I have told my wife, a spendthrift, we need a budget! Your concept confirms that robbing Peter to pan Paul is not the way, but too much then to pay! I have only those that consider I owe making demands over and above. But that is another story. I have found this conceptual system also works for time and things that accumulate – backlogs – as well. – Wm Stanley, Marion, IA

The key is organization! YNAB gives you the power of seeing where your money is needed and organizing your goals. – Susan, Ashland, MA

After using many budget programs, YNAB was a program that was professional-looking (no gimmicks)enough for my husband, flexible enough for me, and user friendly enough for both of us to utilize.—-And, recommended it to someone who had identy/info stealing issues with a different program and wanted a non-web based program. – Amy Uecker, Mason, OH USA

This is a great program and the only reason I have not had more success is because I went back to school full time for a year–not good for the budget, but a long-term investment. YNAB is well worth using and I have received excellent service and answers to my questions when I have needed it. – Jaunna Beattie, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Not only has YNAB helped me budget, but the domino effect has been that we are eating out less, eating at home more and, therefore, eating more healthy. It was a totally unexpected bonus to the software and the system! – Anne Bingham, Utah

I both love and hate YNAB. Unfortunately it has ‘helped’ to expose my spending habits. Finding were money is being wasted has been a huge benefit of YNAB. I am slowly getting into a position where I can save. I am way more aware of the consequences of buying something on the credit card. – Michael Jones, Johannesburg, South Africa

YNAB is a great system to see exactly where all of your money is going. I wish it could use account information to make housekeeping and tracking easier. – Lorraine Burton, Ossining, NY

I am more than happy to tell you what I think of YNAB. I was looking on the internet for an easy to use program to help me track and plan how I spend my money when I discovered YNAB. I had used Microsoft Money for a few years and was disappointed with the results because I couldn’t use it to plan. I thought that somebody must have made a program to help me. I had made a feeble attempt to do what YNAB does in checkbook register by writing in the amount of several of my future bills on the day I received my paycheck. However, I always ended up dipping in that reserve because I couldn’t track how I spent the rest of my money. With YNAB all that is solved. I know where every penny goes. I can plan for upcoming expenses. I do not spend a dollar without knowing how it affects my whole financial picture. While I feared it might be too confining to be so conscious, I find it so freeing. The guilt I have carried about spending since my first childhood allowance has vanished. I am amazed to see how much money is in my checking account and how much that amount grows each month. I am amazed to feel confident that the money I need to pay a bill is already here. I’ts not just YNAB to me – it’s The AMAZING YNAB. Thank you so much for creating it! – Gayle Lukeman, Samrtville, CA, USA

I have loved using YNAB. For years I was searching for a money program that was more then an elaborate checkbook. Then I found YNAB and couldn’t believe that it did EVERYTHING I always wanted to do for our families finances. We have been able to pay off debt and save enough money that even with a new baby on the way and medical bills on the horizon we are not worried because we know that we will be able to handle it. Thank you for developing a product that allows us to USE a budget. – Angela Cockrell, Jerome, Idaho

Great program, easy to use and I have reccommended to my family and friends. – Shelly Tuma-Douglass, Jacksonville, Florida, USA

No doubt you’ve heard a version this story many times. My wife & I complement each other very well. She loves to shop for bargains but doesn’t care too much about keeping track of her checkbook balance. I dislike shopping, bargains or not, but really like saving, so I keep track of balances, bill due dates etc. I’ve tried “after the fact type” budgeting with moderate success. Saving money and budgeting usually involved mildly unpleasant mini-confrontations with my wife “after the fact.” YNAB truly works for us as advertised. Our “in real time” budget discussions have been a lot of fun for both of us. She finds it amusing to tease me (it sure beats hurt feelings) but I draw the line when she calls me “Budget Boy.” ;) Keep up the good work. – Lyle Schafer, Dripping Springs, TX USA

Before YNAB, I was not saving anything, but had to dip into savings for about $500.00 a month. Since being on YNAB, I have been able to see where I needed to cut back and where I needed to save more for periotic expenses. I now have two months’ worth of expenses in my checking account, and know when to stop spending for discretionary purchaes. I love it!!! – Sue Regan, Lake Mary, FL, USA

I am so excited to use YNAB! It’s already helping me to curb my spending (ie, Wal-Mart trips) because I see everyday how much I have ALREADY spent and that we only budgeted a certain amount and I am really really not wanting to go over. Therefore, YNAB keeps me from even going to the store and instead planning out my shopping trips. So, it’s only been a week but I am way excited! – laura johnson, Springville, UT

YNAB really helps keep me in line because I know exactly where my money is going and where it needs to go. It’s taking me a while to pay down the debt and add to savings, but I do find that I’m much better behaved than I used to be because I can see exactly what I need my money for, which cuts down on surprises. It’s going to be much easier to go forward now that I am no longer going backwards. – Sumi Shadduck, Spokane, WA

This program truly changed my life and i dont use anything else and i love how easy it works, Thank you ynab!! – jose, miami

Laid off from my job just as I began using YNAB. YNAB very useful in helping me manage my money through the 2 1/2 months of unemployment (clearly this is a time when budgeting is of the utmost importance!) Things would have been much more stressful without it! – Ken Dunsmore, Katy, TX, USA

YNAB is very easy to use and a real time saver. – Darren Stanger, Orem, UT

In the past month that I have been using YNAB, I have begun to notice just how much I pull out my debit/credit card for unnecessary purchases. Having a budget helps me think about what I am spending my money on BEFORE I spend it, which helps to eliminate any unnecessary purchases that ultimately is the reason that I am out of money. I can already see a difference and I am excited about creating next month’s budget! – Jessika Dollins, Churchville, VA

We are retired and really needed a cash-flow budget setup. YNAB made sense and has helped us greatly with the withdrawals we need to make from our investments. – Gail McGahee, Marietta,Ga

YNAB has been a great tool to be able to see where my money is going, but even more than that, it has given me the tools to actually plan where I want my money to go, and it lets me monitor my spending throughout the month so that I can make adjustments between my plan and reality. – Chad Transtrum, Caldwell, Idaho

Never before have I had such a clear view of my finances. Most other software allows you so many ways to deceive yourself into thinking you’re doing well, but you can still bounce a check! YNAB keeps me honest with myself. – Erika, Michigan

Its a great tool to have if you’re drowning in debt! – narendra, sydney, australia

I use YNAB in conjunction with Dave Ramsey’s debt reduction philosophy. YNAB is priceless! I never thought any budgeting program could keep my interest long enough to make it worthwhile but I have been entering all my transactions for over a year and couldn’t do without it now! – Yvette Taylor, Port Orange, FL

YNAB’s greatest contribution to our family budget has been to change our spending habits to remain within our means. – Sam Ellis, Geelong, Victoria, Australia

YNAB has helped us realize how poorly we were managing our money. My wife and I no longer argue about money becaues we control our money and don’t let our money control us. Thank you, YNAB – Brian Diedrick, NYA,MN,USA

I have tried Microsoft Money and Quicken without long term success in keeping track of my finances. YNAB is quick, easy and gives you a method for budgeting which means it is MUCH better and I have used without difficulty since I got it. – Dan Cottle, Birmingham, UK

YNAB is the absolute best budgeting software on the market. It has allowed me to gain total control of my money. I no longer live from paycheck to paycheck using the YNAB principles. What a Godsend! – Timothy Pearson, Danville, IN 46122

We’ve gotten through 3 job losses in the last 1 1/2 years without going into more debt!! Instead, we’ve managed to decrease our debt. It’s amazing how managing every dollar really helps you feel in control of your money and helps you make wiser decisions. We are thankful this program came into our lives when it did! – Melissa Alagon, Duluth, GA

I started out with Dave Ramsey budgeting. I tried Excell for a while and thought there has to be a better solution. I went searching the internet to see if there was any other zero based budgeting solftware out there and that’s when I found YNAB. My life is much easier now. Great product! – Jeff McJunkins, Houston, Tx

I am finally at the place where I tell my money what to do , instead of it bossing me around. Being a month ahead gives me peace of mind that I have never truly had financially. I thank you Jesse and the gang for putting your passion into action and developing a product that Americans need so badly. YNAB rocks! – Troy Smith, Argenta, Illinois

reading your info sounds easy. the quick take is easy. the Rules are solid. it is easy to put income. it is not easy, painful to list the debits. this took the longest time, required going back so many times to reread, but finally it works like a jewel. thank you. – john, santa ana, ca

My daughter just graduated college, and I am getting YNAB for her next month when I fly out to visit. Why wait to start? – Mary Allen, Manchester NH

It has taken me a while to get started, but just the principles taught in the bootcamp have helped me start paying off debt but more important avoiding more debt. – Ray Gwilliam, Spanish Fork, UT

Although not there yet, the use of YNAB to help budget for future payments has been a great help. I just got my last power bill for $300. Unlike the past when I didn’t know what to give up this month to pay the bill, it is already budgeted for and in the bank. (woohoo!) – Edward Nester, Las Vegas, NV

Since using YNAB Pro, we refinanced our house while keeping a good amount of equity, paid off most credit cards and a second mortgage. The extra cash flow has allowed us to pay pay down on our last credit card and put money away for savings too. Once the card is paid off, we will continue to pad savings and start paying down more on the mortgage. – Scott Hannah, Shawnee, Ks

YNAB has been great for making things so much simpler to deal with. As someone with ADD, this is a great help for me! Also, the sense of peace that comes with following Rule 1 is the absolute best money experience I’ve ever had. – Kim Novak, Yellow Springs, Ohio

I have tried to just save the buffer, then had to use the buffer, sometimes think that i would just like to pay off the credit card that is next, but tried to remember what Jesse said about saving the buffer first because when you do that your debt will go down quite a bit. So i havent been working the system perfectly..i have been trying to pay more on ONE credit card at a time and just making more than the minimum on the others, as well as saving my buffer. Its a hard transition to make, but it makes my husband and I more aware of where our money is going. Stay on a budget, makes us communicate more and us both responsible to the numbers, not eachother with the yelling match. Its a good thing. – Nicole R Holland, Palmetto, Florida 34221

I bought YNAB Pro right before I got married last June. It has been the best purchase I could have ever made. I just searched for something on google that would work for us and I was lucky to find the program. I do the receipts/bills every Sunday after church. I then do a print out and leave it on the desk so my wife knows exactly how much money is remaining by category. It works great. We tell all of our friends how this is one less thing to worry about in our marriage and for most people this can be huge. – Richard Dyke, Cartersville, Georgia

Once you understand the four rules, the program is easy to use. Getting control of my spending has taken a huge stressor out of my life. – Kris Kimmons, Houston Tx

YNAB has helped me turn my finances around. By watching my money (instead of pretending I am wealthy and dealing with the aftermath) and increasing my income I now for the first time in my adult life have money left over when bills are paid. Jim – Jim Wells Sr., Dallas Texas

I started with YNAB to try and get on top of my outstanding debt, since i stated I have paid off and cut up 2 credit cards I am living on last months wages with 2 weeks saved in the bank, I am so much better off and can’t beleive how easy it was with YNAB, I have been trying for over a year to gain this kind of financial security and now I have it I can’t wait to spread the news to all my family and friends! Thank you so much for developing YNAB and saving me from financial ruin, definitely the best investment I ever made! – Natalie Robson, Morayfield,QLD,Australia

his is such a straigh forward plan and it helps people to look at their financial situation realistically and allows them to set goals and accomplish them. Steady progression forward and steady successes spur on a committment by always seeing that there is an easy to track them dollars working FOR them. – Darlene Self, Prince George B.C. Canada

YNAB has opened our eyes like any regular budgeting program could not. – Ben, Provo, Utah

We were used to living “comfortably” on 2 incomes, with no real thought to debt until we learned that my husband’s primary income may be undergoing serious “layoffs” (he’s a freelancer). so i had to come up with a budget, and that is something that our relationship really had to deal with, complete and totally honesty on spending. we cut out the extras, ate what we had in the pantry for a month, and were miraculously able to come up with a buffer quickly. I then scoured the internet for calculators, etc, soon after we realized that we had to try to live on one income, mine. the other shocking thing was realizing how much debt we had accumulated. we were ignorant until we actually wrote down everything. and really had a look at “secure” vs “insecure” debt, and realized how easy it was to use our credit cards. fortunately, my partner has continued to work, we were able to translate a gift into some debt repayment, and now we are about 18 months away from debt aside from mortgages. the realization that things were working was when my paycheck got held up by accident, yet, i had no “bounced” or insufficent funds fees, because we had built up the buffer to live on last months income. I love the forum, because it seems that no matter how detailed a question may be, someone has likely dealt with it. I have recommended this program to everyone, and even my bank manager has signed on! – Anonymous, Boston, Massachusetts

YNAB has helped me get my husband involved in our finances, instead of just sitting back and watching me struggle to keep bills paid. We now work as a team to stay on track and for the first time in our 12 years of marriage are able to take a family vacation this year… leaving 8/13/08 for Yellowstone with the kids! Thank You YNAB!! – Melissa Seibel, Horseshoe Bend, ID

I have recommended YNAB to 3 people, all said they where looking for a program like this. – Donna Deacon, Lebanon OR

YNAB is the first budget program that makes me want to stick to budgeting every month. It is fast, reasonably priced, and most important easy to use. A great program. – David Sherrets, Denver, CO

Great tool and very easy to use. Now we know where all of our money goes, and how easy it is to control and track spending. Thanks Jesse. – Kelly Helgason, Selkirk Manitoba Canada

What can I say?! I love YNAB – now my husband and I are on the same page financially, saving and also having our own pocket money … every bill is covered and we even save up for Christmas. We are halfway toward a house deposit and should be able to afford to replace our car using cash. YNAB ROCKS! (As our teenage son would say.) – Niki Shobbrook, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

I had developed a simple Excel budget, as we all have at some stage, but the difference between that and this, that made the difference for me, was the realisation of the need to live off last months pay check, and alocating every penny. Also having any overspend deducted from the total of next month and starting that particular catagory from zero made sense. – David S Jones, Swansea, Wales, UK

Thanks YNAB for simplifying budgeting for me. I am an advanced excel user but the convenience of YNAB has helped me immensely. Be it planning for my wedding or the few months after that( the honeymoon period and thus the expense heavy period :)) , management/ tracking day to day expense as well as planning better for the future, would not have become easier if not for YNAB. As a result I have felt confident about my finances like never before. YNAB budgeting is not a monthly but a daily habit today and will remain so in the years to come. – Puneet Rai, Sydney, Australia

YNAB has been powerful for us in so many ways, but I think the biggest difference in the way that I handle money because of YNAB is a continuous awareness of where my money is and what is is (or is supposed to be!) doing. I now think about every purchase more carefully because I can picture myself, in my mind’s eye, having to enter into my YNAB program that $3.50 for a frosty mocha latte frappacinno and it makes me squirm, and that’s a good thing! This may not sound like a glowing testimonial, but it is to me. YNAB has tremendously helped me to get a handle on where my money is going and to be deliberate about what I do with it. Thanks!!!!!!! – Mary Hollinhead, Locust Grove, GA

I Wish I’ve Known about this wonderful and useful software years ago. Would Not want to be without it an other day, Thank you Jessy – John de, Port Hope’ Canada

YNAB took us from living paycheck paycheck to tithing and saving almost 25% of every check we get. It’s the best budgeting software on the market, and it’s a bargain at any price. – Jason Spak, Pittsburgh, PA

YNAB IS THE BEST GIFT FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO CONTROL THEIR FINANCE. THE PROGRAM IS VERY FRIENDLY USER, THE RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS EXCEEDS EXPECTATION, MARVELOUS, HONEST AND PROMP. I SAY, PEOPLE IN YNAB YOU DESERVE RESPECT BECAUSE YOU’RE HONEST IN HELPING PEOPLE AND IN BUSINESS. THANK YOU!!! – Sonny Pascua, Brownstown, Michigan U.S.A

I’m still getting used to the program and how to think the YNAB way. There are some challenges, but after three months I seem to be at least $3,000 further ahead. How did that happen? I’m not living on last month’s income yet, but I’m 1/4 of the way there. In the meanwhile, I’m giving every dollar a job and trying to put money aside for annual expenses. So far, so good. Thanks! – Roy, Vancouver, BC

We’re just setting up a budget, which is turning out to be less stressful than we expected (that’s why we delayed so long)- and I credit YNAB. Thanks! – Terry Collins, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Well, we haven’t balanced our budget ever month, but we have plugged so many holes that the boat is no longer sinking and is starting to float a little higher. – Patrick McKenna, Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada

This program has literally changed my life. I feel on top of my finances in ways I’ve never experienced. I have recommended this program to countless friends and acquaintances. Thank you, Jesse! – Brian Burk, Portland, Oregon, USA

My husbnad and I have struggled for 10 years of our marriage to be on the same page with our finances.YNAB is the first effective tool helping to unite us on this oh so important facet of our lives. Thank you! – Rikki STout, Thornton, CO

This program has been an amazing time saver – it “thinks” like i did before i discovered it. – Graham Rose, Halifax, Canada

The one greatest thing that YNAB will do for you is show you exactly where your money is going. For our family, the biggest money drain was eating out. When the pie chart came up showing restaurant expense being the number 4 expense after mortgage, Heating, and Insurances we had to take a look at our lifestyle. Since cutting back on eating out (not totally, just a cutback to about half), we have been able to pay off two credit cards and save $3000 in less than a year. Once passed the initial startup period where you need to create categories and enter all your money earned and spent, it seems to be getting much easier. (we throw all our receipts in a cup on the counter in the kitchen, when the cup fills up, it’s time to enter the receipts into the computer. Takes about a half hour a week. Well worth it for the results. – Joseph Cipollini, Southington, CT, USA

I have been using YNAB for my rental business. It has worked great. I changed the catagories and sub catagories to apply to my business. It has been wonderful. I now have the money saved for property taxes, insurance, Maintenance and Repair, all the large bills that worried me prior to YNAB. Now now worries, I know the money is there waiting to pay the bill. – Troy Christman, Parkersburg, WV

