Shows
The Money Clarity Podcast14. Guilt-Free Spending: Mastering YNAB’s Original RulesAre you tired of feeling like your budget is a rigid box that stops you from having fun? Let's talk about YNAB's original four rules and debunk that myth!RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:❇️ Join The Empowered Money Circle on Skool! ❇️https://www.theexuberantelephant.com/emc---🟪 FREE RESOURCES: https://www.theexuberantelephant.com/downloads🟪 EVERYTHING PAGE: https://www.theexuberantelephant.com/everything🟪 BLOG: https://www.theexuberantelephant.com/blog-home➡️ Try YNAB for FREE for 34 days: https://theexuberantelephant.com/ynab (affiliate link)
2026-02-0313 min
The Supportive PodcastYNAB — Our First CustomersTodd Curtis, CEO of YNAB, shares how customer support became the foundation for sustainable growth. Learn why they embedded support in product teams and used it as a training ground for company-wide leadership. Here's the original YNAB Support Ethics document (long since replaced with expanded versions)https://2760806.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/2760806/YNAB%20Support%20Ethic.pdfDiscover how YNAB’s “education first” approach shaped not only how they help customers, but also how they build their own business. If you’ve ever wondered how support can become a secret engine for company growth (and even lea...
2025-12-0939 min
The Jesse Mecham ShowChanging The Rules of Money | Dave Crombleholme Live from Fan Fest Minneapolis 2025In today's episode, Jesse hands over the mic to YNAB team member Dave Crombleholme, who presented at the Minneapolis Fan Fest in June 2025. Dave is perhaps most famous for his idea of the Wish Farm at YNAB, but he's also spent a long time wrestling with the word budget. In Dave's presentation, he outlines various iterations of the YNAB rules over the years, explains why the concept of rules never sat right in the first place, and how trying redefining the word budget proved to be a frustrating endeavor. In the end, it was always about spending, about giving e...
2025-10-1629 minThe Money Clarity Podcast2: Budgeting for a Life You Love: An Introduction to YNABWhat if budgeting wasn't about restriction but rather, a powerful tool for financial freedom? In this episode, I'm introducing you to YNAB (You Need A Budget), my favorite budgeting tool that has helped me and countless clients transform how we look at our money. We'll explore the four rules that make YNAB different and how you can use them to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck and start building the life you love.--❇️ Join The Empowered Money Circle on Skool! ❇️ https://www.theexuberantelephant.com/emc🟪 FREE RESOURCES: https://www.theexuberantelephant.com/downloads🟪 EVERYTHING PAGE: https...
2025-10-1410 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowMoney Is the Medium, Money Is You | Live from Fan Fest Minneapolis 2025In June 2025 at YNAB Fan Fest Minneapolis, Jesse gave a talk about how money is a medium -- not just of exchange, but, ultimately, of you. When you really examine what it is that money does in the world, it is a thing which translates your energy and effort (required to earn the money) into tangible goods and services. When you draw a throughline between your work and your spending, money just falls away. It's simply a medium for you to express yourself in the world. Sign up for YNAB Fan Fest updates: h...
2025-10-0927 min
Getting to Good EnoughFinancial Peace: How Smart Money Strategies and YNAB End Financial Stress (Best of GTGE)Money stress affects so many of us, but it doesn't have to be that way. In this Best of episode from our archives, Janine and Shannon dive deep into the budgeting tools and money management strategies that have brought them genuine financial peace. Shannon shares her expertise with YNAB (formerly You Need a Budget) software, while Janine discusses her journey from financial stress to feeling "in the driver's seat" with her money.Fun FactSince recording this episode, both Shannon and Janine became Certified YNAB Coaches! (links below)What You'll LearnHow...
2025-08-2832 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowWhy Buy Now, Pay Later is the WORST Way to SpendJesse has ranted about credit cards and their pernicious way of separating you from your money, both literally and metaphorically -- obfuscating the way you spend and distancing your priorities from the point of sale. Today he warns against the newest form of this pernicious spending: buy now, pay later programs. It's like a credit card you don't have to sign up -- just purchase an item, and via an app like Klarna or Affirm, you can split up the cost of that item over several smaller installments. Of course, buy now pay later programs e...
