YNAB You Need A Budget

[wlahautbois]

I'm fairly new to YNAB but things are going well. This seems to be the only snag I can't figure out. My bank account is setup so I have a monthly scheduled transfer to my savings account. In YNAB, I'd like to make that money count towards my buffer. In the register, the payee is transfer to savings but because of some earlier fiddling around the category automatically goes to Buffer, which reduces my amount of buffer remaining in the budget. I cannot leave the category unassigned. I'd like to move the money to the savings account so my checking register reflects my bank account. I'd also like on my budget for the Buffer category to not have the outflow. Thanks for any help.

[YYC27]

The only way for money moved to savings to still count towards the buffer is to make your savings account on-budget. The opening balance needs a category (typically Income: Available This Month), all non-transfer transactions within the account need a category, and any transfers between chequing and savings must not be categorized.

[ginger]

I cannot leave the category unassigned.

I'm not sure if you mean you physically cannot remove the category, or if you just don't want to. In case it's the former, to remove the category click on the category field twice to highlight it, then hit delete.

[wlahautbois]

thanks ginger. that's exactly what i needed.

[wlahautbois]

Ginger, I do find a problem with leaving the transfer uncategorized. It fixed the issue of letting my buffer category grow. My bank account and YNAB check register match but now the $$ remaining balance in the budget is off by exactly the amount uncategorized. The remaining column is higher than the register. Is there anything to do about that?

[ginger]

This is how it should be. See this thread for the balancing formula for YNAB.

http://www.youneedabudget.com/forum/ynab-f38/patzer-formula-for-ynab-t7883.html

You need to include all on-budget accounts when you figure out if you balance, not just your checking. If you want some or all of your buffer to be in savings, the savings account must be on-budget. That's why you leave the category blank on the transfer. The money in the savings account stays in the budget. If you have other funds in that savings account (say, an opening balance) then those funds will need to be part of your budget, too if they are not already. The opening balance of that account should be categorized (usually income available this month).

[wlahautbois]

again, just what I needed. Thanks so much

[xraymd]

Greetings, wlahautbois, just double checking but are you using YNAB Pro (now retired) or YNAB 3 (the current live product)? I ask because this thread has ended up in the YNAB Pro forum and if you are using YNAB 3, it would be better to move the thread there. Please advise and thanks!

xraymd