Sorry… this came out kinda long… :) This program is simply amazing. Before we found YNAB, my wife and I used to fight every single time we sat down to go over the finances. We had tried every single budgeting program out there, but none of them worked the way we wanted them to. It had gotten to the point where I had actually sat down and began to design budgeting software of my own (I am a developer). In stumbled across YNAB in a last ditch Google search and was immediately intrigued. After reading through some of the content on your site, I was stunned. It turns out that what was missing was not so much the program, as the concept. The whole idea of living a month ahead truly opened my eyes and for once it all made sense! Fortunately, at the end of our first month using the system, I received a surprise bonus from work. We simply threw all of that money in as supplemental income and suddenly we were able to easily make it through the next month without touching either of our paychecks. Every penny of our current income went to paying of next month’s bills, and the experience was, to say the least, quite freeing. We actually look forward to working on our finances together each evening (ok… most evenings) and tweaking the numbers based upon our current spending. The true beauty of this system lies in its flexibility. My wife and I were able to adapt your system to work exactly the way we wanted it to. At the beginning of each month, we sit down and “spend” the money that has accumulated. We assign what we feel is needed to each category and throw any leftovers into a “Emergency Fund” category – which is, in realty, a sort of petty cash or rainy day fund. As the month progresses, we match prediction to reality by moving money between categories to account for over and under spending, and we use the emergency fund to account for any unplanned spending that we can’t trim from other categories. At the close of each month, anything left over in the emergency fund gets transferred to a “Savings” category, and the physical money is transferred from our Checking to our Savings account. As I said, it is quite freeing knowing that on the 1st of the month, you have every penny you need for the $900 tax bill coming in the middle of the month. My wife was somewhat stunned when she asked when we could pay the bill and I said “now”. After blinking a bit, and asking the question again – with the same response, of course – she smiled widely and said “Cool!” This was a much better reaction then the “I don’t know” used to get. I would very strongly recommend this product to anyone. I don’t care how much money you have, or think you don’t have. Anyone can use the software – it is that simple and intuitive to use. Even my wife, who often asks our 6 year old how to perform tasks on the computer, had no problem figuring out how to enter data into the register. We are only 3 months into the program, and already it has made a remarkable difference in how we deal with our money. Financial independence really feels like an attainable goal now. – Dennis Devlin, Natick, MA

having inconsistant income as a self employed contractor. the need to prepare for the next months expences is vital. many times I was able to prevent overspending by at a glance assesment of the financial situation. savings would be much more if some months were not so unpredictable. for self employment this is a necessity, with normal employment this would allow you to set aside investment capital. and spend only on the really important decisions and stop impulse spending that takes away your desire to raise capital, or whatever your priority lies. this is the simplest program i ever used. and gives so much information. – Wayne Harless, Roseville California

YNAB made me realize I don’t have to be afraid of my money. I know that a budget isn’t the big greeen monster I thought it was. – Lynette Blakeney, Taylorsville, Mississippi

I make a good salary, however, I was not able to manage my $ effectively. YNAB allowed me to focus on exactly where my money was going and to create good daily habits so my money isn’t frittered away. My focus was first on paying off debt (I now only have my mortgage and I’m paying extra every month), and have created a much healthier savings account. I’m also putting away money so I will pay for my next car in cash! – Susan Hiers, Hudson, Ohio

Last October, my husband of 30 years died unexpectedly at age 54. Although I work, I now had a third of my previous income and I struggled with various approaches as to how to disburse a small life insurance policy and reconfigure a budget that would allow me to make the decisions for a changing lifestyle. There was of course the input of friends and relatives and complicated spreadsheets, but those attempts seemed more restrictive than they were for opening up opportunity with the same limited resources. In researching online tips, I read Jesse’s story and philosophy for YNAB and ordered the excel version. After a month or so I decided it fit my financial and emotional needs for monetary decisions so I ordered the YNAB Pro. My husband has been gone for 9 months now and there have, of course, been difficult moments but YNAB has been reassuring as I learn to navigate this new phase of my life. – Sylvia Norton, Falmouth, Maine

YNAB is great. I have to say, though, that it got worse before it got better. Having those negative numbers staring right at you is quite a wake-up call! – Jen, Atglen, PA

Was the best recommendation we have ever recieved to help control our finances. The program has everything we wanted! – Erica Williams, Florida

To say that using YNAB has changed our lives would not be an overstatement! Before Christmas, every month we ended up in an overdraft situation. Since we started using YNAB (January 1st), we have cleared the overdraft, banked more than one month’s salary, paid off some debts and even have some savings! I can’t tell you how good it feels and I have never been a “saver”! – Sue Lawrence, Ontario, Canada

YNAB has allowed me to make smarter money moves and go forward and pay off inconsequential debts and as i am focusing more on that I am also looking at increasing my savings and investing – cathy-ann, Barbados

It has been amazing, used to be near 0 in account; now putting each dollar to a specific purpose and knowing it must be there to pay that bill has grown our accounts to really nice size, I have told many of my friends about YNAB – Mark Cunningham, Deer Park Texas

I have tried for years to find a good Money Management software. YNAB is by far the best! It is simple – love the GUI. Anne UK – Anne Swindley, Reading – UK

I tried using Quicken for a number of years and didn’t seem to get anywhere. It was such overkill, complicated, and time consuming for our needs. My husband always hated it because he said it wasn’t really a budget…it just showed our expenses. YNAB has helped us really feel like we’re making progress and FINALLY getting a grip on our finances. Too bad we wasted 26 years doing everything wrong and going from bad to worse. – Elizabeth Heritage, Castle Rock, CO

Before, money went through my hands like water. Now, I know where every penny goes. I finally feel like I have a handle over my debt. It’s a great feeling to pay all my bills on the first of the month and be free rather than waiting ’til the end of the month and worrying. – Robert Hill, San Diego, CA

I have used Quicken for over 15 years, but I never saw the “big picture” of the zero balanced budget. Although my partner and I are financially comfortable, YNAB has created a paradigm shift. Painfully, I realize that we would have been even better off had we used YNAB, or at least the 4 principles of YNAB, all along. I have used your debt reduction calculator along with YNAB, and I project that we will be able to pay off over 132,000 worth of debt in the next 4 years. Yes, I consider the 110,000 house mortage debt! In a nutshell, Jesse, you have created the most useful piece of software I have used in my 20 years of computing. THANK YOU:) – J Handy, DuPont Wa USA

While I have not yet saved much money or paid down credit card balances, we are no longer living on this month’s income. That has been a goal of ours for almost a decade. I love that this software is geared for that! – Jessica Cabiac, Fremont, CA

I would recommend this program if you are like me. Really busy and no time for budgeting. It is well worth the money. It is a small investment for a very large return. – Ken Brayton, Apex, North Carolina, USA

My wife & I are crazy about YNAB & we are even more excited that the Mac version is finally here! (almost) YNAB help us realize that budgets were NOT only for broke people but also for regular people who wanted to know what was happening with their money! This helped us pay off over $54,000 in non-mortgage debt & we now have accumulated over $32,000 in our bank account – all the time using YNAB to help us give our money a job & knowing where it was going instead of wondering where it went. YNAB + Dave Ramsey = FINANCIAL PEACE & SECURITY! – Zak Harlow, Sachse, TX (Dallas)

You’ve heard that a budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went. Well, with the discipline YNAB encourages, I’m looking at my bank accounts and asking “where did that come from?” A year ago, if my adult children were not living with me and sharing expenses, my budget didn’t have room for groceries. I’ve added another part time job, lived frugally, have a firmly established emergency fund and am now setting aside 15% of my gross for retirement and have hopes to start making extra payments on my mortgage to clear that up as quickly as possible. Thank you for helping me make what I knew intellectually into something I can really see. – Beverly Locke, Surry, Maine

YNAB is not simply a product, but a METHODOLGY, one that help you to live the way YOU want to live, but within your means. – Rick May, Clearwater, FL

YNAB has truly been a blessing in my life. I now have control of my finances and peace of mind. I also purchased a copy for a friend that was in financial turmoil and his marriage was in trouble as a result of it. Not only did YNAB put his financial situation back on track, it also saved his marriage. – Carlos Candales, Punta Gorda, Florida

We LOVE YNAB. It has changed the way we think about money, and I recommend it to everyone. My brother in law bought it, and he loves it too. I have to be honest. I paid off my debt because I got a bonus. And I saved the balance of the bonus to make the savings. But with YNAB, I was able to see take that lump amount, assign it to categories, and not make ANY STUPID PURCHASES. We took the windfall and GAVE EVERY DOLLAR A JOB. We simply never argue about money anymore. When we want something, we just ask “What does the Budget say?”. She’s tough, but honest, our budget. We know how much we have, we have decided how we want to spend it, and we just keep doing. And we have our Fun Money so we can get ourselves little things that we want ($100 rolling total, so if you spend $50 this month, you get $50 next month to bring you back to $100). Brilliant! – Sydne Strong, Ringwood, NJ

Although I havent been able to save anything yet, what I have done is not paid to keep my debts going ie I was paying bank charges everytime I went overdrawn and I am not going overdrawn now so I am able to put these charges towards paying off my debts. I wholeheartedly endorse YNAB,if I didnt have it now I wouls feel lost and out of control of my finanances. I am just about to purchase a copy for my student son who is very interested in my experiences with YNAB and keen to keep his finances in order (unlike his mum up to 6 months ago) – Lesley Jourdan, uk

After trying everything from Quicken to Microsoft money, me and my wife have finally found a program that allows us both to be involved and is easy-to-use. YNAB has not only helped us gauge where our money is going but more importantly has helped us establish good financial principles and eliminate our debt. – Brigham Rindlisbacher, Spokane, WA

I tell everyone about this program. We use it religiously where now we know where our money is and how it is being used. I love the categories and the features, which is easy to use. We really love this program! – Robert Gray, Nederland, TX

YNAB is very helpful with tracking how much you have in various categories of expenses. Just because your balance says $XXXXX, that doesn’t mean you can spend that much. YNAB puts those funds into categories so you know what you have for upcoming bills and what you can spend. – Kathleen Davis, Gainesville, FL

I thought I’d never get rid of my credit card debt, but this program has helped me make a plan that I can stick to. It’s much easier to make decisions now that I know where each dollar is going. – Elizabeth Winchester, Chicago, IL

What a wonderful concept this is! This has been a difficult time, due to 3 foot surgeries in the last 13 months. It has been a great source of comfort to me that during these last 5 months I have a good handle on my finances, I am in good shape even with loss of work and extra expenses due to the surgeries. I decided to put my income tax return to good use and used it to begin this program with the next month’s budget fully funded. It was the best use of that money!! Thank God I found you!! – Cynthia, Painesville OH

My wife and I have never had trouble staying within our means and we have been able to save money every year for the last 38 years. However, YNAB has provided us a way to continuously improve our savings strategy by reducing unnecessary spending without cutting into the level of life style we enjoy and expected as a result of our hard work. – Michael A Franks, Grand Ledge, MI, USA

Impressed with your program and ability to “see” Where money is going. Tips for financial success are sound and non-typical with other budgeting programs. Have recommended your program to our friends and both of our adult married children. Each of them has purchased the program are pleased with its operation and what it brings to light. We actually find ourselves telling each other that we “get” to do our entering into YNAB today etc… – Julie Fitzgerald, Fort Collins, Co

Doesn’t just MAKE budgeting simple, YNAB shows budgeting IS simple! – Alastair Campbell, Bristol, UK

Thanks to YNAB (Pro, now), We have saved and accurately allocated over $75,000 — YNAB allows us to track how that money is broken down (Emergency Fund, Car Replacement, Vacation, etc. God has blessed you, Jesse, and thank you for sharing that blessing with us all! – Sam McConkey, Scottsdale, AZ

Finally a budget program where I either of us can update it! I wouldn’t go back to pre-YNAB methodology if you PAID me. – Laura Jean Noonan, Wakefield, Kansas

YNAB has helped us to track where the money goes. I’d been using MS Money for several years and was frustrated that I couldn’t really tell how much was left in my budget each month. I’m thrilled that YNAB shows me easily how much I”ve spent and have left in each category. I also love that it carries over money not spent into future months to help save up for large bills or allocate for items like “clothing” that are more seasonal than monthly. While we were not in debt, I feel I have more control over my spending than ever before. I”ve already told several friends about YNAB. – Laura, Lexington, SC

I love YNAB, I used MS Money, and still do, but I love the planning and budgeting feature in YNAB. The method of living on last months money has been a real eye opener. I feel much more in control of my finances. I have never worried about scraping by, as I make 6 Figures. This software has given me an advantage to really understand where things are going against a plan. I reccomend it to all of my friends!! – Samuel Aborne, Long Beach, CA, USA

Two thumbs up for YNAB! I like the 4-Rules philosophy as much as I like the product. – Karen, Berkeley, CA

It is amazing how much you save when you budget and don’t spend just because you have it. YNAB has done that for me. I have recommended it to my kids as well as many friends. – Rob Moon, Provo, UT

After years in finance, I realized that I should account for my money the same way that businesses do: by divvying it up into separate “accounts” with specific purposes. Companies set up reserve accounts in case a product fails or a customer stops paying, so why not do the same in case my car breaks down or I lose my job? With YNAB, I don’t need a bunch of separate little “Holiday Savings,” etc. bank accounts. In just one place, I can see how much I’ve accrued under Down Payments or what’s left in Groceries. With all of my spending tracked and planned for, there are no surprises. I feel confident that I am taking care of the future “me” down the road. The only way to conquer your money problems is not to bury your head in the sand, but to spread everything out on the table and get well acquainted. The Rules are absolutely correct: Living within your means begins with living on the money you already have. – Sherri, Overland Park, KS

When I first got YNAB, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. Then, I started playing around with it, because I really want it to work. I found it is similar to an Excel budget I set up for myself, except a lot more efficient. I’ve only had it a couple weeks, but I can already tell that it’s going to be my best friend. – Judi, Wesson, MS

I think this could be what I need but I don’t have the time to understand it. – Ann Warren, Milton, DE

YNAB has given me a clear picture of my money and where its going each month. I finally feel like I have control over my money instead of feeling like my money had control over me. The simple approach is often the best and this is especially true for budgeting! I have told all my friends THEY need a budget too! – Kim Bowman, North Ogden, Utah

The genius of this product is that, while it does an adequate job of “recording” transactions, its strength is “planning.” For the same amount of time I used to spend entering data in (enter names of many different applications here), I now have a much more proactive viewpoint on my finances. – Jeff Zienowicz, Tomales, CA

I love YNAB it is a great program, we have saved so much and paid off a large chunk of our debt using this program – Teri Frietze, Centralia Washington United States

The only budget system that has stuck, after trying many different techniques/programs. – Nathan Curs, Virginia

By using YNAB, my fiancee and I have been able to see what we value in our life by looking at where our money goes. We are actually in the process of moving to California because we were able to see that we spend lots of money on travel. Instead of traveling to sunny places, we are going to live in one!! – Emerson Chapelle, California,Texas, Canada and inbetween

I love YNAB. I came into this with no “stupid debt.” (cars, credit cards stuff like that) I only had mortgages, college loans and stuff like that. I love the budgeting side of ynab and how you allocate my money. I had some major water damage this year so I had to take out a HUGE load from the federal government to fix things. Hopefully with the help of God, Ynab and I can get things paid down soon and I can start living well again. – Adam Esterline, Warsaw, IN USA

I love this, and much better than the “other guys” programs dealing with budgets. You can see all of your money at the same time. What money is here, what money is staying, what money is leaving, and at the end of the money you can see where you could cut back to save more. I used it for a week and could see how well it worked for me, that I talked it up at work and now just about everyone has it and is loving it. Thanks! – Charlene, Windermere, Fl

This tool has changed the way I think about money, and has put me in the drivers seat when it comes to my personal finance. YNAB has seriously been invaluable in my life- Thank You! – Shannon, Calgary, Alberta

My spending was out of control (I am a sucker for trying to provide my grandkids with great experiences while I am still young enough to enjoy it with them.) YNAB really opened my eyes to what I was doing. Thanks. – Virginia Ekstrand, Danville, Iowa, USA

I recommend this program to all my friends – daniel salinas, el paso tx

Still getting used to it, but LOVE IT! I have already recommended it to friends! – Isaia, Greeley, CO

This program and your 4 principles were just what I needed. I had just finished reading Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and your program is a perfect match with the principles I learned in his book. Yours takes it a step further, though, in giving me motivation to do something I had never thought of before (Dave Ramsay doesn’t even talk about it). That extra nugget is the “living on last month’s income” principle. It blew my mind when I first read it. It was the perfect solution for me as I was struggling with how to budget flexible income. My base pay is pretty level, but it’s too low for my wife and I (and our 1 month old daughter! :) to live on. Every month I get a sales bonus that is somewhere between 0 – 1000 dollars. Living on last month’s income has provided such an overwhelming peace that we always know how much money is in the budget each month. Your program is the only one that I’ve found to do that and also handle the $0 balance budgeting I love to use. I used to create my own spreadsheet because I couldn’t find anything else that came close to doing what I wanted. Great work! My wife and I have a great tool for communication about the budget, as well. Thank you. – Andrew Bronson, Moorhead, MN

Payday and bill pay is FUN now! It’s actually a bit thrilling to sit down and budget our income, pay the bills, and build our categories up. We have 0 stress over money now. We felt for so long that we needed more money to make it, but all we needed was a great planning tool–YNAB. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would work for us; the other major softwares had too many bells and whistles to be simple enough to manage. Thank you, YNAB. – Kim Dorda, Newark, DE

After taking Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University course at our church, we used the paper budget from that course and experimented with ways using envelopes and cash. Those methods helped us control our spending, but they took so much time! I then spent several months looking for a program that I could use that would allow the same level of control but with more ease of use. YNAB Pro allows for greater levels of control and financial accountability with terrific ease of use. Now all of our friends who took the Dave Ramsey class are using YNAB Pro and I’ve referred all of my other friends and family members as well! Thanks Jesse! – Brent Perry, San Antonio, TX

This is the software I’ve been waiting for my whole life. It’s easy to use, inexpensive, and has taken the scary factor out of facing up to my finances! – Sheree Conrad, Quincy, MA

I have really enjoyed using YNAB, and it makes it so easy to ’save’ for regular bills like dentist, optician or car insurance that I almost don’t even have to think about them, let alone worry about them. I recently installed my buffer too after over a year’s resistance and am really enjoying the additional peace of mind that it brings. – Liz Leadley, Sutton, Surrey United Kingdom

I had always written out a budget, every two weeks as the paychecks came in. I always thought I was good with my money, but wasn’t making any great strides and getting as far ahead as I would have liked. By accident, I ran into YNAB while reading a personal finance blog, where the blogger mentioned it was what she was using. At the time, I was looking at other finance software so I’m so thankful that the YNAB system poked it’s head out. The YNAB system is just what I needed. This system stands out from the rest, by doing more then just showing you where your money went. It facilitates you telling your money where to go — which is key. I no longer stress over money, or paying bills, or living another month on ramen noodles just so I can feel some security by putting another $200 in savings (which I would have pulled from the food budget). I sat through one of the webinar’s before buying, and I couldn’t of asked for more of an introduction — it was everything I needed to know to get started, and then some. THANKS YNAB TEAM! – Brandy Robinson, Indianapolis, Indiana

