The YNAB Blog
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It’s all about spending
I’m on the Book Launch Team for YNAB founder Jesse Mecham’s new book (due out in less than two weeks!), Never Worry About Money Again. This book is a quick read and offers laser clarity on the principles behind YNAB. I’m excited for it to be a new introduction to the YNAB method for new…
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A tale of two poop bags
I have a wonderful standard poodle named Bix. He’s the fifth standard poodle we’ve had over the last 34 years. We live in a city and take twice-daily walks, as we have with all our dogs. Needless to say, I know something about poop bags. For years I’ve used the DOOG pick-up bags, which come…
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My first-day-of-the-month routine
It’s July 1 and this morning I had the pleasure of assigning money to meet all this month’s targets. Being a month ahead makes everything easier, including assigning money in YNAB. Since I was fully funded on June 1, all money that came in to my bank account in June was assigned to my Next…
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Let go of perfectionism around your money
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it here, but I’m the co-host of a weekly podcast called Getting to Good Enough, which is all about letting go of perfectionism so you can live with more ease, less stress, and a lot more laughter. My co-host is life coach and fellow YNAB Certified Coach, Shannon Wilkinson.…
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The YNAB Memo Field: Why It’s Worth Using (and How It Helps Later)
When you’re in the flow of approving transactions in YNAB, it’s so easy to skip the YNAB memo field. But that little field is one of the simplest ways to make your budget clearer—both now and later. To be clear: not every transaction needs a memo. Your monthly electric bill probably speaks for itself. But for many day-to-day purchases, a…
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Why You Should Categorize Inflows as Ready to Assign in YNAB
I’ve noticed that some new Peace of Mind Spending clients have a tendency to categorize some inflows directly to the category they plan to spend the money on. I can see how that makes sense to them…why not skip the middleman (Ready to Assign) and go directly to the category? There’s a good reason: It…
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Next Month Category vs. Assigning Into the Future in YNAB
In YNAB, getting a month ahead is the goal. When you are spending money this month that you earned last month, you have created financial peace of mind. I’m a month ahead in both my business and personal budgets and I can tell you with certainty that it has brought much ease to my financial…
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How to Categorize ATM Withdrawals in YNAB (3 Simple Options)
Cash is no longer king, but sometimes you still need to hit the ATM. When you withdraw cash, how should you categorize an ATM withdrawal in YNAB? There’s no one right way to do it, but here are a few solid options: Create an “ATM Withdrawal” (or “Cash”) Category You could just have an ATM…
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How YNAB Makes Profit First Easier: My Simple Deposit Allocation Workflow
I love the Profit First methodology to help small businesses be more profitable. I first read the book Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine, by Mike Michaelowicz in 2015 and shortly thereafter started using it for my organizing business. It revolutionized how I think about my business’s money—and a…
Are there any YNAB or spending topics you’d like me to write about?