YNAB You Need A Budget

[LarryF]

Here's my 2 cents on YNAB and what would make it even a great tool.

1) Allow syncing via the cloud, across multiple devices, iPhone, iPad, Desktop, Laptop, etc. This way when I enter a transaction in my iPhone, it is automatically sync'd with all my other devices running YNAB. I already store my data on Dropbox so it's in the cloud now.

2) Create full-featured iPhone and iPad apps (two separate apps, not just one that runs on both) so that everything available in the desktop version can be done on the iPhone/iPad. Again, if the data is in the cloud this should be possible.

I would certainly pay more for YNAB if features like this were added.

P.S. Forget automatic downloads of data from financial institutions if that's on your radar. This is VERY low on my list of things I'd like to see in YNAB. The above two are at the top.

[blackdiamond]

(1) I'm fairly certain that they are actively working on some type of cloud capability. We'll see what they come up with.

(2) If you currently use a mobile app you can see first hand how much difference there is in functionality between the desktop and mobile apps. This is a direct result of the difficulty and time required to develop a fully functional mobile app. The whole point of the mobile app is to see your budet on the go and also to allow transaction entry. Assuming that the cloud is available in the future this should allow the mobile app to perform this function perfectly using the same level of functionality that they currently have. To do more would be a waste of YNABs resources. The more platforms that they develop things specifically for the more time it takes and since more people carry iPhone than iPads I think they have made a wise choice to target the iPhone knowing that the iPad can run the same application. I think people are even using iPods, but I'm not sure how that works since they don't have keyboards or touchscreens (I may have misread).

[Turf_Hacker]

Blackdiamond is correct, cloud sync is being actively worked on now. I don't know exactly when it will be available, but it shouldn't be too far off.

There is discussion on creating a stand-alone iPad YNAB app. Work on this (iPad app) won't likely start until after cloud sync is available, so I have no idea when it might become available. The iPhone app will indeed run on an iPod Touch.

I would be surprised to see anything like Quicken's Direct Connect ever make an appearance in YNAB (I could be wrong about this) since this completely removes the budget user from the data going into YNAB. This would automate away the "good behavior" of being aware of your spending in something close to real time.

[LarryF]

Thanks turf_hacker, that's what I was hoping to hear! I knew a cloud solution was being worked on and I'm in no hurry for that but will be an avid user once it's here.

An iPad stand-alone app would be great! It would allow me to free myself from my MacBook except photo/video editing!

[darnellk]

Blackdiamond is correct, cloud sync is being actively worked on now. I don't know exactly when it will be available, but it shouldn't be too far off.

Since YNAB 4 is coming out now and you pretty much knew when it was going to be available, could you provide some more transparency on the iPad app discussion mentioned below?

There is discussion on creating a stand-alone iPad YNAB app. Work on this (iPad app) won't likely start until after cloud sync is available, so I have no idea when it might become available. The iPhone app will indeed run on an iPod Touch.

Could sync is available now, so when will the iPad development be started/completed. I'm not really interested in spending another $40 on a desktop application, but would rather use that money towards a standalone app. It's amazing how little I use my desktop PC now that I have an iPad.

I don't know if I have the patience for another year and a half of "We're discussing it" and "it should be available soon".

[Joel]

There is no standalone iPad app in the works at this point. (That I am aware of).

I wouldn't count on it coming in the near future. However, Give 4 a try, and I garantee you will want to make a purchase. $40 is cheap.

[Malisa]

I don't know if I have the patience for another year and a half of "We're discussing it" and "it should be available soon".

Jesse posted in the comments of the blog today that the ipad app development will be more transparent (and that it hasn't started yet). If I had to guess I'd say it probably had a timestamp around 6pm per the time that I'm seeing (which isn't my local time) but I won't go searching through the ~300 comments to find it.

[LarryF]

Woo hoo! An iPad YNAB app!

ynab-f96/ynab-for-ipad-t16812.html

[DeguelloTex]

I would be surprised to see anything like Quicken's Direct Connect ever make an appearance in YNAB (I could be wrong about this) since this completely removes the budget user from the data going into YNAB. This would automate away the "good behavior" of being aware of your spending in something close to real time.

And this is why I will be stuck doing double entry in Quicken and YNAB for all time, unless Quicken adds a YNAB-like budget module.

I enter all of my transactions but my wife forgets a few. Direct Connect allows me to catch those - and a couple of random unauthorized charges from hotels and the like - without having to go to multiple websites or wait and be surprised when the statement shows up. It also allows me to keep an eye on my investments and spot any fraudulent uses of my credit cards the same day.

I understand that Direct Connect doesn't necessarily fit in with YNAB's view of the world and that YNAB doesn't purport to be Quicken, but if Quicken ever implemented a cloud-syncable zero-based budget tool my days of double entering my data would be over.

[LarryF]

And this is why I will be stuck doing double entry in Quicken and YNAB for all time, unless Quicken adds a YNAB-like budget module.

I enter all of my transactions but my wife forgets a few. Direct Connect allows me to catch those - and a couple of random unauthorized charges from hotels and the like - without having to go to multiple websites or wait and be surprised when the statement shows up. It also allows me to keep an eye on my investments and spot any fraudulent uses of my credit cards the same day.

I understand that Direct Connect doesn't necessarily fit in with YNAB's view of the world and that YNAB doesn't purport to be Quicken, but if Quicken ever implemented a cloud-syncable zero-based budget tool my days of double entering my data would be over.

I did that in the past as well but found it was much easier to logon to my bank and credit card website to get up-to-date transactions. Also, transactions always showed up in the Quicken download a day later than I was when I was able to see them on the website. We only use one checking account and one credit card 99% of the time so checking really isn't an issue. I update YNAB 2-3 times a week.

We don't get any paper statements anymore and I don't bother downloading and reconciling my month-end statements because I'm technically 'reconciling' to the bank/cc balance every time I update YNAB now.

For investments I logon to our broker's website where everything is consolidated and do everything there.

For us anyway, I found it was much less stressful to just use YNAB and for go Quicken because the value it added wasn't enough to justify keeping it. I have definitely used a combination of Quicken, Mvelopes, YNAB, Excel spreadsheets to keep track of our budgeting/spending/account balances. Everyone has to come up with a system that works for them though and stick with it.

[YYC27]

I think people are even using iPods, but I'm not sure how that works since they don't have keyboards or touchscreens (I may have misread).

The iPod Touch runs iOS, just like the iPhone, and can run nearly any app the iPhone can.