I’m still learning about how to use YNAB, but so far it is helping. We haven’t quite been able to stick to the budget yet (broken toilet, new car purchase), but we hope to by the fall. It has been a good way to track where we are spending money, though and try to plan for next month – Julie Richburg, Easthampton, Massachusetts

This is the easiest budget plan that I have seen, it incorporates the Rules that are easy to live with as well as software that is easy to use. – Patti Correa, Aberdeen, NJ USA

I’ve only demo’d the software and reviewed the 10 day training, so far. Your ideas are easy to use and will help us to save and get out of debt. Thank you. – Mark Ridgeway, South Bend, IN

What I really have appreciated is that when I called for some assistance, I actually talked to a human being; I actually talked to Jesse (which I did not expect). He was very helpful and humble. – Jay C Powers, Shawnee, OK

I LOVE ynab. I always know where I stand, there are no unexpected expenses. Christmas is paid for in November! I am always a month ahead and I have a plan for paying off my credit card debt ($5800) within a year. I love filling out my budget each month and fiddling with it during the month to maximize my debt repayment. – Mary Kerns, Wa State

This has been a great replacement for my paper based home budget. Saved me the struggle of trying to write something in excel, Thanks! – Delwyn King, New Zealand

This is the best financial move we have ever made. I recommend this to all my friend and relations every change I get when we talk about money issues. I have a growing list of converts. – Larry Buete, Wagga Wagga, Australia

Fabulous program. Simple to use. – Kate Campbell, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada

With the help of YNAB, I figured out what my ACTUAL monthly expenses were. Frightening stuff, it helped to put my expenditure into perspective with my income, and I have now got my life back. No more working to pay the credit cards! – Anita Olsen, Golden Beach, Queensland, Australia

I never really understood what a budget was until I used YNAB. Other money software products just track expenses and duplicate bank statements-only past behavior. YNAB goes way beyond that by focusing on current spending. YNAB is the best money management software I have found! – Mary Reilly, Huxley, IA

My husband and I always kept paper records of our spending but when we purchased YNAB our budgetting & bookkeeping became so much simpler & easier! It’s so nice to have proper records and to see at a glance our financial situation! YNAB has been an incredible help to us! – April Taylor, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

I am so thankful that I came across YNAB when I did. We had been dipping into our line of credit a little bit every month, and our Visa bill just kind of kept crawling higher and higher. Quite frankly, our finances were out of control. YNAB has made me much more aware of what I purchase – and it’s also made me a lot more responsible. Since starting the program seven months ago, we’ve stopped going into debt and have started handling our money like responsible adults. And not a moment too soon, since we have two young children! – Alexandra Van Tol, Victoria, BC, Canada

I have made many attempts at establishing a workable budget through the years. The result was always the same: a lot of work to put together, totally useless in helping me manage my money on a day to day basis. YNAB has changed my relationship with all the dollars I work so hard to bring home. I am becoming a confident supervisor as I assign them each their job and they are finally following through with their respective tasks! Every once in awhile some will slip away but I know right away and put my foot down. My money now knows who’s boss. I can’t thank you enough for introducing me to the 4 Rules. You have helped me not only find more money to save but my stress level is down several notches too. I am a very happy YNABer. – Christine Young, Diamond Springs, CA

When we got married we tried Quicken for 6 months and then MS Money for another 6 months I almost had a nervous breakdown after using those programs (not really but it felt like it). We went back to using our own made-up excel sheet for several years. I was tired of copy and pasting my formulas each month so I started to write my own VBA code for my sheet. That is when I found YNAB (googling around). It was exactly how we had been keeping track of our money – but it was streamlined and automated. I happily gave up my excel spreadsheet and made an easy transition to YNAB Pro. Since then I have talked my 6 sisters into purchasing it (too bad there isn’t commission for recommendations). Thanks Jesse. – Spencer, Salt Lake City

We have not actually saved much money since starting YNAB, except in the sense that we have managed to NOT go into debt, have preserved all our existing savings, and have a full buffer. This is no mean feat at all; I absolutely love YNAB. We were still adjusting to going from being a dual- to a single-income household when we got YNAB, plus shortly after starting with YNAB we bought a used car. Considering the reduction in income, the addition of a car payment (there had been none prior), and the fact that my husband LOVES to spend money on frivolous things, our results our miraculous. I would and actually DO recommend YNAB to my friends. Oh, and by the way, I appreciate the fact that software is well-thought out and virtually bug-free. I have only encountered a minor problem or two. Absolutely worth it. I wish you success and prosperity. – Eva Arnold, Colorado Springs, CO, USA

I am still learning the ins and outs of YNAB but it has been great for me. I’m able to keep track of my spending, and save money each month for vacations, car repairs, emergencies, etc. I recommended it to a friend who did purchase YNAB and loves it like I do. – JoLynn Rice, American Fork, Utah

We incorporated YNAB along with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University and it has completely transformed our spending habits. We no longer use credit cards, we save for future expenses, and truly consider every purchase. We’ve also been teaching our children these same principles. The YNAB has allowed us to plan amd meet our financial goals and we can forsee the future without a heavy debt burden. We have been very happy with YNAB’s unique feature of being able to include two different checking accouts into one budget. We’ve recommended this program to friends, and they have found it very beneficial. Thank you for a great product! – Brian Diedrick, Norwood, MN

When I found this I was looking for a budgeting system for my business to make it easier at tax filing time. Everyone told me about microsoft money and quicken or quickbooks, but before spending my money I researched on the internet what people had to say about all three systems. Contrary to what my friends and some coworkers said, money was not as desirable as I originally thought; I also read not so good stuff about the other two programs. After reading endless comments about various problems with money, I read a comment of a very wise person who said, if I don’t use money and I don’t use quicken/quickbooks, what do I use? Another, wiser person said “All you need is you need a budget.com! I checked it out to see if it was what I needed and I was floored!! I read the tutorials, manuals, FAQs and everything I could get my hands on. I finally went to bed about 4am. I only needed one question answered prior to making my purchase. I sent an email prior to going to bed and had an answer the next day, and promptly made my purchase. Due to some technical issues I couldn’t get my download for about 1 week, but I was recommending YNAB to people everyday, friends, clients, the ladies who work in the office at my kids school. It’s great! Now my confession: when I stayed up late reading all about YNAB, I read a comment that said how many people bought the program but didn’t use it, and if you didn’t use it, it couldn’t help you. Well, I have used it. I had so much fun entering all my debt and seeing it vanish before my eyes! I explained primary and supplemental income to my husband and could see him start to salivate at the thought of being able to pay all the bills as they came. But there was one big thorn on the bush. I didn’t sit down and write the checks!!! I had a nice, healthy looking bank account, and a great looking YNAB budget and then I went on vacation. Happy ending…….even though I didn’t actually pay the bills when I should have, the act of entering all of the info helped those #’s stick in my mind and we actually did not overspend on vacation. And I did get the bills paid, all without any late charges! I’m still recommending YNAB to others. My daughter is leaving in one month for college and she will be working for the first time. I opened a bank account for her today and I will be buying YNAB for her in the next two weeks to get her started off right!!! – Dana Hect, Moreno Valley, CA

YNAB is the first program I’ve found that allows zero sum budgeting based on variable income. The model you use is perfect for anyone who wants to operate on a true zero sum system. – Christopher Phillips, Alabaster, AL USA

I never got on a budget because it was too time consuming to keep track of everything on paper. I looked a other budgeting software but they tried to cover everything and they were complicated. YNAB is perfect. It’s very simple to use, covers only budgeting and takes hardly any time. Maybe someday I will get a more complex budgeting software package that covers taxes and investments but for starters I needed to get my spending under control. The most important thing I learned from YNAB is why I could not save any money. I was always dipping into my savings to pay bills. After I started tracking all my spending I could not believe how much my wife and I were spending. My pay check would get deposited in my checking account and it looked like we had a lot of money. We’d go out to eat several times, buy some stuff, and then a week or two later we’d have to dip into the savings account (I also direct deposits funds into). Those $10, $20 and $30 purchases add up to hundreds of dollars very quickly. After nine months I’m not dipping into savings so much. I may not be as strict with sticking to my budget as I should be (I worked in a few dollars ’slush’ money on top of normal savings) but I know to the penny how much I’m over budget and I do try to make up for it. There are no more “surprises” when it comes to having the money to pay the bills. I know well in advance if I have all the money I need to pay bills or not and I don’t get fooled by what may look like a big balance in the check book. – Andy Diment, Lakeville, MN

YNAB Pro has really helped my wife and I to loosen our control over the money. The budgeting tools YNAB provides not only helps us to see where the money is going, but provides us with the ability to plan WHERE it will go. We are more fit to meet our financial goals, handle the uh-ohs that come our way, all while reducing the amount of time we “think” about money! Our friction over the funds is next to nothing, and we couldn’t see managing it any other way. Thank You YNAB. – Lloyd Kadlec, San Diego, CA

I was actually on the Dave Ramsey program to eliminate my debt and I needed a budgeting software to help me track my financials. I so happened to find YNAB on download.com and decided to do the free trail. Let me tell you, I was blown away by YNAB’s ease and effectiveness that I immediately INVESTED the $39.95 into YNAB and it was the best 39.95 I have ever spent! In Jan I started with 19814.43 of debt. A car loan + Student Loan. Not mine my wifes. =) Fast foward to 7 months later I am completely debt free! My goal was to pay off all the debt in 1 year, with the help of YNAB I was able to do it in 7 months! Now I am saving for an emergency fund and after that can start funding my IRA. I have to thank YNAB for helping me manage my money, without it I could not have gotten out of debt sooner. THANKS YNAB! – Billy Young, Anaheim, California

YNAB is the best program out there by far. We used Quicken at one point in time. It took me a week to set it up and get all of our information inputted into it. Within a month I quit using it because it wasn’t helping me at all and was a pain to use. We bought YNAB in January and I have now been using it for 6 months. It was easy to set up and it just makes sense. We had become complacent with living from paycheck to paycheck and having a 0 balance in our account until we bought YNAB. Now it seems like our account just keeps growing! The thing that I like is that if we screw up and spend too much one month it automatically pulls the excess out of the following month. Great program, great concept. It just makes sense and that is why it is so easy to use. – Trevor LaJoye, Badger, MN

Before YNAB we simply had no clue where our money was and where it was going. Now we know where it is, where it is going and where it will be at the click of a button. – Donna Battams, Crows Nest, Queensland, Australia

I started using YNAB Pro when I moved into a nice (and pricey) apartment and was living by myself for the first time. I had no idea how to budget and was very overwhelmed. Nine months later I have a comfortable cushion, am paying off my debt, and things are looking great!! – Sharon Fairchild, Winchester, VA

To start off, I went to FPU (Dave Ramsey). Using YNAB with Dave’s plan is a perfect match. The Big Plus, it allowed my wife to look at the budget and change it, and change it again. It allowed her to really get involved. – Michael Alva, Chgo, Illinois

We just bought a house and all the stress that comes with it. Having YNAB to help me keep tabs on what we’re spending and where we’re spending it has really put my mind at ease. More than that, it’s a great tool to open up dialogue with my husband. It’s simple and straight forward and we can easily SEE where the money goes…instead of him just taking my word for it. – Carrie, Warrenville, IL

I love this program because you can see your budget really work and not just dream it will work – Angie Peterson, Pleasant grove UT 84062

I learned how to budget! – RAMON Ramos, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

YNAB taught me a lot about financial control and stress free feel. Though i have my weak moments but its been good overall and my accounts been green ever since. Its a wonderful feeling and i love it. – Amry Wahid, Brunei

I love YNAB. It is the easiest budgeting software i have found. At first being accountable for your money and giving every dollar a job was a bit difficult for me, I am a single mother of two and was paying my now ex-husband spousal support until our divorce was final at the end of June. I created a credit card nightmare for myself when I first left because inorder to get on my feet and restarted I put a majority of my expenses on credit cards and then fell behind in payments and lost the low introductory rate. I thought about filing bankrupcy but considered that to be the easy way out and I wanted to set an example for my kids, that I got myself into this mess and now I was going to have to work extra hard to get us out of it. I say “us” because not having the money to do things with them because it is going to credit cards for past purchases effects not only me but my kids too. But now that the divorce is final, yeah, I now have an extra $400.00 per month that I am going to sock away into the buffer fund, I figured if I was surviving without while I had to pay him I can survive without it now and build the buffer with it. Plus the child support he has to pay me will be use to set up each of my kids a savings fund and I am trying to teach them to budget and be accountable for every dollor. Never too early to learn. Thank you for creating this amazing program. – Ruth Atherholt, Dallas, PA

I LOVE YNAB! I have ADD and tried for a long time to use Quiken, but could never quite get any useful information. I love that this program is so user friendly and I can change things when I need to and not have to spend hours figuring out how. And when a number doesn’t make sense for some reason I just roll over it with the mouse, and “wooosh” like magic a whole list appears so I know where that # came from and can correct the error. (instead of going, “huh?” “oh well I can’t do this right now- I’ll just figure it out later.” Which is what I used to do….pre YNAB. So really once I started to use this program it was the first time I felt like I knew exactly where my money was going and that is just sooo empowering. So while I haven’t saved a whole heck of a lot, I have a loooot of school debt, so it is not your program- I just need a second job…ugh (why did I go to school for my masters again?) Sorry for the novel here…so now that you know how little money I have and what a wonderful program you have….can I get that ipod nano now?! Love you guys! Keep up the good stuff! – Gwendolyn, Cary, NC

What an amazing feeling to be in control of my money and to not have it control me!! – Becky Lindsey, Indianapolis, Indiana

The accountability that YNAB brings has made all the difference in my spending habits. I don’t spend on impulse because I know I have to put it on paper. – Alicia Mannetter, Newberg, Oregon

We were more concerned right now about saving money for a down payment on a house than paying off debt. YNAB has helped greatly to visualize where our money goes. – Chad Staten, Ruby Valley, NV

I have improved my finances so much since using YNAB for all my budgeting needs that I wish I could convince everyone to use it! YNAB is like Feng Shui for your money. – Pamela McBride, Philadelphia, PA

YNAB has allowed structure and guidance in my life. Just coming out from a bad situation and trying to stand on my own to feet is a scary in journey all in itself. Now knowing how I can do it, it will pave the way for my son and myself to a better life. Words cannot explain my deepest gratitude. Thank you so much. – Marisol Garcia-Ho, Kaneohe, Hawaii

YNAB is perfect for any budget and any family income. It forces disciplined spending habits by making you account for every penny! I love it and I love the Christian ethics behind it. Thank GOD and bless the founders of such an amazingly simple software program. – Ron C., Irmo SC.

YNAB has been awesome for my wife and I to get our spending tracked and under control. We have been able to see where we were wasting money and make some great adjustments. It also allows us to know what we can and can’t afford without have to recrunch the numbers every time, I just know offhand. We’ve used it to transition from two full time incomes, to both of us being in school and down to one full time and one part time income and even purchase a new car in the process! The best thing about it is how it really decreases the stress about money! I’ve already recommended it to many of my friends! – Robert Ypma, Calgary, Canada

I moved from Mvelopes to YNAB Pro and I love it!!! YNAB is so much better. I am very happy with my decision to change. I am also saving the Mvelopes monthly charge so, moving to YNAB was the smart move all the way around. Thanks! – Jeff Nickles, Edmond, OK

I purchased YNAB on 5/23/08. My wife had lost her business and we were on the verge of a divorce. I purchased your program. I spent days reading your blogs and retrained myself to look at money a different way (thanks to you). I then took your advice and involved my wife and sat down and discussed our bills and set up a budget. It was tight and I wrote down every penny we spent. Now our marriage is doing great, we have money left over to put in savings, and my wife just started a new job all in just a couple months… I will use YNAB for the rest of my life. Thank you Jesse for saving my marriage, my home, and my MONEY!!!!! Jeremy – Ohio – Jeremy Lee, Ohio

YNAB has increased my awareness of my spending… helping me to focus on where I can save money easily. – Amanda Magnano, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

I plan to buy this for my children so they can use it from the start – the lessons are equally as valuable as the software, and very easy to read, understand and remember. – Angeline Mullin, Vienna, VA

Since we started using YNAB two months ago our financial lives have completely changed. We would attempt to get organized, get a plan to save money and pay bills on time, but it just never seemed to happen the way we imagined. We tried lots of different softwares to help us, we tried my mom’s “tried and true” notebook style…nothing worked for us because it was only showing just what we owed and didn’t help us get ahead. I LOVE YNAB! I have shared the website with several friends and family as well. We have started to reduce our debt and most importantly build a nest egg. In two months we have reduced our debt by $3500 and put $4000 in savings. We now pay careful attention to the budgets we have set for each category and stop spending when we have used our max amount allotted. We will be spending less money, saving more money and living off next months paychecks rather than this months by August 1st! Thank you YNAB for giving us back our life! Suzanne L. – Suzanne Lampinen, Hot Springs, Arkansas

I’ve finally figured out why there is so much month left at the end of the money. It was a real eye opener and has caused alot of changes to take place. – Denise Goode, Barnhart, MO

I love this program. I checked the program out on the recommendation from my brother and I have been using it ever since. That has been 16 months ago. I have never learned about money management before I started using this program and it has really helped me with my first job and with being a newlywed. I have recommended this program to all of my friends. Thank you for making money management easy. – Tyler Edenfield, Vidalia, GA

YNAB has changed the way I live my life. I haven’t used a credit card in months and I’m well on my way to paying off my balance. For the first time in a long time I actually have some savings and think before I buy. – Prue Robson, Newcastle, Australia

Never having learnt to officially ‘budget’, the idea of doing one was daunting to me. But with a mortgage that stretching us to our break-even point even month, I knew it was a ticking time bomb unless I perservered. A few false starts over the years were enough to weaken my determination… Until YNAB. Finally a system that ‘thinks’ the way my financially challenged mind thinks! To have a budget that is intuitive, easy to master and does away with the stuff I dont really need to think about is a breath of fresh air. – Shane Elsmore, Sydney Australia

It takes some getting used to but this program is far superior to budgeting on Microsoft Money. It’s simple but has all the features I need to keep track of my spending from month to month. It has made budgeting much easier. – Lee Mills, Shreveport LA

