You can set a goal with a Target Balance amount, and then choose whether you want to fund it as a Target Category Balance, Target Category Balance by Date, or a Monthly Funding Goal.įor instance, let’s say you want to save $600 for Christmas. With YNAB, you can set savings goals right inside your budget! Consequently, you’re reminded of them on a regular basis and are more motivated to reach them.īenj and I have set both smaller savings goals, like Christmas and family trips, and larger ones, like our emergency fund and our first home. NOTE: If you’re looking for more ways to make budgeting fun, check out this post for 10 practical tips to change the way you budget! 3.
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This allows you spend more time dreaming about your financial goals and helps you to have fun!
#You need a budget vs mint software
Good budgeting software removes so much of the stress and frustration that surrounds budgeting. If the total at the end of a line item is green, then you’re good! If it’s red, you need to cover your overspending. YNAB’s simple design makes it very clear if there’s been any overspending. Is there enough money in “Household Supplies” to pay for that purchase? If not, can we cover it with a different category? The month isn’t even half over… Do we need to reign in our grocery spending? YNAB holds us accountableĪt any given time, a quick glance at our budget tells us everything we need to know. Here are some of the other reasons why we love You Need a Budget. We’re personally able to save thousands of dollars every year simply because we can easily track every dollar that comes in and goes out. Oh, and more than $6,000 after one year.” Their website states, “On average, new budgeters save $600 in their first two months with YNAB. YNAB saves us far more money than it costs us. So here’s my honest answer to the, “Is YNAB worth the money?” question.įor us, the short answer is absolutely yes, it’s worth every penny!
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There are so many ways you can budget- from spreadsheets to paper planners, and apps to online software, like YNAB! The wedding went off without a hitch (pun fully intended), and Benj and I have been budgeting together with YNAB ever since. I even used it a few months later to budget for our wedding! It kept me accountable and stopped me from ordering live swans and ice sculptures. YNAB was easy to understand and to use on a daily basis. I had never heard of this budgeting software before, but I took to it like a fish to water.
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It was during this process that Benj introduced me to You Need a Budget ( YNAB for short). We had fun estimating costs, running numbers, checking out apartment complexes, and talking to others about their expenses (i.e. Because that’s what normal couples do, right? (Right guys? C’mon, anybody?) So, being the nerds we are, we set up a mock budget together. Benj and I wanted to have an accurate idea of what living on our own would cost. We fell in love and started talking about our future life together.īefore long, the subjects of money and living expenses came up. Instead, I simply kept a running list of the money I’d earned and spent.īecause I lived at home with my parents, and didn’t have many recurring expenses, I had never given budgeting much thought. I had never done a zero-based budget until a few years ago, even though I’d faithfully saved money since elementary school (further proof that I’ve always been a nerd). (Or as my husband always responds, “No-the beginning.”) Once upon a time, I fell in love with budgeting. I’ve heard quite a few people ask, “Is YNAB worth the money?” It’s a fair question that deserves an honest answer, so let’s chat.