful. I'm actually watching one as we speak and it just answered a question I was about to post on message board in regards to building a buffer. It's great to see the developer actually listen to the needs of his customers and respond promptly as opposed to gigantic companies like Microsoft.

I think the only thing that needs to be done now is to start driving both new and experienced YNAB users toward the tutorials, perhaps by making them stand out more in the FAQ/Support section. I would also like to suggest integrating the links for the tutorials in the YNAB Setup Guide; after people learn how the 4 Rules of Cash Flow work, they can follow along with the tutorial as they create their own budget for the first time. I believe this "holding their hand as they budget" method will help them understand how to use YNAB more effectively taking what they learned into a visual application. This will reduce posts to in the Support message board; as you may notice, many of the questions in the Support thread are asked repeatedly.

I also would suggest pro YNAB users who created helpful threads that have been stickied (such as Lousgirl's YNAB Library: Helpful Threads, etc) to update their links to include the Tutorials to make them even more easy to find.

**UPDATE**
Just learned that there's a pre-pay feature in Register that can be used when monthly payments are paid ahead of time; didn't know about that if it weren't for the Tutorials!

[Kristen]

I also would suggest pro YNAB users who created helpful threads that have been stickied (such as Lousgirl's YNAB Library: Helpful Threads, etc) to update their links to include the Tutorials to make them even more easy to find.

jdawg - duly noted and added to the library. And feel free, anytime you (or anyone else) come across something you think would be helpful in the Library to shoot me a PM and I will be sure to add it in.

[mortonkelsey]

I live on my investments and one large paycheck that comes once a year. I new to ynab. How do I transfer money from the savings each month into the register so as not to over fund the budget. I have plenty for a buffer and want to put a fixed amount each month into the budget. Thanks for your help

[Patzer]

I live on my investments and one large paycheck that comes once a year. I new to ynab. How do I transfer money from the savings each month into the register so as not to over fund the budget. I have plenty for a buffer and want to put a fixed amount each month into the budget. Thanks for your help

For this situation, I would recommend keeping your investments and savings outside of YNAB. When the big annual check comes, put it in the savings that is outside YNAB. Transfer enough from the external savings to checking to fund your buffer initially. Once a month, transfer the planned amount of money from savings to checking. Record the transfer in YNAB as primary income, and budget your expenses as you see fit.

This advice is contrary to the oft-given advice of tracking all your money in YNAB; but in your situation, I think this is the clearest way to budget the planned monthly amount and be clear that you're living on that amount or less.

Patzer

[WairereRose]

If you do want to track that fund within YNAB, then when the big cheque comes in, enter it without a category and only use a category for the transfer in to the active account. Again, this is against common advice, but it provides a means of keeping an eye on that other balance as well if you want to.

[mortonkelsey]

thank you very much for your help. I will transfer what is needed from an outside savings account each month after funding the buffer. This is very helpful for me!

[Tommymac]

Hi. New user - first post!

Thanks for the Tutorials - they made it possible for me to set up YNAB Pro. I was totally confused when I first opened the software - I am not an accountant, never used Quicken or Money - just a homemade spreadsheet I made last year in an attempt to balance our budget. And the Forums - (to be fair they are an outstanding resource with lots of great infromation but they hold a HUGE amount of useful data) - were just too overwhelming for a layman like me to understand. I have never budgeted well in my life - so until I viewed the Tutorials everything was a murky swamp to me. I could not for the life of me figure out where to start - it was like reading an ancient language without a Rosetta stone.

After watching the tutorials - I was able to set up both my wife's and my own budget in a matter of a few hours - (We keep them separate for reasons of domestic tranquillity. - - we have long ago diveyed up the monthly responsibilities and each pay some of them.)

After decades of abuse, my finances are a mess. The tutorial showed me exactly how to set up my checking account tab, retirement account, and credit accounts I want to pay off...and ones I want to use on a monthly basis. I plan on retiring in 10-12 years - I think YNAB is going to be the road map I need to reach that goal.

In mine I set up account tabs for: Income ==> 2 checking accounts, a cash account and a PayPal account; Emergency Funds ==> 2 savings accounts; Retirement ==> An IRA I maintain on my own; Credit accounts with balances to pay off ==> a personal loan, my student loan, 2 Car Payments, and 9 Credit and Revolving Credit accounts; and One Credit account I pay monthly. My wife,s is similiar, though she has less stuff to track due to the way we have divided up the financial responsibilities. The big thing was puttig the mortgage in hers as an account to pay down, as that is her major expense.

I set most of these up as Credit accounts to pay down over time per the tutorial - and using YNAb to build the Snowball effect I read about here on the Forums, I intend to watch all my outstanding debt tabs go from Red to Black over the next ten years. That is why I put in account tabs for things like the Mortgage and Car Loans - I need the visual reminder and re-inforcement of seeing the balances owed go down.

I know some feel simplicity is better to start - but the tutorials were so good that after a couple of days of confusion, they opened up my awareness of exactly what this software is - it was like a lightbulb going off in my head - the software and Rules now seem to be totally plain and transparent to me. I have been playing with "Future " Mock budgets based on my own complex one all evening - and I now see it is possible for me to reach my goal of retirement in 10 years or so easily - without spending big $$ on Financial consultants for advice and the like. The key is to simply live within our means from now on - YNAb and the tutorials have mapped the road.

If you are like me, are not even a financial budgeting novice, and don't think you can figure out how to cut through a complex situation, give the tutorials a try. I was about ready to throw in the towel and get a refund when I found them - they have really kept me in the game.

Thanks again!

[WairereRose]

Welcome Tommymac,

What an inspiring first post.

Rose

[LexieJo]

Stupid question....Are the tutorials supposed to have sound with them? For some reason, the video loads, but there is no sound. I have Vista and normally things like this load fine.

Let me know!

Lex