YNAB has really helped me keep track of where my money is. My wife and I used to use a spreadsheet, but it was a bit cumbersome to keep track of everything when we needed to enter data or check on data we already put in. With YNAB, it is very easy to enter the data and very easy to see where all of the money is going at a macro and micro level. This tool has been invaluable in following our budget! – Michael Melgares, Pearland, TX

The Easy to understand approach leaves you with a feeling that this is achievable, no jargon to cloud the important information – Darren McPhail, Mt Gambier SA

Since purchasing YNAB Pro and going through the many helpful forums for the last week or so, I have been able to keep a much better tab on where my money goes. The community support and the small learning curve of YNAB Pro make this purchase well worth the initial investment. – Jesse Boyce, Fresno, ca

YNAB has changed my attitude – budgeting has created freedom, not restriction. Who knew? – Jennifer Frost, Londonderry Nh

Although I am a fairly new user, this program has changed the way I look at money. Before I would spend all my money and have barely anything to show for it. YNAB has given me different perspective on how to handle my money by being able to assign every dollar a “job.” Even though, I am not at the point where I am living with last month’s income, I already have a peace of mind I rarely felt before, knowing that my money is going to where it counts. – Bismarck Flores, Miami, Florida, USA

YNAB has really helped to make budgeting easier and a team effort, instead of just one spouse. Thank you for putting something together that is easy to use and maintain. Great job! – Aida Martinez, Pflugerville, TX

I think YNAB is the best thing to ever happen to me finacially. It’s exactly what I needed! I never thought I would be addicted to bugeting!! :) – Nichole Akre, Gardner, IL

YNAB saved a marriage. We virtually could not discuss finances without having an argument that ended with hurt feelings. This program is user friendly, adaptable, and all encompassing. Now, when I say, “Where the hell did all the money go?”, my wife can show me exactly where I spent it. :) Great Product, Great Support, YNAB – Kurt Beckley, Kennewick Washington

Even though we haven’t been able to pay off much debt or save at this point, YNAB has helped us to allocate our money to where it should be. We don’t make very much so we have to budget it very carefully and figure out where it needs to go. It has helped me curb some bad spending habits. I actually think it is fun to budget now. I look forward to when the paychecks come and then allocate all the money (we are not able to follow rule #1 yet, but hopefully we will soon). – Kristi Bradshaw, Gilbert, Arizona

Your newsletter made me aware of my spending habits–just how much ‘little things’ added up. By recording everything, I have been more cautious regarding my spending. Hubby and I sit down each Sunday night and go over our spending from the week before. It’s kinda fun….we trouble shoot how to spend less each time. It’s quality time together, in a strange kind of way. We are working together to see our debts shrink, and that’s promising! – Angi Penzo Rosenkrantz, Bradenton, FL USA

YNAB is the most original simple and easy to use piece of money management software I have ever encountered. – Simon Morgan, UK

We are living on very little money (by choice) but although I had our living expenses covered, I felt completely in the dark as far as planning for big bills, new purchases and doing any saving. YNAB is wonderful – I now feel I am in control of my money and even with so little, we’ve saved quite a bit each month, and best of all, I know there is enough there for those unexpected bills that creep up on you! – Kirrily Owen, Northern NSW, Australia

The 4 Rules are so helpful in the budgeting process. We’ve tried other methods and budget products before but YNAB and the 4 Rules are enabling us to succeed at working together on a budget for the very first time – and we’ve been married 20 years! – Joanne Shute, Flagstaff, Arizona

Absolutely LOVE Ynab! Prior to starting Ynab a year ago, we couldn’t figure out where all of our money was going. Once we started using YNAB we realized we could afford to make double car payments and pay off our car in 6 months. Several expensive “surprise” expenses have hit us and we sailed right through without feeling the hit. I was shocked when I calculated that we have paid off over $28,000 worth of student loans, car payments and credit card debt in one year! We now know exactly where our money is going each month. We have been able to pay off debt and save money without feeling deprived. I have recommended YNAB to several family members and would recommend it highly to anyone! – Sarah Mandeville, Honolulu, HI

YNAB is basically a budgeting system that comes with a philosophical background, unlike other system that only provides system and force us to think about the budgeting philosophy ourselves. – Badai Aqrandista, Brisbane, Australia

I was debt free (except the mortgage) before buying YNAB. It has allowed me to pay much closer attention to where my money was going and put much more in the bank than I would have otherwise. – Kenny Drobnack, Grove City, Ohio

I used to be a Quicken junkie but always wished I could figure out how to use their “budget” functions to budget. I don’t even remember now how I stumbled onto YNAB, but I downloaded it immediately and I think purchased a license after starting it up the first time. It’s fast, it’s easy, it does what it’s designed to do; help us know what our money is doing and control the flow. I am looking forward to the Mac Pro version. I will be an early adopter. – Jeff Bailey, Morris, IL, USA

YNAB had finally made sense of the budgeting process for me. It is so great to be a month ahead and have the flexibility to change amounts or carry-over in certain categories. I can pay all my bills all at once and not worry about when our paychecks come in. – Amy Beaudoin, Monticello, KY, U.S.

If it hadn’t been for YNAB recommending living on last month’s paychecks, I would have been in deep trouble! Between the holiday vacation and travel and being sick a lot the end of last year, I ended up making a lot less money than usual. I barely made ends meet, and without the buffer I’d built up with YNAB, I don’t know what I would have done. Now I’m working on re-building that buffer–it’s so important! – Cailin Andruss, Las Vegas, NV

I became a real estate agent and only had two months of living expense saved, or so I thought. I hadn’t predicted my expenses all that accurately. It didn’t seem to matter though. Even when my savings were dwindling and commissions were still weeks away, I was never concerned about money. I always seemed to be able to shift my numbers around until I made it work. YNAB let maintain composure in what was the largest financial crunch to date. I know run my personal, real estate and student rental business with ynab. – ben schmidt, Fredericton

YNAB is great. I have used other “more powerful” programs, but they do not let you track pure income and outflow like YNAB. – Shane, Heber Springs, AR

YNAB has a clear, concise way of looking at money. Stick with it and it will work miracles for your financial well being. – Niki taylo, Portland, OR

YNAB is a great way to see exactly where my money is going. I’ve been a quicken user for longer than I can remember but it wasn’t until I started importing all of my transactions into YNAB that I realized just how much I was spending on things I didn’t really need! Thanks for helping me to be more mindful of my money. – Krista, Wernersville, PA

We were counseled by our financial advisor to start using software to help keep track of our cash flow and after trying Quicken for a bit, we switched to YNAB because it gave us a way to build some restraint while giving us room to splurge all while paying down debt and saving for education, rainy days, etc. Quicken just told us how much we spent, YNAB tells us how much we have left. I can’t say enough about it….I actually like dealing with money now where before I avoided thinking about it as much as I possibly could. – Kimberly Patamia, Seattle, WA

I love Budgets ….now! – Simon Browne, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand

I like the way that I have it all in front of me so I can see where my money is going. – Joyce, Indianapolis, IN USA

YNAB is by far the best cash-flow management system out there. – Cory Steffen, Salt Lake City, UT

Best budgeting software! Recommend it to all. – Andrea York, Middletown NY

YNAB is great – at last my wife and I can talk to each other openly about money without getting defensive. We’re now working towards the same goals. – Daniel Alexiuc, Brisbane, Australia

Really helped me gain control and visibility of my spending. Has stopped my regular overspending. – Mark Sankey, Manchester, UK

Without YNAB, I had NO IDEA how much money my husband and I were spending on going to lunch, picking up something on the way home, etc. Now, we are paying off our credit card, saving more than ever, and not using our credit card “until I get paid.” Purchases are made with “paycheck” money, slowly but surely, we will get to our dream of me not having to work full-time. FYI- realizing that (dream) is a lot more important than a new suit, cd, etc. It makes me think about purchases more- every purchase. – Sally J., Helena, AL

Even though I’ve had the program for way more than two months and have only really started putting in regular entries recently, I can tell that I am THINKING differently about our money and therefore managing it better – it can onlly get even better from here!!! – Donna Raphaelson, Laurens, NY

The best part of YNAB are the four principles. It is so good to spend money that you have, not that you hope to have–especially in today’s unsure economy. – Andrea Newman, Cypress, TX

YNAB has really made me more aware of how much i am spending and saving. It turns out i can save much more than i thought possible – valerie mcadams, derry, nh

This has been the best thing that has ever happen to our family. It is amazing how much money you can save if you spend it on paper first. I mean if the bill comes up quarterly put 5.00 in there until the end of the 3 months you have 15.00 to pay the bill. It is so much easier to do this than wait to try and pay something later. I know that since I took over the checking account and my wife is on board with me it has made a big difference in our lives. We are able to give more to the church and help others who have less. I am so thankful to Jesse and his whole team. It has made a big difference. Thank you so very much. Couldn’t live without it now. I hav recommended your product to family and friends. I have saved $26,000.00 and have been able to invest an additonal $600.00 per month. – Dean Baskett, Wetumpka, AL

Thank you for giving me an easy way to keep track of my spending. I now have peace of mind. I know where my money is and where it’s going. – Jenny Harris, Roseburg, Oregon

I’ve been using YNAB for a little over 2 months and it is a complete joy to work with. This software makes it easy for my wife and I to stay on goal. I read the YNAB guide and found it an enjoyable and easy read. We kept our stimulus package to quickly get us out of paycheck to paycheck. It is a great feeling living on one month’s prior income and it empowers you to make better decisions when unexpected expenses arise. – Michael Mangus, Princeton, TX

I loved using YNAB from the start, but it really hit home after my first YNAB Christmas went by. It was early January, and my Credit Card statement was showing me sweet Zero’s for the balance. Thank you YNAB! – Corey Downie, london ontario

This software has really helped me get a handle on our cashflow, helped to see all our monthly categories and make wise (usually) choices in distributing, spending and saving ahead. Major peace of mind and a much more long-term view of our finances. We look forward to using your product for years to come. – John Robertson, Kamloops,BC,Canada

Before YNAB, I felt my money was not my own. The frustrating part was that I earned enough, yet I was always struggling to handle those yearly lump-sum commitments like car insurance & licensing, trips, dentist bills, etc. Since using YNAB religiously, I feel much more in control of my spending. The best part is that my savings is building – without my really making an effort. It’s wonderful! – Rihanat Adebiyi, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda

Wow. A simple to use system to get you out of debt and on the road to sorting out your finances – David Lockett, Worcester, UK

It’s simple, I know where I’m going now, I have a map. – Steve Kuchta, Grand Rapids, MI

We love YNAB. We just got married in June.We were in fairly good shape financially, but lacked a budget. In about 3 weeks we have been able to build our buffer up to almost 1000. Our goal was to be living a month ahead by the end of the year, but I think we will be living a month ahead well before that.We are excited to continue building our buffer and begin adding to our savings. – Valerie Davis, Springfield, MO

I had been looking for software that was just for budgeting for a while before I found YNAB. I actually used it for about 3 months in tandem with Quicken. I have to say that YNAB has won, hands down. It is so much easier to use and it does a much better job of showing you where you really are with your budget. I would heartily recommend this to anyone who wants to finally take charge of their money and make it work for them. – Judy Burney, Battle Ground, WA

YNAB has had a significant impact on my life and ironically I didn’t even buy it for myself. My husband and I carry no consumer debt (other than a 2-year car loan that we took because they offered free financing) and we make a combined upper-middle-class income. No, I bought YNAB for my sister and mother — both of whom are deeply in debt and have terrible money-management skills. After just two weeks of using YNAB, I was completely hooked and amazed at how much I was discovering that I DIDN’T KNOW about my own household finances. It’s been an incredible journey of enlightenment and self-discovery. Assumptions have been proven untrue and priorities have been highlighted. I’ve gone from being reasonably prudent with our money to being a true master of our financial destiny. – Elizabeth, Lakewood, CO

Love this program. I like it for use with Dave Ramsey program, but I like YNAB better than the Financial Freedom budgeting program. – Jacqueline Steffes, Orem, UT

Brilliantly designed, incredibly useful, and inexpensive–what’s not to love? – Sean Arthur, Mountain View, CA

If you use YNAB and Jesse’s principles in conjunction with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University you will be able to improve your financial communications with your spouse tremendously. My Wife has gone from a free spending budget busting debt creation machine to a thrifty budget conscious debt killer with a strong hate for credit card companies. – Randy Barnes, Allen, tx

Ynab helps me keep track of everyone’s spending. Now i can see where the the money is going. Budgeting has never been so easy. – carolyn sagat, east providence ri 02914

YNAB has been great! I’ve used other budget programs and YNAB is super user-friendly. Also, the YNAB concepts/rules really do help keep you on track. I don’t think I could survive without this program. – Laura Lins, Williamsburg, Co

I found money I didn’t even realize was available (for savings) with the help of YNAB! – Luis Fernandez, nashville,tn

I swear by this program. it is exactly what i tried to do myself while we were in grad school, but failed miserably. WAY better than quicken or doing it on my own on paper! :) the principles are the key and i tell EVERYONE about it! Thanks YNAB!! – Elizabeth Parson, Bremerton, WA

YNAB simply highlights the way each one of us bleed our money :) YNAB is a simple way to organize your finance and take stock of the “AS – IS” financial situation… As the saying goes – “Chance favors the prepared mind”.. YNAB equips you by helping to channelize your money and use it the best you can ! – Naveen M, Bangalore

YNAB is not only a fabulous tool, but there are so many features in addition to the spreadsheets that I have all of my high school Economics students bookmark YNAB as astrting point for consumer finance discussions. Thank You! – Tom Whalen, California

I love the program, it keeps me on target with my finances no matter what’s happening. Easy to keep up even for my wife!! – Leslie Mathenia, Bettendorf, IA, USA

This program is great! It is very user friendly, I was able to recommend this program it to my parents, who were not very comfortable putting any of their personal information on the computer. Unlike other programs that require you to put your financial information “on-line” this program allows you to have complete control of your personal information. I bought it as a gift for both of my daughters who are on their own. I feel I have a responsibility to help provide them with additional tools to help them to become financially successful. – Karen Villamor, Palm Springs, Ca 92262

Thanks to YNAB I was able to stop the “money hemorrhage” after about 2 months. Prior to using the tool each month I would dip a little bit more into our credit line thinking I would pay it off later. This bad habit only created a nice sized debt. Once I started giving each “dollar a job” I found that I was able to stop overspending and start fixing the “debt wound”. It took 6 months to save up for Rule #1 but it was well worth it. Now life is financially stress free! – Chris Stott, Calgary, Canada

Simply the best budgeting software I have ever seen. The view into your financial situation and habits is remarkable. – Alan Calvert, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands

I was using a spreadsheet but when I found YNAB I realized it works exactly like I think. The fact that Jesse and his crew are very responsive and value user input is a definite bonus. I recommend YNAB to everyone. – Jamon Holmgren, Vancouver, WA

I am so delighted with how much easier it is to stay on budget with the YNAB system! It is so nice to spend or not spend money without the nagging fear of the unknown. I KNOW exactly how much money we have to do different things. I know all my dollars have a job to do and aren’t being sucked away by nebulous, pointless spending. It is with total confidence I can say yes, we can get that or no, we have to wait. It isn’t that we are now living a life of ascetic self-denial but we have a reasonable timeline for when we can get the things we want. We are freed from the tyranny of “get it now”. Woo hoo! Thanks! – Linda Anderson, Wasilla, Alaska

A friend reminded me of YNAB back in April. I had looked at it once before but didn’t do anything at the time. I had been doing some budgeting for a while so in April YNAB made more sense to me. There was a bit of a learning curve, but thankfully not much. I started in April 2008 and had my buffer in place by June 2008, less than 2 months later! Keeping track of my money is so much easier now with YNAB Pro. It always balances with my credit union account and now that I have my monthly bills on the scheduler, it’s easier than ever to pay bills. I love YNAB Pro and have recommended it to anyone who’s looking for budget software (and sometimes I recommend it even when they are not looking lol). YNAB Pro has made my whole life easier and had absolutely reduced the financial stress in my life. What an awesome program! – Samantha Wagoner, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Instead of always living hand to mouth, I now have Emergency Savings and a buffer to take care of the unexpected. I am recommending my children (all already working) take a serious look at YNAB. They are all Mac users and so are showing interest in the Beta version. Thank you. – Xavier Kruger, Crewe, Cheshire, United Kingdom

We were paying off debt and funding our 401(k) accounts, but budgeting was always a problem. YNAB gave us a clear picture of what was going on with our spending, and the 4 rules helped us control and manage our money flow. – Timothy Zenchenko, Billerica, MA, USA

This system is so easy to use and it’s really helped us get our priorities straight! Budgeting does not come naturally to us, so its helpful to have everything clearly laid out, so we can keep our focus on our goals. – Heather Morelan, St. Louis, MO

I was able to pay off my school loan and a credit card. – Jacqueline Ihejirika, Columbus, Ohio, USA

It’s the only budget that makes sense and that I have been able to use long term…I tell everyone about it… – sami bradley, sherman oaks, ca

Whew! Talk about stress relief! My husband and I don’t freak out any more when it’s time to pay bills, or when the unexpected bomb drops in the “bill” pile. We even got a new leased car. It turns out the money was always there, but weren’t managing or budgeting our finances… at all. YNAB set us straight and then some! Thanks! – Lori Wood, Santa Clara, CA

YNAB Pro has made us feel more positive about our finances, even upbeat! It’s such a relief to confidently and calmly spend money that you’ve already assigned to a category, knowing that the other financial responsibilities in our lives have been accounted for. Thank you for creating this product! We’ve recommended it to all of our friends! – Jim Richardson, Lilburn, GA, USA

I am having FUN working with my budget! Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I now have a creative, problem-solving approach to my finances. And, before I make a purchase, I pause and ask myself, “Is this really how I want to be spending my money?” This helps me focus on what brings me or others happiness and health. – Kathy, Novato, CA

I’ve only been using YNAB a few months so far, so I haven’t been able to save that much yet, but as a single Mom on a very tight budget, it’s done me wonders. I had actually asked several financial planners and debt resolution services for help with budgeting, to no avail. They either only wanted to deal with the bigger picture, or just gave me a simple two page sheet for one month. Quicken didn’t help much either. Then I found YNAB. It’s so easy to use, and I’ve gone from dreading looking at my money, to wanting to do it. I’ve actually been emailing my friends that it makes budgeting fun! (Did I use the word fun in the same sentence as budget?!!) From not knowing what was going on, I now know exactly what’s going on with my money. I’m able to easily see where I’m overspending, and cut back in other areas. Rather than going further into debt, I’m starting to pay off my debt. I feel proud of myself, and rather than feeling deprived if I have to cut back a little, I can see the goal that I am working towards. One of the immediate benefits is that I sleep better at night! Thank you YNAB!!!! You saved me! – Rhoda, Oakland, CA