2025-07-2406 min
Budget Nerds#119 - Lauren's YNAB Categories (PLUS How She Breaks the Multi-Currency Rules)In today's episode Ben and Ernie chat with Lauren, a long time YNAB user going back to YNAB4 and a Customer Support Specialist at YNAB. Though she was born in the US, Lauren is of Korean descent and since 2017 has been teaching English in South Korea. Her unique background has required some pro-level YNAB moves, since she is paid in US dollars but spends in both USD and Korean Yuan, which fluctuate in value relative to each other. YNAB's recommended solution is to maintain two plans, one in each currency, so that currency fluctuations don't c...
2025-07-021h 15The Jesse Mecham ShowWhat I Do When I Really Want to Buy ItWhen you really want to buy something, what do you do? Do you wait for 48 hours to cool off a bit and think it over? Or perhaps do you create a category for it in YNAB and fund it with a few dollars, just to see how it feels? Having the urge to buy something is not a bad or shameful thing, but there should be a process for weighing that purchase against your other priorities. That's what YNAB does -- it makes money more real by giving you a framework to evaluate your spending against your priorities. That...
2025-06-1207 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowMoney Stress Wrecking Your Health? Here's How To Fix It! (Rebroadcast from The Art of Being Well with Dr. Will Cole)This week Jesse and the rest of the YNAB team are working hard prepping for the upcoming Fan Fest in Minneapolis, so today we are rebroadcasting an interview that originally appeared on Dr. Will Cole's Art of Being Well podcast. In this interview, Jesse talks about how money stress not only leads to poorer mental health, it has real physical impacts on the body as well. We hope you enjoy this interview. If you'd like to follow Dr. Cole's podcast, check out the links below: Web: https://drwillcole.com/podcast/money-anxiety-is-ruining-your-health-heres-how-to-fix-it-jesse-mecham Apple: https://podcasts.a...
2025-06-051h 13The Jesse Mecham Show4 Ways to Start a Fight About MoneyIt's no secret that money is a major factor in relationship conflicts. Whether it's misaligned values, a feeling that one partner is sabotaging the other's goals through their spending, or a desire to keep up with the Jones'... money has the potential to start or fuel a lot of conflict. But it doesn't have to! Often money arguments belie fundamental communcation problems, and YNAB can help by clarifying for both partners what the goal is for your dollars and whether that is aligned with your shared values. Watch The Jesse Mecham Show on Youtube:
2025-05-2908 minBudget Nerds#116 - YNAB's Future Vision with CEO Todd CurtisIn today's episode Ben and Ernie talk with the man himself, Todd Curtis, long-time YNAB team member and CEO since 2021. Todd has been a YNAB'er going all the way back to the YNAB3 days, and served as a beta tester for an early Mac version of the software before officially joining the company in 2010. In his tenure at YNAB Todd has touched on just about every aspect of the business, from customer service to product development, and now leads the company and helps shape and focus the core values of spendfulness that YNAB stands for. I...
2025-05-211h 06The Jesse Mecham ShowHow and When We Teach Our Kids About MoneyJudging from the difficulties many adults have managing their money, we don't do a great job collectively of teaching our kids about money. Jesse doesn't consider himself an expert on this, but he does have seven kids, and thus seven chances to instill good money habits in his own children. In today's episode he shares how he teaches his kids about money using the YNAB method, scaled down in language and concepts that younger children can understand. At the end of the day, the goal for kids is the same as the goal for adults... J...
2025-05-1506 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowSpendfulness: An Origin StorySpendfulness is the new word around YNAB, but the concept goes back to the beginning of the company... and even before the company itself. In today's episode, Jesse recounts the very early days of YNAB, when the budgeting method was just a spreadsheet. Jesse realized that the spreadsheet was enforcing a set of behaviors, or "rules," around money and that those rules were the foundation of what is now referred to as the YNAB method. YNAB is more than a spreadsheet, and more than a software tool, it is a set of principles for managing money and, more importantly...
2025-05-0808 minBudget Nerds#115 - How Heidi Overcame ADHD and Money Mistakes with YNABToday Ben and Ernie are joined by long-time YNAB'er Heidi to discuss her challenges of managing money with ADHD, and how she has used the YNAB method to reclaim control over her money. As Heidi explains, ADHD is characterized by impulsiveness and inattentiveness, both of which took a heavy toll on her finances, especially during phases of her career where her income was variable. Heidi was an early adopter of YNAB -- starting with YNAB3! -- and quickly fell in love with the software and the concreteness of the YNAB method. Heidi explains how the o...