I love the YNAB program. It has really helped us in many ways. We now think twice about purchasing things we really don’t need. I also love being able to save each month for those big ticket yearly items(ie car and life insurance). Thanks Jesse and all those behind the scenes. – Christine Piatkowski, Cranford, New Jersey

I love this program. It has really motivated me to keep better track of my finances. The thing I love most about is that it is a family finance software. It is not business software adapted to personal use. It is designed specifically for family use. It works the same way I think. – Felicia, Cary, NC

I have loved the YNAB PRO for the habit it developed in me. Recently our computer crashed. I lost everything (failed to back up). But I was in the habit of keeping track of everything and while the computer was in the shop, I hand wrote all expenses. I remembered most of the categories and amounts. When the computer could not be saved, and I set up another, YNAB graciously recognized my prior purchase and let me download it at no cost. I am so grateful and am back in business (and it is all saved on a disc!). Thank you Jesse, et al. – Susan Nance, Texas

I had been looking for a budgeting tool forever. Nothing seemed to fit my needs and were way to complex. Not to mention nothing seemed to really give me a budget. Until I found YNAB! It is exactly what I was looking for. We’ve paid off debt, my husband and I are on the same financial page, and a huge burden has been lifted. Thanks YNAB for easing this area of my life. I recommend it to everyone. – Jamie Reynolds, Highlands Ranch, CO

I’ve tried other money management software, but never found one that did what I wanted in a way that my creative-English-major brain could tolerate. As soon as I started using YNAB, it just made sense, and I felt as if there was hope for getting our money under control. One of our teenage sons has been using it as well, and really enjoys tracking his spending. He’s even recommended it and demonstrated it to his friends. Thank you, Jesse, for a truly excellent product! Now, all I need is the Mac version…. – Janice Campbell, Ashland, VA, USA

I love using YNAB. I finally feel like I have total control of my money. I would (and have) recommended it to friends and family. – Amber, Utah

Once we got the YNAB system down it was extremely helpful in helping us figure out where our money was going each month and where we needed to make adjustments. – David Pritchard, Griffin, GA, US

Just knowing where the money was going, helped me cut back on trivialities. This allowed me to save more. – Robert Lasocki, Clayton, Nc

I’m sure people have said it before, but here goes…It’s AMAZING and it actually WORKS! How can something be so SIMPLE yet so brilliant? – Revati Kadu, Torrance, California

It is a sharp program. – Joe Bowen, Meridian, ID

I have used several budgeting plans. My husband brings in extra money each month and has for about 5 years. This is the first time since then that our extra money gets to go towards things we want. In the past our extra money went to digging us out of the red. This program is simple to use. I love this program so much that I have recommended it to a dozen or so people, all of which have switched over and are very happy. Thank you! – Lesli Bennion, Draper

My wife and I are using YNAB and sticking to the budget for the first time in many years. It is very “freeing” to follow the budget. I can sleep better at night as well. – Mark Gaking, Cockeysville, MD

We love YNAB and have recommended it to countless friends and acquaintences! We’ve tried using Microsoft Money in the past and it just never worked. Over a year ago, my husband was diagnosed with a rare type of incurable (but treatable) immune system cancer. At that point, we took a very sober look at our finances and realized how risky our situation was as the medical bills came pouring in. We were living month to month with no savings, no retirement account and $65K on a Line of Credit that we were making interest only payments on. I started searching for ways to slash our bills and found YNAB on the internet. I listened to your podcasts and got my husband on board. It took us about 4 months to get our one month cushion and we love the feeling of peace that living on last month’s income affords! A lot of people say that budgets just don’t work, and before we found YNAB, we never were able to make a budget work either. But now we save through automatic payroll deductions and use YNAB to make sure we can live off of the rest! It’s so easy to track and see exactly how much we have left. I’ve been able to slash my grocery budget just by planning and watching week by week what I am spending. We now have over $19,000 in retirement and $5000 in savings, all that with a daughter in college that we have been supporting (living expenses). Thank you for creating YNAB and for selling it at an affordable price! It is very difficult to deal with a serious health problem AND a serious financial problem at the same time, but YNAB gave us a smart plan of attack and it is really panning out. Thank you for using your talents to help others! – Kristen Jenson, Bothell, WA USA

My husband’s job is very stressful and requires a lot of time away from home, which usually leaves our finances to me. On top of that, his pay can be somewhat variable, we’ve moved seven times in the last five and a half years (including overseas and back!), and we have two small kids. Yikes! I had been pulling my hair out trying to stay on top of the budget, until I discovered YNAB. We have been using it for about 6 weeks, and I just feel so empowered- we now have a plan, we have goals, and we have already made real progress. Perhaps the best part is that I can work out the budget each month, send my husband a quick email with it attached, and we can effectively work together. Thank you!!! – Noëlle Ludwig, Yelm, WA

YNAB provided me a way to be “concious” of what I was spending. For a couple of years I kept wondering why I was living from paycheck to paycheck when I make over $100K per year. Well I quickly found out I was spending more than I was making. I love games and puzzles so using YNAB has become a great game I use to reclaim as much money as I can. – Toni Smith, Sacramento California

It’s the most user-friendly system available! I tried for months on my own and didn’t really get ‘on-track’ until I found this simple system that I could personalize to fit my needs. – Amy Wells, Nashville, TN

i love ynab. i learned about ynab just before i married and i was anxious to keep my marriage lasting for a long long time. with all of the statistics shown today money management is so important and i’m so happy to know that as long as my wife and i stick to the principles behind ynab we’ll be happy together for the rest of our lives. thank you for sharing this with all of us. – yongboo, changwon, south korea

YNAB was recommended to me by a friend, and it has really helped keep me on task. I’ve always been careful with my money, buying things on discount, etc. but this finally has encouraged me to tell my money where it’s going…instead of guessing where it went! – Christine Velasco, San Jose, CA

Before YNAB, my husband and I were making great money but had no idea where our hard earned dollars were going. We had very little savings and always were leaning on our credit cards for the extras in life like vacation and xmas. Almost a year into using the application, we have paid all our credit card debt, created a buffer to fall back on in hard times and are now living off what we earn. We have money saved for our vacation next month and will actually be able to buy all our xmas presents with cash, not credit, this year. I can’t say enough how much this little tool has changed our spending habits and our financial life! – Deb Murphy, Des Moines, IA

Before, I knew how much I had SPENT (historical), but now i know know how much I have to spend…MUCH easier to have the conversation in my head about needs and wants. – Megan Stiles, Eugene, Or

YNAB helps us to direct where our money is going. It has made budgeting much more enjoyable! – Robin Chartier, Monterey, CA

It is soooo easy to use, I appreciate the format and the easiness of use! – Susan, Leeds

I love your software. I’ve tried Microsoft Money, and Quicken before, and was never very happy with them. YNAB is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks. – Mike Mosely, Litchfield Park, Arizona

My boyfriend and I are getting YNAB at his next paycheck (how it must pain you to hear that!), but we’re thrilled we’ve found something that seems to speak to OUR needs. Most software for money management out there is so complex and filled with unnecessary options…YNAB seems like the right solution to budgeting issues we have. I think this will make our relationship the best it can possibly be, as well as get us ready to get married. We’ll keep you posted! – Ashley and James – Ashley Esqueda, Yucaipa, CA

I have always been a budgeter. My husband has become a fan since using YNAB. We have saved toward our retirement and he is thrilled! – Rebecca Savell, Fort Worth, TX

YBAB works! It can be life changing if you work the plan. You need to be consistent, realistic and apply the principles…and roll with the punches! – Laurie McLean, North Vancouver, BC, Canada

We thought we were doing well with our money — paying off credit cards monthly, no debt other than our mortgage — but we consistently spent just a little more than we hoped each month. “Hope” being the problem. YNAB gave us a concrete tool that translated hope into action. Now, not only do we have a plan for our spending, but the method acts as a powerful motivator for staying on track. The biggest surprise is the shift in our mindset regarding impulse purchases: if there’s no room in the budget, we don’t buy it. What a breakthrough! Thanks YNAB. – Roland Carelse-Borzel, Vancouver, Canada

good information. it is beneficial for people to have a system to implement in their lives. – Paul Redfern, Encinitas, CA

I’ve use YNAB in combination with Dave Ramsey’s plan to get out of debt. It’s helped me to pay off nearly $20,000 of my debt which wiped my credit card and car debt clean. I am now working on my last debt and then I’ll only have my mortgage left! – John Crawford, Renton, WA

Order from the Chaos! The YNAB law of thermodynamics. The program brings a graphic structure to your finances whose consequences you can’t avoid. I absolutely love the flexibility that ebbs and flows with our lives. Thank you! – William Baker, Alexandria, VA

ynab is excellent for tracking expenditures. My favorite feature are the reports on ynab pro. It has easy to use graphics that really illustrate to my family, where the money is going without having to read through a bunch of spreadsheet data. – LJ, Houston, TX

Great program I don’t remember how I got along without it. – Stephen Arturo, Norfolk, VA

I used to use another program to organize my finances, but I was always struggling trying to fit what I thought a budget should be into what this software did. I was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, and it just didn’t work. YNAB does things just right. It helps me save up for big expenses and see exactly how much I have allocated for each of my budget categories month to month. – Brooke Sadler, Layton, UT

YNAB makes it extremely useful to make and stick to a budget. It’s an investment that will pay for itself within a very short time. – Bruce Sutherland, Maple Ridge, B.C. Canada

Being in grad school, YNAB has helped me survive without feeling too stressed out about money. The spreadsheet and the philosophy behind it have given my fiance and I an easy way to plan and talk about finances. I don’t think I could feel as good about being in school, only working part time, and planning a wedding without YNAB’s help with tracking every dollar and having those dollars work for me! – Joe Cook, San Francisco, CA

I would highly recommend YNAB to anyone thinking about getting on a budget. It is defintely has to be one of the greatest investments I have even made. Looking back, getting YNAB was like getting a raise. It puts you in control of your money instead of vice-versa. – Chad Crockford, Charlotte, NC

I’ve been budgeting all my life and wasn’t really getting anywhere other than just getting by. I’ve been using YNAB Pro since April 2008. Let me tell you…things started happening! I always judged my success by what I had compared to the neighbors. Those days are long gone! When I saw what I could be doing with my money and my life instead of trudging my way through debt and worrying if I had enough stuff, I made some drastic changes. I moved out of the 2 story house with it’s 2 car garage and fenced in yard and now reside in a smaller but very nice loft apartment in town. The dollars started sitting in my account unused instead of being handed out for bills. I also gave away 3/4 of my possessions including furniture and personal items I just had to have but never really had use for. Now my life and home are less cluttered which made room for my new puppy, Trinket! This has actually been very liberating. I decided to invest in fixing my current vehicle instead of investing in a new car payment and it runs like a dream now. I should get another 200,000 miles out of it. That gives me the time I need to save up for the new car I would like to have and I intend to pay cash up front for it. No more loans and interest! Making these changes has cut my living expenses in half. YNAB Pro got me there and is helping me become debt free. I’ve learned that so much of the financial burdens I was shouldering was being done by choice and desire rather than need. It really feels good to just lay it down and start living a life that makes me happy. I love the flexibility of YNAB. I couldn’t have made a new life form the ashes of the old life or changed the way I think about money without it! – Lori Soete, Kettering, Ohio

We always knew where are money was going; but now we have awareness of when the money is in our account and we can develop a sense of control. We are both much more involved (my wife and I) in the family finances. Thank you! – Nathaniel McMullin, Wethersfield, CT

Just started (2 months), so we haven’t made a lot of reportable progress yet, but we still feel like it has helped us a ton with managing our money! We already have our buffer established and are now working on giving every dollar a job each month and sticking to it reasonably well so we can grow our savings. YNAB fits exactly with the way we were already trying to do things–it has just simplified the process of getting it done. – Lorinda Field, North Logan, Utah

It helps so much to see immediately your budget status whether you pay by cash, check or credit card. Knowing you have to go home and enter this item in YNAB makes you think twice about every purchase. – Gerald Fisher, Irvine, CA

Been married 20 years. Couldn’t keep a budget until we started using YNAB. Very helpful. Thank you. – David Winebrenner, Centralia Washington USA

This software gives me peace of mind knowing that I have money set aside for a set purpose and for emergencies. – Chris Johnson, Franklin, OH

This is THE best money management system I’ve ever used. Before I knew about “envelope based budgeting” like YNAB, I used a homegrown version that I thought up, but it was wrought with issues and I couldn’t keep ongoing tally’s of what balance I had in my “envelopes”. When I stumbled across YNAB, I thought it sounded pretty good. It took me a bit to get my head around it, but once I did I realized how simple and easy to use it is! I spend about 20 minutes a month budgeting and I love the feeling of control over my finances. When I make an error and spend too much, I just take from another category (eg don’t spend money on clothes!) and it all evens out. I absolutely positively love this budgeting system. The new improvements (having a separate tab for each account, for example) are great. Love it! I’ll use it forver and ever! – Suzanne, San Diego, CA

This software and finance program (along with the teachings of Dave Ramsey) have completely changed my life and financial future. Don’t be normal, get out of debt, YNAB can help – Krist Pottorff, Kenosha, WI

I love the YNAB system, and I have recommended it to family and friends! – Betsy Scott, Irvine, CA

Love this program — makes the discipline of managing your money easy (a total necessary for any right-brainer — who knew I could actually budget and know how much money I had at any given time?). I am following the four rules, am living on last month’s income, have a good start on the emergency fund, am working on paying off my mortgage early, can go regular charitable donations painlessly — but it’s working almost too well, am just learning to let go and not save every penny. Thanks for the best $40 I ever spent. M – Margaret Yole, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

I was about to write an app similar to YNAB because I couldn’t find any software that followed what I consider basic budgeting rules. (Like I learned in my General Business class in high school) YNAB is perfect for me. Thanks! – Ric Forney, Cincinnati, OH

Great way to find out how much you really spend on things! Also to track your debt amounts. – David Lee, Farmington, MN

I love YNAB. It’s simple, it makes sense, and yields fantastic results! I was never really taught how to manage money, and I always thought it would be some complicated concept that would take me awhile to wrap my mind around. I am so happy to be wrong! A few months ago I was forced to buy a new car before I was ready. (I could afford payments, but wanted to save money to buy a car before actually buying one.) My car related expenses also went up, but by using YNAB all my bills are paid (on time!) and I found extra money that I never realized was there! – Christine Barnes, Lewisville, TX, USA

As a financial advisor, I see the need for proper budgeting everyday as I work with my clients, but I had a difficult time incorporating good practice habits into my own financial life. YNAB Pro has helped me to “practice what I preach” and now I enjoy using my own experience when I recommend others to use the YNAB software! Thanks! – Bill Nelson, Rochester, Minnesota

YNAB has helped me gain control over my budget and my money. I began using YNAB when I began the Dave Ramsey plan and both have worked well together. I also took the free budget course Jesse offered and that helped get me off to a good start. – Dennis Dickinson, Atlanta, Ga

I’m still trying to discipline myself to post expenses weekly. I used YNAB a couple years ago and quit–BIG MISTAKE! It is the ONLY software that has helped me with my run-away spending. What a blessing. – Nelda Stee, Bowling Green, KY

This was purchased for my wife . She had no direction with the money she made and spent all the “extra” money she had left over, after all the bills were paid, and then some. This program brought light into her eyes making her aware that she doesn’t have to be in debt to have what she wants, and, amazing enough, retire wealthy! – Phillip Mazur, Crystal Lake, IL

I feel the need to qualify the above answers. The first month we officially used YNAB for a budget was also the first month my lovely wife became a stay-at-home mother. While wonderful to have her at home with our children it did cut our income by 50%. So while we did not pay down our car loan or our outstanding CC debt considerably, nor did we show any savings in real dollars, I still consider YNAB an unqualified success. We reduced our spending by 30% compared to when we had dual incomes! Even better YNAB has become a state of mind in our lives. My wife up to this point had not been a budget gal. But YNAB has really opened her eyes to the awesome benefits of the budget, and has helped us talk more frankly and without rancor about money and our spending. I love YNAB!! Thank you and keep up the great work. – Eric Scott, Berryton, Ks (near Topeka, Ks.)

Love this program!! I’m actually using it to stay home with my 3 year old. Living off a savings account month to month. YNAB helps me control that “burn rate” and stay home even longer! – Kim Porter, San Diego,CA

YNAB is great, it is the first financial software that I’ve stuck with– because it works. It makes me aware of what I’m spending and if that is in line with my plan for the money. We have met Rule 1, went on a fun family vacation for 2 weeks, and paid off unexpected emergency hospital bills totaling over $7000— all in 1 year on as a one-income family with 4 kids. – Janet Cox, Caldwell, IDaho

I just started with YNAB, but I’m excited to see where it takes me! Making the transition from graduate school, I need to find a way to manage what will be a huge income boost for me without going crazy and ignoring my many, many debts. Let’s see how it goes! – Kathryn Shery, Chicago, IL

If you want to know where you are going financially ,this is the software you need. – Leroy Wright, Nottingham, United Kingdom

In our own “budget world”, we tought we were doing great…This is an eyeopener program that will make you a better budgeter than you think, and the best part is how easy it is to use! My wife was reluctant to spend the money for what I had already on my computer (also use Excel for our budget), but now she is the biggest advocate of YNAB, of course, reading the manual helped a lot. – Eduardo Ortiz, Chicago, IL USA

I’ve really enjoyed the system of YNAB. The most notable aspect is how my husband actually seems interested in our budget now. It’s almost like he can accept that the BUDGET tells us we can’t afford something instead of ME telling us we can’t afford something. I’ve enjoyed the blame shifting, as well. – Holly Barhamand, Chicago, IL

It has completely taken the pressure off of our finances to have the buffer! – Shawn, Liberty, MO

I like the way YNAB is setup, I’m still learning all the features, but it’s a nice software to track all my finances, I have tried many different software but none works as good as YNAB, I love it it has help me organize my budget, it’s worth to pay for one. – David Banman, PO Box 1179 Coaldale AB t1m1m9

We have had 2 houses this year and it has been extremely difficult to manage the debt. Your program has helped me to function this year! This is literally the first time in 20 years of married life that I have been able to painlessly keep a budget! – Anne Jennings, Alpine, UT

YNAB is the best BUDGETING software…period. – Justin, Denver

The best thing since invention of the banking system! Really! I am not a big fan (well, not a fan at all) of feedback writing, but this software is the best I have ever used; and I can safely say that I used almost all of them. This software is easy, user-friendly, smart, and, most importantly, keeps you on top of your money. It has helped me tremendously to finally get “real” with my money. I used Dave Ramsey’s approach to money management and did not get as much out of it as I thought I would (nothing personal, Dave!); inspiration is nice but without the right tools it’s just that. I have only one complaint – it’s addictive; now I check my bank account every day… – Sarah, Houston, Texas

This program seriously helps regulate my crazy student budget – Ashley Kneisler, San Diego, CA

I was really hesitant to get YNAB because 1) I hate budgeting and anything to do with it I avoided, and 2) I wasn’t sure if I would actually do it. Since getting YNAB my hubby and I are actually on a budget! It’s a really big step for us, since we use to just get by paycheck to paycheck. It’s comforting to have a cushion of last months paycheck for the present month, so that we aren’t hyperventilating by the last week! I really am grateful for this easy to use program and also for all the emails and tips that the creator sends to its users. – Jennifer Eyring, Colorado Springs, CO

YNAB is AWESOME!! Can’t live without it. I love it and I sit every night to enter my spending in. I love to see where I’m saving and I’ve NEVER been able to save before, and now I’ve saved $700 in 3 months!!! YAY! – Heather Patterson, Mexico City, Mexico

Without a doubt our favorite budgeting software by far. Have recommended to many friends, who have in turn recommended to many others. – Ted Jardine, Surrey, BC, CANADA

I love this program. I was so frustrated with my other methods of budgeting, because I was always so focused on the past. What I HAD spent, and I could never find a way to get out of debt, because I was never able to look to the future when all I was doing was tracking past expenses. I love the possibilities this has opened up for me! Thank you! – Mandy Dabling, South Jordan, Utah

We have been using this and love it. I micro manage my budget and this works well for it. Both of my kids have moved away from home in the past few years and we have bought this program for them. We showed them how to use it and now they are becoming financially savvy. Wish I would’ve had this when I first left home. – Rhonda and Shawn Tisdell, Barronett, WI

I was using Microsoft Money and had been for several years. Over the years, I realized that MM was taking more and more of my time to enter data and then to look at the vast number of reports, investment data, graphs, etc. etc. Now, I am an accountant (not a CPA, though) so I know how important it is to monitor one’s accounts, however, one can also be drawn in to so much data about your accounts that it becomes overwhelming and you can spend hours every weekend without realizing it. YNAB has been a breath of fresh air for me. I had been looking for a basic way of keeping up with the ins and outs, (making sure there are more ins than outs!), that would still given me the information I needed without a lot of time spent entering data. YNAB has solved my problem. Thank you for developing this software Jesse! – Elizabeth Hinds, Lake Mary, FL

Finding YNAB was the perfect last piece my husband and I needed to put our money management program on the right track. Having the buffer in place, a piece not utilized by any other program, has given us an emmense amount of security and relief in our monthly planning. The program itself has made us look at our spending in a new light. Not only have a recommended it to friends, I recommended it to someone in a bookstore in the mall! – Amy Uecker, Mason Ohio

Wow, is all I can say. I had been a Quicken user for years and was in debt and not saving. YNAB has changed all of that, I am working to pay off debt and stop living from paycheck to paycheck! – Melanie King, Guymon, Oklahoma

YNAB has really helped me take control of my money – thanks! – Kasia, Bremerton, WA

Very simple and straight forward. Based on solid principles. I love it! – Quin Whitaker, Hyrum, Utah

We are gaining control again. It feels great. K – Karen Salzman, Windsor CO

YNAB is great! Beyond helping us make better use of our money it has provided the tool we needed as a couple to discuss our finances and helped our family to spend and save with thought. With two in college and one more to follow, it has helped to relieve a lot of the stress associated with paying the tuition AND enjoy our life with what we have left to save and spend. – Jean Garbier, watertown , ma

I have learned how to reserve funds for our mortgage payments. WoooooooooooHOOOOOOOOOOOOO – Denise Paget, Fords, New Jersey

Before YNAB and using the major personal finance programs (one starts with Q, the other with M), I had almost no idea where our money was going until after the fact. Now I know on a day to day basis where we stand, and life has become manageable again! – Sean Oelkers, Dodge, NE

YNAB has helped us see where our money is going better than any other program we have tried. I have turned on several friends to the program, and I really believe it’s going to help us maintain better control of our finances. Thank you! – Janie Hayslett, Raleigh, NC

My wife and I have never had any debt, but we still were living paycheck to paycheck. I quit my job when my daughter was born 4 years ago which significantly reduced our income. YNAB gives us that little boost we need to know where our money is going, and to stop us from living paycheck to paycheck. You don’t have to be deep in debt to benefit from YNAB. It’s making our lives easier. – Phil Rempel, Albany, OR

This is a living budget. With the constant upgrading, it is a great investment because I don’t feel cheated. With the help from Jesse and the message board, I know I can fin help when I need. I feel like I am part of a great financial team, and that is priceless. – Matthew Ball, Los Angeles, CA

My husband and I love YNAB and recommend it to all our family and friends. We hope to begin budgeting a month ahead by October, when all of our debt is paid off. – Jennifer Comstock, Gowanda, NY

Being a college student it has helped me avoid debt and allow me to pay for college in full up front. I have also got my parents to start using YNAB and they have already cleared through $11,000 in debt in just 4 months! – Joel Mann, Orland, CA

I was a stay-at-home mom who’s partner fell injured and seriously ill. I used my credit cards to survive and incurred major debts. Then, when my partner succumbed to stress and left the baby and I homeless, my uncle took us in and taught me everything I need to know about how to survive and get ahead. The budget was the KEY and now I have a handle on money and I know I can make it work! The fog has lifted! I have a full-time job and I know what to do with my money and precisely how much ambition I need to get enough so that my daughter can have a decent childhood. YNAB made a rough, serious situation really fun and simple. Jesse, thank you for your sense of humor and your focus. I recommend your program to everyone. It shocks me how many women don’t know how to budget. My daughter is already learning at one-and-a-half! – Larissa Godat, Tucson, Arizona

I have been tracking so long with MSMoney even though I have a budget, I don’t know what to do with the surplus or overages once I try to reallocate. Also, I just start over each month with a zero balance. This looks like it will work for me, and I love the tithe!!!!! – Andrea Johnson, Wilkesboro, North Carolina, USA

I bought this to help get myself back in shape financially after having to declare bankruptcy (boo.) I think formulating a budget and STICKING TO IT is very important to become and remain financially stable. – Rachel Gill, Birmingham, AL

When first trying YNAB, I thought it wold be another one of those programs that promise the world and deliver next to nothing. In working with YNAB for a few months I noticed that it is a very powerful program that really keeps you on track with budgeting and saving. I especially like the fact that if you over-spend in one month, it reduces the next months budget amount by the amount you have over spent. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who needs a very powerful, yet easy to use budgeting software package. – Rob Skala, Katy, Texas

YNAB was just the tool I needed! Despite a decent salary, I was overdrawing my bank account every few months. I thought I was relatively powerless to change the situation since I attributed most of my problems to unexpected major needs–replacing the transmission, repairing the roof, etc. When I began using YNAB, however, I learned that many of the expenses were predictable to a degree–and therefore I could plan for them–and that an alarming amount of money was just leaking out through miscellaneous expenses. YNAB allowed me to get a real picture of what was going on with my money–way beyond my previous system of a writing down a budget and balancing my checkbook after the fact. It gave me a real sense of control and power over my financial situation. It’s “envelopes” all grown up! YNAB brought it home to me that it’s all about choices, and I DO have choices! I’ve chosen to make my money my servant rather than my master, and my bank account shows it! (If quoting, please use only the initial of my first name; my name’s pretty identifiable!) – Charity Johansson, Burlington, NC

YNAB is a great program for managing a personal budget. I share this with friends when they say they are thinking about using Quicken or Money. I tell them that those applications aren’t geared for a household budget and they will not have the success that I have experienced with YNAB. I am very happy with how easy it is to use YNAB and what a great tool it is for managing my families money. Budget meetings are short and delicious as my wife makes wonderful cookies. I often recommend YNAB to others. – Delbert Warner, Hood River, OR

Before I used YNAB I was always in overdraft and leaking money. I couldn’t understand why – I thought I knew where I was spending. Boy, was I wrong and surprised. YNAB has helped me to plug my leaks and I have never been in overdraft since using it. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m looking forward to being debt free! – Debbie Towell, Victoria, Canada

I enjoy using YNAB because it is forward-looking and not backward-looking. When I was using Quickbooks, I lost touch with my finances and was “budgeting” by penny-pinching on everything. Now I can decide where all my money is going in advance and just check it once a week. I love the idea of budgeting now for a future expense – even though I have a big cushion in my bank account for those occasions, it still takes out a lot of stress out of big expenditures. – Diane Ho, Seattle, WA

After tons of searching, I found YNAB. I highly recommend it to everyone! – Nathan, Ottawa, IL

Before using YNAB I felt “out of control”. While my finances are still not ideal, I now have a sense of being in control. – Julia, Portland, OR

Your program is a lifeline to those of us who struggle to focus; you give us an easy method to untangle our finances and then to master them. – Elaine Wente, Las Vegas,NV

The service is almost incomprehensibly good. I rarely get such quick and personal service when I’m standing in front of a rep/tech, let alone on the web. – Kendra, Woodlawn Park, OK

i have just started using this program and i think it is really going to help get my situation into a better place. I have already notice how much money i actually just throw away ever month, I never noticed. Plus the program hold me accountable for every purchase. Do i really need to buy that six pack of beer or that is a cool shirt but i have plenty of other ones that are in good condition at home. I really enjoy what this program does – dan medlen, phoenix

“Life is what happens when you are making other plans” At least I am still going back to YNAB witht he hope that one of these months I will actually get on track. – Jane Gueguen, Kitimat, BC, Canada

YNAB has helped my wife and me align our financial goals and actually stick to them. We have saved more money than ever before. Our marriage is better than ever. We rarely have disagreements over finances. YNAB is awesome! – Ryan Price, Provo, Utah

I love everything about this program. It’s made my life less stressful because I’m not always worrying about money or lack of money. – Dawn, Sandy, Utah

One of the easiest budgeting programs to use. Intuitive and helpful! – Ernest Montoya, San Antonio, TX, USA

I am loving the ynab system. I love making the plan for each month and really thinking about what I want my money to do for me. For once I feel like I know exactly where my money goes and who put it there! Thanks so much! – Julie Seabury, Folsom, California

This is the greatest program I have ever used!!! ;-) – Darlene Deel, Maryville, TN USA

LOVE your product! – Travis Mutchler, Indianapolis, IN

I had no idea how much money I was wasting every month. This software changed my life! – Maurice Matthews, Washington DC

YNAB has really changed my life–I know that sounds like such a cliche but it’s true. I no longer have to worry about those once a year payments (professional dues, taxes, etc.) because I have already planned for them and the money is there. I never realized how much money I was wasting. I don’t feel like my lifestyle has changed, but I feel like I’m in so much more control. – Lindsey Tubaugh, Keokuk, Iowa

I’ve been using Quicken for years to manage my money. I was attracted to YNAB by the four rules, which are simple but powerful ideas I haven’t seen anywhere else. The software makes implementing them easy — I especially love how easy it is to accumulate money in different categories for periodic expenses. I could never go back to anything else. – Chad Petty, Raleigh, North Carolina

YNAB has changed our lives! Pre-YNAB I would blindly spend on our credit card and just hand the receipts to my husband. Ingnorance was bliss, or so I thought. I always had this underlying feeling of guilt. My husband was always wonderful, somehow found a way to juggle everything, never said no and we never fought. 42K later, ingnorance is not so blissful!! After doing a google search I found YNAB. Thank Goodness! And thank you, Jesse!! We were able to start living under rule one after one month, managed to pay off 6,000+ in credit card debt and put a little away untouched in our savings account. Life the YNAB way is TRUE bliss!! THANK YOU!!! – Jill, Pennsylvania

I had a financial meltdown a few years ago, and I have been working very hard to regain financial independence ever since. YNAB was the cherry on top and has been a wonderful tool in keeping my finances in order and helping me stay focused. I can never see myself using another financial software package ever again. – Joseph Dawson, Bristow, Va

I’m in a long-term student debt sort of situation, and while I don’t use YNAB for debt management like that, I do use it – enthusiastically – to manage my monthly expenses and to keep track of credit card expenditures, keeping me honest to pay it off monthly! It has helped me reevaluate where I put my money by showing me exactly where I spend, and it gives me peace of mind, knowing that I am never in risk of overdrawing my account, because I’ve got at least one month’s buffer right there in the account. – Emily, Arlington, VA

I have finally learned to keep a month’s worth of income in my checking account and I’m saving money each month for emergencies and retirement. Thanks for the wonderful product! More importantly, learning how to budget correctly and effectively has helped me to become a fiscally responsible adult. This kind of knowledge should be taught in high school yet it is left out. My children will certainly learn from me though. – Corey Thoesen, Sterling, VA

Budgeting is something my husband and I have worked at since we were married 10 years ago. Until now, we have not found software that (1) budgets the same way we think, forcing you live on last month’s income and (2) makes it easy! YNAB has hit the spot and makes me feel much more responsible, financially. Thanks! – Susan Holman, Springville, UT

Immediately after purchasing your program and reading through the book, I thought of ways to cut costs. I called the cable company and after striking up a friendly conversation, I ended up saving 50 dollars a month on my cable bill – 30 of which was a promotion she didn’t even have to offer me! – Tim Palac, Hoffman Estates, IL

We just started, but we are able to pay much more with a better plan than previously. (Answer to above DEBT questions). We just started, but we are able to pay much more with a better plan than previously (Answer above to Savings question.).Thank you for the opportunity to use YNAB. We are pleased with the mechanics of the program. We like it because it doesn’t just “track” money, but helps you plan how to use it. – Kateri, Black River, NY

I have been budgeting for years using a spreadsheet I made. Switching to YNAB Pro has saved me hours each month and has made budgeting a breeze! Previously I would have discrepencies between my bank account and how much my budget said I spent, and it would be impossible to track down. With YNAB it is easy to see if I have made a mistake (like left off a transaction) and fairly easy to track down what went wrong. And the ability to import transactions is WONDERFUL! – Micah Shaw, Augusta, Ga, USA

We have been using YNAB Pro for 9 months now. Before that we were using a spreadsheet. It told us how much we wanted to spend, but never how much we were spending. Now with YNAB all of this is under control. We have saved a buffer of one months expenses and are now not living month to month. I have even started using it for my home business to help with my budgeting. If this cant help you budget then you have real troubles. – Scott Viney, Bogota Colombia South America

I’ve wanted to budget for a long time..but it was a ‘dirty’ word to my husband. I sent him the emails, one by one and slowly eased him into it and now we are on our way to being debt free. – Amy Greer, Dallas, TX

It’s not a magic trick (as many may thought it is), It’s just an easy way to be aware of where your money is going and then using this knowledge to decide where do you want YOUR money to go for you. It’s great. – Francisco Niño, Santiago, Chile

Before starting to use YNAB Pro, my wife & I had no clue where our money went each month. It always seemed like it ran out far too quickly. Since using YNAB Pro, we are able to see exactly where our money goes. Our (mostly my) spending on frivolous things has reduced dramatically. We have been able to save over the past year for school tuition as well as for some needed house improvements. – Eric Olsson, Hoffman Estates, IL

YNAB does one thing and does it very well – makes budgeting easy. If you cannot get control of your spending and savings goals using YNAB then you probably never will with any program. I am a 64-year-old former bean counter and frankly, I do not like working with numbers anymore. So YNAB fits my habits perfectly to take care of my budgetary needs. There is no ‘work’ needed to make YNAB a success. – Larry G. Crowder, Mobile, AL

When my wife and I started using YNAB, we really had no idea where our money was going. I was working 2 jobs and making very good money, yet here we were, thousands of dollars in debt. I had tried several times in the past to do a budget, usually with Quicken or Money, but we never really had an luck. YNAB is so intuitive and easy to use. I really feel YNAB has saved our financial future. In the past, my wife and I rarely talked about our finances. Now every week we work on the budget together and make sure we’re on the same page. It’s amazing how much money we were blowing on useless items, YNAB really opened our eyes! I’m always recommending YNAB to friends and family, it’s really a great product. – Frank Baxter, Vandalia, OH

Every one should use YNAB. For the past 30 years I went through life with out a budget. I don’t know how I survied. Budgeting was boring for me. I know I need to do something. Each month I would wonder how I would get through to the next month. I get paid a 1099 so I dont have a steady pay check. I researched a lot of budgeting progarms and YNAB has the best approuch to budgeting and it is very easy to use. It is amazing how much money you really have when you “assign a job to your money” In just two months I have control of my money and currently have money to pay next month bills in advance. YNAB what a great concept every one should use. Thanks for all your help. – Anthony Moran, Peru,NY

I love this program. This is the only budget I have ever been able to keep up with because it is so simple and works. We were able to recover from huge medical bills and reduce our spending by about 1500 a month that was leaking from our accounts. I am running it on excel for mac and it is still an easy powerful budget system. Can’t wait until the mac version. – Tiffany Shedd, Eloy, Arizona

I absolutely love YNAB! I just graduated from college and had entered the “real world” when I began to use it, and I have not had any problems with money so far. – Carrie deMontfort, Wichita, KS

YNAB makes it so easy to budget and keep up with all of our different savings accounts and sinking funds. Everything is there in one place! Having done it with paper and pencial (wow!) for more than a year and with a spreadsheet for 5 months, YNAB is a breeze. Thanks for such a fanstastic product. – Marvelyn Tapp, Little Rock, Arkansas

My wife and I managed to come into some money so that has helped but even before then YNAB pretty much forced me to look at how I spend money. Up until this last month YNAB basically was screaming at me as I kept going over budget..but the key was that is showed me exactly what I did wrong. I’ve finally settled into a good routine and in one month I was able to save up more than the past 3 months combined. We also were able to take a vacation and paid it all in cash.. I haven’t used my credit cards since starting YNAB 10 months ago. Just paid off my last student loan payment and have knocked a large amount off CC debt. If you don’t have it don’t spend it! – Tony Bargardo, Barrington NH usa