2025-05-071h 13The Jesse Mecham ShowHow to Be Spendful When the World Is on FireIf the world seems like it's on fire right now... it may be true. But then again, the world always seems like it's on fire, at least depending on who you ask. If you ask the news, it certainly is! Fortunately, the YNAB method -- giving every dollar a job and working through the 5 Questions -- can bring peace and calm to your finances. Watch The Jesse Mecham Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessemechamshow Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.co...
2025-04-2408 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowDelete Your Emergency FundOn the surface, emergency funds sound like a very prudent idea. You set aside cash for unknowable, unforseeable events so that you aren't strapped when you really need it. We're not disagreeing with the idea, but an emergency fund is somewhat counter to the core principle of YNAB: giving every dollar a job. In an emergency fund, dollars are given a job, but it's a vague one. Jesse likens it to a football coach yelling at his defense to "just stop the other team from scoring!" The coach is identifying the basic goal of the g...
2025-04-1706 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowAre Your Savings Making You Stingy?All money is meant to be spent, it's just a matter of when. Some people get caught in a cycle of amassing savings with no clear goal of how it is to be spent. Jesse shares an example from his wedding of how the desire to save money can backfire, and demonstrates how having a plan for your money, whether it's in the near future or distant future, is the most important thing. As we say at YNAB, give every dollar job. Watch The Jesse Mecham Show on Youtube:
2025-04-1007 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowStop Budgeting Dollars You Don't HaveYNAB only asks that you follow one rule with your money, the golden rule of money, if you will -- give every dollar a job. And within that statement is implied that you must give every dollar you have a job. Many people get in trouble when they start planning for money they expect to come but don't have yet. There be dragons! Looking at the money you have right now, and asking yourself "what does this money need to do between now and when I get paid again?" focused you on reality, and avoids a...
2025-04-0305 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowThese 5 Questions Will Rewrite Your Financial FutureYNAB only has one "rule" for managing your money, and that's to give every dollar a job. This is easier said than done, however, so to help with this task, Jesse presents 5 questions to clarify what you want to do with your money: Reality: What does this money need to do before I'm paid again? Stability: What larger, less frequent spending do I need to prepare for? Resilience: What can I set aside for next month's spending? Creation: What goals, large or small, do I want to prioritize? Flexibility: What changes do I need to make, if any?
2025-03-2011 minBudget Nerds#111 - What's Your YNAB Routine?Like the cycles of the earth, Sun, and moon, YNAB'ers have cycles too! Daily, monthly, quarterly, even yearly, there are things to do to manage your spending plan. In today's episode Ben and Ernie share what they do in YNAB at every stop in the calendar, including how they run budget meetings and how they include the family in the planning process. Try YNAB FREE for 34 days! https://www.ynab.com/nerds Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube Budget Nerds Livestreams: https://www.youtube.com/@YNABofficial/streams ...
2025-03-121h 02Budget Nerds#110 - Is YNAB Worth It?It's a common question for those not already committed to YNAB: is it really worth it? I mean, paying for a budgeting software? It's a legitimate question, and you can probably guess where Ben and Ernie land on answering it (of course!). Today Ben and Ernie don't want to offer their opinions on why YNAB is worth it, they want to share some cold hard facts from a recent study the YNAB marketing team conducted on YNAB user behavior. What they found was a clear quantitative reason to sign up for YNAB: the average user s...
2025-02-2648 minBudget Nerds#109 - Don't Make These Common YNAB Mistakes!YNAB is an incredible tool for learning to love how you spend, but it does come with a learning curve. Ben and Ernie have taught thousands of folks how to use YNAB, and throughout their years working with newcomers a handful of common mistakes occur again and again. In today's episode, Ben and Ernie outline seven mistakes people make in YNAB, and how to avoid them. Resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.ynab.com/blog/common-money-mistakes Get your tickets to YNAB Fan Fest 2025! Coming to San Die...
2025-02-121h 04The Jesse Mecham ShowAsk Jesse: 2025 EditionJesse cracks open his inbox for another round of Ask Jesse. In today's episode he fields questions about YNAB'ing through job loss, financing a car and investing the float, and what personal finance books he recommends for kids. Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: @ynabofficial Instagram: @ynab.official Twitter/X: @ynab Tik Tok...