YNAB Pro is a great program, but it’s the methodology behind it (The Four Rules) that truly makes it work. Add an active and supportive forum to the mix, and the only thing you have to lose is living paycheck to paycheck! Try it out, and you’ll see that you CAN get out of debt! I’ve recommended this to all my friends, and even “strangers” on the internet! – Karen Johnson, Avondale, PA

After years of getting in and out of debt and just keeping my head above water YNAB is keeping me afloat. I have looked for this kind of program for years and found it by accident, well for me it was meant to be. I am not fully out of debt but now I have a begining, a middle (where I am now) and the best bit I have the end. Just get it. – Martin, UK

So far, YNAB has helped me “put the brakes” on ridiculous, non-discretionary spending, and helped our family to stop hemorrhaging money on basics like food and household expenses. YNAB is good for my brain. – Lauren, Kansas City, MO

This program is very helpful and easy to use. My family appreciates not only the help with the resources, but the candid and open conversation about getting finances straight. Thank you. – Samantha Tremayne, Bristol, Virginia

YNAB has been great for me in the 5 months since I started using it. I wasn’t in debt when I started, but I didn’t have much of a sense of where my finances stood. I knew there was enough to pay the bills month to month but making any additional purchase seemed like a gamble. How much of a cushion did I have? Should I purchase optional items that might have a long term benefit (i.e. for house/car maintenance) or was that kind of spending ill-advised? And on what scale? A new rake? A new porch? Now I know how much is coming in, where it’s going, and how long it would take to save enough for porch-level investments. I can make choices and actively prioritize rather than crossing my fingers and hoping to make it through another month. I have already recommended YNAB to friends and will continue to do so. It’s a unique product that has done exactly what I wanted my budget to do for me. – Cheryl Treacy-Lenda, Atlanta, Georgia

YNAB helped my wife and I fulfill a life dream of hiking the entire 2,174 miles Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. In order to quit our jobs for our 6 month trek, we obviously had to have our finances in order, and YNAB helped us do just that. Unlike other software that just tracks past transactions, YNAB us helped plan for how to spend money in the future. It allowed us to quit living paycheck-to-paycheck and save to fulfill a life dream. Now that we’re back, we’re using YNAB to plan for our next adventure. If you are serious about taking control of your finances, rather than letting your finances control you, I heartily recommend YNAB! – Ben Thompson, Los Angeles, CA

We are currently living off savings, as my partner is on mat-leave. I will be taking a year off once she goes back to work. But we managed to save enough that this shouldn’t be (too much) of a strain. We wanted YNAB to help us live within our means while we are down to a single income. – jos yule, Toront, ON, Canada

YNAB has made it so much easier to see exactly where our money is going. We have an easy-to-use, realistic budget for the first time ever. And it has made it possible for us to save up for the big things – vacations, large purchases – things that we would have bought on credit in the past. I love this software! – Judy Homiller, Austin, TX

I was introduced to YNAB by a friend in April of 2007. Though I initially believed that there was no way I could stick to the daily receipt collecting regiment, I decided to give it a try. It was much easier to implement than I thought, and I quickly found that it drastically changed how I managed my money. I was able to ‘rein in’ my money and dedicate more to savings and debt payment. By the end of the first year, I had more money in savings than ever before. When my best friend moved to Australia at the beginning of 2008, these savings allowed me to take my first trip off out of North America to visit him. Of course, I spent more money abroad than I had, and I am further in debt once again, but “C’est la vie”. I’m optimistic that YNAB will help me through once again. Maybe next year, I’ll go to Peru. :P – Michael Ahrens, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

thanks guys for teaching me a better way of thinking keep it coming I have told friends about you guys – carla holley, Seneca,SC 29678

YNAB is everything I wanted in a budgeting program but didn’t know it. For years I had tried to get other products to account for my budget, but something was missing. There was no easy way to incorporate those large once a year expenditures, such as car registration, or insurance premiums. I found YNAB over two years ago as I searched for a better budgeting program. When I found it and saw what it could do I felt like I had walked out of the dark ages of budgeting and into a financial reneissance. This product WILL change your life for the better. I am and will always be a lifelong customer! – Gabriel Fink, Cameron Park, CA

GREAT product. Easy to use, painless and effective. The web forums are very helpful and a great source of inspiration. For the first time in 37 years I now have a savings account!!! – Kimberley Caito, Louisville KY USA

I was so unorganized before. Bills just got away from me. With YNAB, I’m now able to make sure everyone gets paid on time, and still know I’ll have something in savings when everything is said and done. Thanks you! – Noah Sanchez, San Antonio, TX

Excellent way to implement and track Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace system. – Sam Lowther, Prattville, AL, USA

I have finally been able to really understand how much I spend and where I need to cut back. Before YNAB I spent more than I made every single month – getting farther and farther into debt. I can now set up my budget each month and relax knowing YNAB is doing the rest!! – Maggie Dougherty, Lee’s Summit, MO

YNAB has really helped in teaching me the importance of creating a budget. As a student, the ideas of paying off tuition (and student loans) as well as rent, utilities, food, and other staples of life can be quite foreign and, to say the least, scary. YNAB has helped to clear up a lot of the confusion that I initially started with!! – Nathan Lee, Chadds Ford, PA

Before YNAB, my husband would tally receipts in Quicken. He’d wring his hands on how much we(I) spent, and I would bitterly try to spend less. We switched our discretionary spending into YNAB. We both can see at a glance how much is left to spend – on things we want and things we need. Shopping with a budget has been much less stressful and there is no resentment. – Karla, Appleton, WI

YNAB is a wonderful embodiment of an essential tool that everyone – people of all stripes – would benefit from having in their lives. For me, keeping a budget has been foundational, and has helped me in my personal life, as well as in my ability to be there for the people I love. YNAB has helped me do that. – Sean Gilbertson, Minneapolis, MN

For the first time in my entire life, I do not live paycheck to paycheck. THAT ought to be in the Mastercard “priceless” commercials! – Aaron Kulbe, Portland, OR

YNAB has made a great change in my life. I never used to bother how I got the money or the way I spend it, YNAB has streamlined my cash flow. I never had the thought of saving money for the future and after using YNAB I have started to look beyond today. Due to YNAB I have done the following: 1. Built my buffer and started living on the previous month salary 2. Came out of debts and paid all my credit cards and vehicle loan (In fact I am going to be debt free from next month, I have paid my credit cards and vehicle loan). 3. Started saving for rainy day. 4. Started investing for retirement I am having a trouble free life, eagerly waiting for marriage, which might happen in another 4 months time. Thank you very much Jesse for such simple and awesome software. – Subramani, Bangalore, India

YNAB has changed my life! I’m 61 years old, and before this I never had a handle on my money–with very damaging results. YNAB has made it possible to visualize my financial situation, so that when I’m making a spending decision, I actually see in my mind what that’s going to do to my spending for the month. It’s totally changed my decision-making. I recommend it to everyone I know! It’s hands-down the best $40 I ever spent! – Tona Barkley, Owenton, KY

I’m 51 years old and have NEVER used a budget. We never got too upside down because of it (Thank the Lord!) but we also NEVER knew where all the money went. I decided enough was enough and purchased YNAB Gold – and even sat on that for a year before getting serious! Now, we have total control of our finances are no living paycheck-to-paycheck and are actually saving in a significant way. YNAB’s intuitive and detailed approach to budgeting works flawlessly. What were we waiting for?? – Greg Bednar, Mankato, Minnesota USA

I love YNAB. Even though I didn’t have debt before, it is a great product to help me plan on where I want my money to go. – Jeff Woodard, Fishers, IN

I’ve been lurking on the forum for some time but finally pulled the trigger and purchased YNAB Pro. It was the best $ spent. I now have a very clear picture of where my money is going before I even spend it. What a relief! – Joseph Farrell, Rhode Island

Want to save money? YNAB is worth giving a try! – Slawomir Anisowicz, Poland

Wow! My life is back!!! I was under such stress and strain before YNAB. YNAB has helped to relieve the aches and pains of the financial ruin I was in and solve my debt insomnia. I can breathe again!!! :) THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! – Kristine Gough, St. Catharines, ON Canada

YNAB is the program we have been searching for. It has so many wonderful features, especially the carry-over of category balances from one month to another. There is no program out there like this one. We are so happy we found it and have passed the nformation on to family and friends. Thank you so much. – Dale Nesheim, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

I read a lot about money management software before deciding to go with YNAB. I wanted a small easy-to-use program without a lot of bells and whistles that comes with the usual bloatware. I also wanted a program I wouldn’t have to pay for every year to get the latest version. I got all that and much more with YNAB. It’s become indispensable to our household. I like to manually enter all our transactions (although I could download transactions if I wanted) so I’m in the program almost everyday because I like to use it so much. For the first time in our lives, each month we know exactly what we plan to spend and how we’re doing compared to the plan. And the budget has performed its “magic” in that we’re no longer living paycheck to paycheck as we work on building balances in our budget categories for future expenditures and for an emergency budget. YNAB keeps you honest–you can’t lie to your budget–if you spend more than you’ve planned to, you’ve got to account for it in your budget. No more denial, no more burying your head in the sand. If we had had YNAB 26 years ago when we first got married, we’d be millionaires right now, seriously–we’d be planning to retire in a year to two. All those years, all that money, wasted. Oh well. We’ve made so much progress in the 9 months we’ve been using it, I can only imagine where we’ll be in another 5 years. Thank you, Jesse! – Joanne Godwin, Orlando, FL

We have no debt and some savings. I used to track our income and expenses with excel, but I had trouble tracking every expense. YNAB has solved that problem. YNAB is easy to use, and will help maximize our savings. – Birgit Debeerst, Burke, VA

I got sick of Quicken’s “bloatware” – Mike McEwan, Iowa ciy, IA

It has made a huge difference in our lives. I can’t believe how much farther our money goes with the same income. It is just a matter of earmarking each dollar with a task! Thank you! Thank you! – Les Nuckles, Vista, CA USA

YNAB has been the turn-around that my husband and I needed to get our finances FINALLY in check. We started our marriage 21 years ago as spoiled financial brats and spent like we were the Vanderbilts. Much on credit, of course. Fast forward two kids, lots of dumb money mistakes and a company shut down (yikes!) and we were in a bad way. We knew a budget was key, everything we read reinforced that. We tried the cash envelope thing and just a paper spreadsheet, but both failed after a few months. Then I found your system when I was trolling the internet. I purchased it immediately! It TOTALLY made sense to me. It has helped us SO much. I was a big Quicken fan for tracking our spending, but itwas not a good planning tool. After a month of YNAB I dumped it off of the computer and am so glad I did. My husband was one of those people who just looked at the checking balance and if it said there was money then that must mean it was available to spend. Your system has helped me show him that the money is usually accounted for in some area. We used to have to scramble and “rob Peter to pay Paul” anytime a big bill came due or we had a crisis. Now we have backup money and we are not living paycheck to paycheck. We have saved and paid off a lot of debt and have a plan to continue. We used to have no idea how much we spent on frivolous purchases We wasted a LOT of money over the years, but now we have become good stewards of our money. There used to be TONS of stress associated with money at our house. Now we have calm discussions and feel confident about it. But I think the thing I like the best about this is the impact it has on my children (9 and 13). We talk to our kids about the situation that we got into and what led us there. We talk to them about YNAB, the rules, making smart choices with money and how we are getting our financial house in order. I see a bright future for them because they are learning these lessons now and it makes me happy. It is one of the greatest gifts that I can give them. Thank you! TK – Tani Woodlief, Jonesboro GA

The best budgeting program I have ever used!!! – Aaron Wright, Jackson MO 63755 USA

As simple as the YNAB premise is, and as much as we already KNEW what we needed to do, somehow this thing really WORKS! The feeling of knowing we’re in control and knowing that we have budget categories building up each month for upcoming expenses is priceless. – Sonya Canavan, Littleton, CO USA

I was sceptical about needing budget software at first but now I cannot imagine life without it! It has helped us pay off our credit card debt, save more money for a downpayment and an engagement ring. – Danielle Walther, Charlotte, NC

YNAB has changed our lives….I have gone from that person who wakes up in the middle of the night sweating about what maybe about to clear the bank (without the money to cover it) to that person who is just not worried anymore. YNAB has inabled me to feel like I know what I am doing in a realm that has always left me a bit off center. If your circle of friends is anything like ours, we spend a good bit of time discussing our shortcomings in the area of money management. I have had several friends tell me that I am a completely different person since we started using YNAB…and I feel it too. I recommend YNAB to everyone I know and I thank you so much for taking the time to develop such a program!!!! – Mary Gilliland, Lubbock, TX

I have been following Dave Ramsey’s plan for a couple years now, and when I read about YNAB on the DR forums, I decided to give it a shot. I started out with the Excel version, but after a few months I decided to purchase the Pro version instead, to start out 2008 with. Having such an easy-to-use program with such advanced features has made budgeting SO much easier, and even somewhat fun! I don’t quite have my buffer in place, but I get a little closer each month (until Murphy comes knocking on my door, that is!) – Beth Reed, Tampa, FL, USA

Nice software, much easier to use and less time consuming than the major competitors and I’ve tried them all. I plan to stick with this one. Keep up the good work! – Jason Pityk, Lexington, SC

Before I discovered YNAB, I had devised an intricate series of systems to keep track of debt balances, money spent, budgets, and savings. This system combines all those systems in one simple-to-use program. I don’t lose track of anything. It’s all right there for me to see. I love YNAB — it encourages me to save, and it lets me see exactly where I am financially at any time. A very smart program! – Patricia Wyatt, Monterey Bay, California

YNAB has made it possible for us to save more money than I ever thought we could. We tried other budgeting programs and systems, but none of them ever made as much sense as YNAB, and none of them worked for long. We’ve been using YNAB for almost a year now, and we’re getting ready to buy a house in a month. It’s not an exaggeration to say that YNAB has changed our lives. – Sarah Anondson, Minnesota

I have been using this in combination with Dave Ramsey’s financial peace/total money makeover. It has been perfect for me. I am simply not an envelope person and with YNAB, I can still monitor my spending without having to use envelopes. It’s the BEST. – Lori Rasmussen, Atlanta, GA

I am so glad I bought YNAB. I’ve been recommending it to all my friends. I had done Mvelopes before but didn’t like the poor service and it was much more complicated to use. I actually ENJOY using YNAB–I never thought that budgeting could be fun! – H.S. Loh, Boston, MA

Simple and effective. – David Gosselin, Lexington, KY

When my wife and I decided to get serious about our budget and paying down debt, I tried a lot of tools to make out budget and track our spending. Most were full of things we didn’t need and were hard to use but YNAB was simple and straightforward. Now we actually look forward to doing our budget each month and I love that I can see how we are doing during the month so we can adjust our spending as needed. – Marcus Fish, Grove City, PA, USA

I tell all my friends about YNAB! What a great tool! I actually enjoy managing our family finances now! This tool makes my life so much easier – I really like the import tool, reports and appreciated the tips in YNAB Way! Your story inspired me to try the product and you have definitely lived up to your promises! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your tool has been such a blessing to our family – who knew we could manage every dollar so easily! – Charlotte Betar, San Antonio, TX, USA

YNAB is a part of my daily life. I’ve recently begun my career after graduating, and I had to take on a lot of school debt in order to get through. YNAB makes EVERY penny count – which means I can make my loan payments and not have to eat ramen everyday. YNAB has helped me to create responsible habits when it comes to money. – Kc Mutchler, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

I LOVE YNAB! It has helped me actually SEE where my money is going and redirect it to where I REALLY want it to go!! – Chris Beaty, Springfield, Missouri, USA

I love this way of budgeting. It has gotten even better since I took the class last month. I learned a few new tricks and confirmed a few too. Although I do not push this on anyone, I do recommend it to anyone who talks to me about how hard it is to budget. – John M. Ahrens, Harrisburg, NC

Our financial woes are entirely unrelated to YNAB. In fact, the good thing is that I’ve been better able to put us on a severe budget to help us save on the little stuff. The disasters I can’t control. How much we spend per month at the grocery store or movies I can. Thanks to YNAB for giving me a tool to keep us under control. – Jane Gindin, Austin, Texas

In the short time we have used this we are able to see all our money now and exactly where it goes!!! We actually have more money!!! – Michael James, Orient Ohio

YNAB is a very useful tool in organizing your finances in a such a way you know where every penny goes. The trick is you’ll have to be honest enough to record it to the program because if you don’t, your finances may not get better. – Jess Dicus, Pulaski, TN USA

What I love about YNAB is the way the software clearly helps you track how you are spending your money. The goal is certainly to reduce debt and save money, but the primary contributing factor for us is being “forced” to confront our spending. – Ron oliver, Santa Cruz, CA

If nothing else, YNAB gives you an opportunity to take a good hard look at your financial state and make some changes. Being aware is the first step to being in control of your money – YNAB helps you to get aware of what the real situation with your money is. You’ll probably save the cost of YNAB within the first week that you start your budget – I know I did! – Jessa Kuyvenhoven Luchies, Ancaster, ontario, Canada

YNAB has helped me be better organized financially. I was doing a budget first on paper and later a simple spreadsheet,for several years prior to starting with YNAB in Jan 08 -so the discipline to budget was already in place. But YNAB has helped me be much more effective and efficient in budgeting. Why I like YNAB: *the 10 day boot camp is great at explaining the principles behind the YNAB tool – I printed out the text version for ready reference during my early months with YNAB. * I now have such quick access to my cash flow information – it has great visual display – I can easily see the tabs and know where we stand in each category * I love the ability to screen print and email current numbers to my husband at the office * Cash flow tracking from month to month is priceless!! We were also able to track our debt snowball in real time and pay off nearly $12,000 this year! This makes us debt free except for the mortgage!![thank you very much!] There are many more things I could say – but in the interest of being brief – I’ll stop here by saying I am very glad to have this tool. – Mary Smith, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Great software. I’d used Money for years, but never got around to keeping up with it because it was too clunky. I found YNAB and have been using it since the first day I bought it. It works with how I REALLY spend money – some months more, some months less. – Mary Nolan, Seattle, WA

..a life saver. a structured, easy to use guideline to decrease debt . – steven krahl, archbald,pa

YNAB is a great course. It is intensely practical and immensely useful. Thanks guys. – sam, hobart, tasmania, australia

I’ve tried everything – Menvelopes, Mary Hunt’s Monthly Money Makeover, David Bach, Dave Ramsey. They’re all good, they all have their strengths to be sure. But this program, thus far, is the best – it offers a synthesis of everything I learned with the other programs. To most people, it might seem crazy that we need YNAB, since we have no debt other than our mortgages. But here’s why: The reason we have no debt other than our 1st and 2nd mortgage (2nd to be paid off in 9 months), is because we pay our credit cards in full each month. Now the monthly credit card bills are never astronomical, but still, if we were to budget more consciously and carefully and give every job a dollar (thank you YNAB), the money that we throw at credit card bills would be saved or put towards something we make a mutual decision about. As it stood before YNAB, I would just cross my fingers and hope that we had enough money in the accounts to pay the CC bills. While somehow we always managed to do so, it wasn’t with a clear conscience. I love the way YNAB enables me, guides me, helps me to think – THINK – about how we want to spend and/or save our money. It has been a wonderful tool and I look forward to writing you another letter one year from now, filled with glowing accolades. And by the way, your online forums and your coach (I paid for the extra coaching help) have been fabulous. Your team really knows what they’re doing. Thank you so much! – Ellen Allard, Worcester, MA

You guys have created a fantastic product! Also thanks for always updating it with new useful features. Greg – Greg, Israel

As a student, YNAB has really helped me getting things together and making sure I can pay everything, each month, without stressing about it. Thanks lots! – Julien Duchene, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

It took me a few months to really make YNAB work for us, but now I feel so much better knowing we are spending last month’s income, and that there’s always a cushion. And saving up small amounts for future planned expenses would be pretty much impossible to do without YNAB. After doing the budget month after month, I always know in my head exactly how much we can spend in all categories, and it’s easy to curtail impulsive buying. Love it! – Lisa Erwin, Derby Line, VT

We went into YNAB with a good buffer and good savings strategies. However, we definitely weren’t giving every dollar a job, and we often over-committed certain dollars (like tax refund checks, etc). We did a good job of using other financial software programs, but they only gave us a look at the past and they were complicated. YNAB makes us feel much more in control over not only past, but more importantly our future. It also really motivates us to work together on developing the budget and sticking to it. It’s easy to use and gives me incredible piece of mind. I love it and recommend it to everyone! – Elizabeth Stockton, Georgetown, TX

YNAB is the best way to manage your money! It’s not about the budget, it’s about telling your money what to do. – Wendy Novotny, Colorado Springs, CO

YNAB is amazing … exactly what I was looking for, even before I knew I was looking for it. My husband and I are young parents of a small child, and with him in school and me as the sole earner, we need to see and plan exactly where our money is going. Fantastic resource! – Kathryn Johnson, Athens, GA, USA

I had to ‘face the music’ which has been really rough. However, it had to happen. So, I haven’t saved any money yet becuase there isn’t any to save. I would really like (and admittedly I haven’t checked out the forums…I’m just not a ‘chat room’ type person) if there was an option to pay a fee to have my budget set up evaluated confidentialy, of course. Just to be sure I’m ok. The whole supplemental vs. primary messed me up with money that was existing in the account prior to a specific paycheck. – Chris Darbonne, Shelby Township, Michigan

Part of the steps towards a debt-free life, without any doubt! – Vincent Deslandes, Gatineau, Québec, Canada

If I had the progam 20 years ago I may have been a millionaire by now – Sharon Wisen, Beloit, WI

I cannot imagine budgeting without YNAB Pro. It makes the budgeting process painless. Having to account for every penny we spend has been an eye opening experience, we are on track to save an extra 100.00 a week after only 7 months of using YNAB Pro. Incredible. – Lori Camp, South Bend, IN

YNAB has made a huge difference in the way we approach budgeting. The four rules of the program make so much sense and are so simple to implement. We always knew that “living within our means” was key to getting control of our finances, but every time we set up a budget, unexpected expenses seemed to pop up and throw us off track. For the first time, we feel like we are in charge of our money, instead of just wondering where it all went at the end of every month. Thanks so much for this wonderful program! – Darylyne Provost, Hampden, ME

Excellent piece of software. – Jill, Novi, MI

WOW just taking this survey made me realize that YNAB has made a $20000.00 difference in my life in just 9 short months!!!!!! I LOVE NOT LIVING PAY CHECK TO PAY CHECK ANYMORE!!! The program itself is incredible & the forum is invaluable. I was a chronic lurker those first few months (never posted) but always found answers to my questions & motivation to keep working towards my goals. Thank you so much Jessie & YNAB for changing my live!! Jacqueline Cobb – Jacqueline L Cobb, Wichita, KS

YNAB has helped me and my husband have informed rational discussions about our spending priorities. With 3 children there are always lots of calls on our money. Now we can easily see what we can afford and decide what our priorities are. We have been saving for a piano, and will have the money we need next month to purchase one! – Before YNAB we would have frittered away the money on more immediate items. – Sarah Bearpark, UK

Thank you for a wonderfully thought out product! – Barry W. Duncan, Port Neches, TX

When I got married, I brought most of the debt to our relationship. And my wife (being a really good saver) wanted to help us get out of debt, so she began to deposit money into our checking account so we could pay my debt off, BUT when it came time to pay the bills, that money wasn’t there!!!…This is when I went on a mission to get a budgeting program to help us. I looked at the OTHER programs, then I found YNAB!!!….This has been the best tool we have ever used. We don’t fight about money anymore, because we know that every dollar has a J-O-B!!!( this is our favorite rule)….Thanks Jesse for getting us on the road to saving and being debt free!!! – Geoff Burdic, Cornelius, NC

YNAB is very quick to get up to speed and simple to use. – Greg Lewis, Goleta, CA USA

Prior to using YNAB I had a lot of stress about money. Having just left grad school, I had about $200 dollars to my name. Now I am working my way to having a bit of a next egg, I don’t worry about my bills, and I don’t stress about my car breaking down or other unexpected medical expenses. YNAB has really been a miracle for me. Thanks! – Sara, Denver, Colorado, USA

I’ve only had YNAB for a couple of weeks but I absolutely love it. I can’t wait until I save enough money for my buffer. The concept of living on last month’s salary is so simple yet completely brilliant. I now can’t imagine a budget truly working any other way. – Tiffaney Porter, Sulphur, LA

I love the philosophy behind YNAB. It is solid financially. In addition it is tremendous software that is flexible and user friendly. And of course, the features keep on getting better and better. Now I know exactly where I stand with my money each month. – Tim Heeter, St. Ansgar, Iowa

YNAB has made me focus on what I’m spending and caused me to make changes by forming better spending habits — I think about purchases now and do less impulse buying. – Debbie Mills, Orlando, FL

This really helped me put things into perspective. – Kari Sowinski, Zionsville, IN

We have always managed to save and generally budget but use YNAB for this as it is such a great program. It helps us to keep track of our spending and maintain the saving. – Maureen Mulligan, Perth, Western Australia

YNAB is the best thing ive ever purchased.Cant believe the pressure it takes of the money thing. – steve marlow, williams lake bc canada

The best thing about YNAB is the light it shines on discretionary spending. Those seemingly benign “dollar here, dollar there” expenditures really add up, and having the ability to see the pattern helps effect positive change. – Rachael Hubbell, Dallas, Texas

My savings speaks for itself – I had not been able to save for over a year. Since using YNAB, I’ve save almost $1,000 and have been able to add my whole raise to my 401k plan. – Ellen Ward, Albuquerque, NM, USA

I would highly recommend YNAB. Its ease of use and intuitive methodology have worked wonders for our financial life! – Meghan Fluit, London, Ontario, Canada

I have used budgeting software for over a decade. It only told me where the money had gone. It didn’t help me direct where the money would go. YNAB’s four rules help me direct where the money will go and corrections can be made immediately when the “ship” starts to go off course. We found that we could save money every month. We feel relaxed when we spend money or have an emergency expenditure. It is a very simple, and remarkably successful tool for budget management. – Diane Pezzimenti, Peabody, MA

I was in debt and I thought I would never pay it off. Using YNAB, and sticking to it, I paid it off quicker and realized I had more money left. – james hartzell, charlotte, nc

YNAB has been the perfect money software for us. I love the peace that comes from living off of last month’s income as well as giving every dollar a job. The YNAB format helps us see the big picture in our finances while also allowing us to note all the tiny details. – Beth Carter, Martinsville Indiana

I’ve only been using the program for one month, but I’ve enjoyed a wonderful feeling of being in control of my spending. Just seeing where the $$ go, and feeling like I can plan how I spend has made an amazing difference in my life. Being in control has also motivated me to work on saving and paying off debt. Many, many thanks for this wonderful system. – Sharon Foster, Dallas, Georgia, USA

My wife and I have been married for five years, we have tried different budgets, from envelopes to complicated excel spreadsheets (home grown). I found YNAB online and brought it home, it brought many of the principles we have discovered along the way together in one neat package and is has brought peace back to our finances. We used to spend a lot of time each month tracking expenses and budgeting, but now we just spend a few minutes and do a lot better job at it! We have recommended this software to a bunch of friends and they are all very interested! We have gone into a little more debt since we started, a debt of gratitude to YNAB (just a little financial humor there) Thanks for sharing this software and these principles with us! – Joseph Fountain, Lansing, MI, USA

YNAB has been the best thing for our marriage. Talking about money is not stressful and it makes it so easy for us to plan our monthly budget. – Rob Ward, Dayon

The best thing about YNAB is it lets you see where your money is going. Once you see the areas that you spend the most money you can effectively cut back in those areas. It also lets us set goals and save for future projects and purchases. I highly reccomend YNAB if you are trying to understand and track your families finaces. – John Stith, Atlanta Georgia

My husband is in school full time. We receive a yearly payment from his former employer and we knew that we only had ‘X’ amount of money to make it through. YNAB has helped me know exactly where the money is going and kept me from overspending since I know I have only a certain amount per category to use. I feel more confident knowing that I’m on target each month. – Cynthia Corbin, Conyers, GA

YNAB has changed our family’s life. Before YNAB we were living above our means, getting further into debt and not making any progress on the debt we have (which is A LOT!) Our priorities have changed and we have begun to focus on what is really important in life. This will mean a better life for my husband, myself, and our 2 children. I can’t tell you how much I am thankful for YNAB and how it has empowered our family. My husband works seasonally and every year we were ending the winter getting further into debt. This year we have started a savings plan that will not only enable us to get through the winter on savings and my income, but also pay off our debt much faster!! It has also unleashed our creative spirits, so that we are much more creative about ways to get by without buying more stuff which is so enjoyable! I recently kept telling my sister about how much it has changed our life for the better and since then my sister has purchased it and it is in full use in her family too. THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS…. – Amy O’Donnell, Massachusetts

Following the principles set for by YNAB can put anyone on a solid financial footing. – Kris Jorgensen, North Canton, OH

Great product that helped us save a lot of money over the last 6 months for the new house we just purchased. Now we’ll focus on paying off that debt… – Rob Anderson, O’Fallon, MO

An unusual but effective approach to budgeting. I highly recommend it. – Terry Lange, Maple Grove, MN

YNAB is a simple product that helped me PLAN instead of SEEING my purchases. Allocating a budget instead of just entering transaction made me a lot more aware of my finances and has stopped me from stressing over money matters. – Eric Belanger, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Fantastic program! Nothing like it on the market. – Robert Burdick, Ashaway, RI

YNAB is so easy to use, that I actually use it. Jesse’s method doesn’t just tell you where you should be, it gives you a way to get there. For the first time in my I am getting ahead. Thanks Jesse! – vikki barker, east peoria illlinois

YNAB helped us plan where the extra money was going instead of it just disappearing every month. – Bruce Olson, Philmont NY, USA

YNAB is great! It helpsa me stick to a budget and stay within my means (which is hard these days) I’ve recommendws YNAB to family and friends. Please keep up the good work. – Anthony Silva, Trinity, Florida

An incredibly intuitive program. Any complaint I’ve had about other budget programs was put to rest when I used YNAB Pro. Features I didn’t even realize I needed just materialized right before my eyes before I had done enough to say…”I wish this had….” Thanks for a spectacular program, Jesse. – Kati Eichelberger, Ottawa, Ontario

As a college student taking classes full time and working about 35 hours a week was a huge strugle, YNAB has helped me to gain controll of my money so i can work a little less and consentrate more on my school. – Megan Kilman, Virginia Beach

This is only the second month of our YNAB journey, but it’s already had a significant impact on the way we spend. We were already on our way to getting rid of our debt, but now I can see dollar for dollar how I can make that happen as quickly as possible. I feel in control of our finances for the first time! – Ann Howell, West Bridgewater, Mass.

Even though we are not living under rule 1 yet (we are still entering all our income as supplemental) we have found your YNAB software to be very helpful to us. We have used Quicken for the last 3 years and have never been able to stay on track with our budget. YNAB forces us to do so. We feel more accountable to our budget and can immediately see when we have overspent and we know we need to adjust our spending. Thank you for helping us stay on track! – Carola Moore, Benzonia, MI

These are the principals we have been looking for in a program. We have finally taken control of our financial future! – Wade Jensen, SLC, Utah

So far, so good. I finally know where our money is going and have caught onto giving every dollar a job. It’s making a huge difference already. We still have a ways to go before paying off some debt and building our buffer, but we are on our way! – Kim, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

I’m going through a divorce (amicable), so I have suddenly been faced with a diminished effective income. YNAB has been great for helping me project my cash flow against my expenses. I would be in real trouble without this great planning tool. – Thomas Buck, Philadelphia, PA

I tried to find a website which could help me through my financial problems. This YNAB site was recommended in a forum and when I signed up for your newsletter – I was fascinated on how much money that I have saved and on top of that, I had been able to pay my debt. I tried one of your methods – surviving on cash – and that really worked well for me. I tried to limit myself to £10 per week now and never use debit or credit card at all – and now I can save alot compared to previous situation. Thank you very much for your enlightening newsletters – they were very much appreciated. I would definitely recommend your website to my friends here – you will grow transatlantic fans base here! – Nasrul Ismail, Bristol, United Kingdom

We never had a budget before, and YNAB are truly helped maintain our budget and really has clarified what a budget is! I don’t think we really knew that before working with YNAB. It’s really understandable software….we love it. – Sally Moffitt, LaGrange, Ohio

Great product – Very Intuitive – Scott Auchinleck, Duclos, Quebec, Canada

When I started YNAB, I was making ends meet. I thought I was doing great, financially speaking. My credit cards were paid off, and I thought that was what was important. What I wasn’t doing was planning ahead. I could have a $500 insurance bill due the following month and wouldn’t even think about it until it showed up. How would I then pay that bill? From savings. Now, with YNAB, I plan ahead. I make smart purchases. And I haven’t touched my savings account once. Except to continue to grow it, of course! – Megan Sullivan, Silver Spring, MD

Only just set YNAB up and it’s great so far. Looking forward to some straight forward budgeting and banking! – Timothy Burke, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

It makes you think about an area which is usually given inadequate time and consideration. – Archie Dongo, Harare, Zimbabwe

I’ve always been a fan of budgeting but have never found one so simple to use but still with the detail! Plus the fact that because you work from last months income, a variable wage is never a problem. Thankyou so very much for allowing me to take full control of my finances and the peace of mind that comes with clear picture. – Maredydd Cronin, Australia

Great easy to use product – a bit difficult getting a month in front with wages. Very easy to download statements from bank so no problem entering most budget items – showed me that I overspend – now working on the how to reduce spending and start saving part. – Karen Johnson, Australia

YNAB has made me think about my financial side of things in a whole new way. Before I had this empty feeling that no matter how much of a pay rise I received, I just didnt know where its all going. Now I visibly SEE everything and SEE my savings growing! I sleep better at night knowing I am in control. Thank you Jesse – Jasvinder Kundi, Purley, Surrey, UK

YNAB has given my wife and I peace of mind. We now know exactly how much is being spent in each catagory. It is so easy to adjust areas of overspending without having to redo a paper budget every time that changes. It is also fun to watch debts decrease and savings increace. Thank you YNAB! – David Edwards, Mobile, AL

YNAB is fantastic and has completely changed the way we think about money. It’s a family affair and the kids won’t let us spend a dollar we don’t need to.. – David Cann, Adelaide South Australia

I just love the feeling to have all my personal finance under control now, and as a Mac OS user, I’m just waiting for the new osX version to be released!!! – Paulo Baptista, Figueira da Foz, Portugal

I have learnt so much from YNAB. My finances are now organized and under control. – Geradine Consoli, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, UK

YNAB is the way I wanted to do a budget but much better. I had never thought of rule #1 but it makes so much sense. The great thing about YNAB for us, is we know if we have unexpected expenses such a getting a new puppy, we have the money to cover it. We know what we can afford to buy. It has also made us cut down on impulse buying. If it’s not in the budget, we don’t buy it. – Donna Gordon, Manassas Park, Virginia

What I love the most about YNAB is that it enables you to focus and take control of, in stead of being controlled by your financial obligations. – Daniel Conradie, Windhoek, Namibia

YNAB got me thinking about a better way to manage my money. It really was fantastic when we were at a very low point in our finances. I have recommended YNAB to my younger siblings who also struggle to make their pays go all the way it needs to – Rachel Thomas, Queanbeyan NSW australia

Just reading up thus far so we can set up correctly, but I must say at this point it looks very promising – I have been able to find your advice on how to get around the double up transactions when paying your credit card – that one has stumped me with all other budgetting systems we’ve tried. :) – Paul and Angela Gilling, Hamilton New Zealand

Excellent tool that elegantly helps you keep your personal finances above red. – Nenad Maljkovic, Zagreb, Croatia, Europe

I’ve paid off all my debt – equal to a full month’s income at the time, and now have a buffer and a half saved. On less than $1000 per month, and needing to feed a family of 4 (including a teen boy) plus with the rising cost of petrol and some heavy medical expenses, I’m thrilled with the way YNAB has focussed me on my finances and got me back in the black with room to breathe. – Rose Lee, Te Puke, New Zealand

I was only working a few years and hadn’t quite gotten my head around saving – some months were very hairy! until a friend told me about YNAB. It was hard at the beginning and some months I still slip up. But even the simple act of writing everything down has helped. I managed to save for my wedding (coming up in Spetember!) and that definitely wouldn’t have happened without YNAB! – Maireen Considine, Republic of Ireland

I love ynab, really helps me keep on track of where my dollars are going, a breeze to use once it’s set up and allows me to save and budget with amazing accuracy. – Steve Blyth, Sydney, Australia

This is a great program. Once you get up and running with it it can really help you get your finances under control. We have not managed to “save” yet but we have stopped going backwards. – Matt Vickery, Christchurch, New Zealand