2025-02-0313 minBudget Nerds#108 - Spendfulness: The Word We've Been Looking For All Along with YNAB DaveIn today's episode, Ben and Ernie are joined by Dave from YNAB, a YNAB teacher and contributor to many YNAB articles and blogs and a master of money analogies! Dave discovered YNAB while deeply in debt and making a move across the Atlantic. He saw the wisdom and value of the YNAB method quickly, however, and steadily worked himself out of debt over an eight year period. Along the way, he learend many lessons about sustainability and resilience -- learning to balance his priorities of enjoying life now and becoming debt free, while creating a buffer for unexpected expenses...
2025-01-2953 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowSpendfulnessPeople have been doing it for years by following the YNAB method -- self-actualizing by aligning their spending with themselves. Now the YNAB team has come up with a word to describe it. It's not a budget, it's not a set of rules. It's spendfulness. Tickets to YNAB Fan Fest 2025 are on sale now! Coming to San Diego, Minneapolis, and NYC: YNAB.com/events Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a fr...
2025-01-2705 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowYNAB Method Overhaul... Not ReallyThe Four Rules are out... the Five Questions are in! Well... not really, the Four Rules have just been transformed and clarified. As Jesse has pointed out in prior podcasts, the Four Rules were really just one rule, the first rule -- Give Every Dollar a Job. And that is still the master rule. To clarify what giving every dollar a job means, YNAB has come up with five questions: What does this money need to do before I'm paid again? (Reality) What larger, less frequent spending do I need to p...
2025-01-2009 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowAdvice for Procrastinators Not Wanting to Deal With MoneyIf you have been procrastinating about starting to manage your money, Jesse has a message for you. It's ok to start now, and start small -- and you don't have to be perfect either! Jesse has been using the YNAB method to manage his money for twenty years now, and he still hasn't reached perfection. But, he has become more in tune with his spending and learned how to create more joy in his life as a result, and he's helped millions of other people to do the same through YNAB. Jump in! Ti...
2025-01-1306 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowI Stopped Using Credit Cards for an Entire Year. Here's What HappenedEvery year Jesse experiments with his money. In 2023 he decided to ditch his credit cards, and he continued that experiment through 2024. The result? His average bank account balance is up 18%, his time spent maintaining YNAB is down, and most importantly, money is simpler. He doesn't even miss the points and cashback rewards! Tickets to YNAB Fan Fest 2025 are on sale now! Coming to San Diego, Minneapolis, and NYC: YNAB.com/events Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com
2025-01-0606 minBudget NerdsBudget Nerds LIVE at YNAB Fan Fest 2024 Salt Lake CityIn September 2024, YNAB invited over 150 fans to Salt Lake City to celebrate the 20th annivesary of YNAB and enjoy the camaraderie of people with a passion for the YNAB method. Ben and Ernie were there, and hosted a live episode of Budget Nerds. In this bonus episode, they chat with Teisha and Katie, two budget nerds who have some excellent YNAB wins that demonstrate their resilience and the YNAB method in action. Teisha went from living paycheck to paycheck to finally getting ahead and paying off her student loans after years of chipping away at t...
2024-12-1818 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowTo Those Who Feel A Bit BehindIt's not too late! The first rule of YNAB's Four Rules is "give every dollar a job," and you can implement it right now. Take a look at your bank account balance, and think to yourself: what does this money need to do for me right now? What does it need to do for me in the future? Now you have started thinking about your future self, and being proactive. This simple step can change your life! Tickets to YNAB Fan Fest 2025 are on sale now! Coming to San Diego, Minneapolis, and NYC: Y...
2024-12-0904 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowI Am Not Even a Little Bit Frugal. Here's WhyJesse grew up in a frugal family -- frugality for frugality's sake, as he describes it. As he has grown, discovered the YNAB method, and worked the four rules, he has come to a conclusion -- he is not even a little frugal! Frugality implies thrift, spending little money so as to conserve the resource. The idea is that spending money frugally is an effort to not waste money. YNAB's four rules help you identify the things that matter in your life, however, the things you do want to spend money on. And once you h...
2024-12-0203 minBudget Nerds#104 - Silly Things YNAB Makes Us DoYNAB'ers are great people -- as evidenced by the camaraderie and stories heard at the recent YNAB Fan Fest in Salt Lake City -- but let's be honest... YNAB'ers can also do some weird things with their money! It's a testament to how powerful the YNAB method is, that many people make big, lasting habit changes around their money, but it comes with some funny side effects. In today's episode, Ben and Ernie take a look at some of the sillier things that YNAB'ers do, whether it's swiping their card three times at the grocery store to avoid splitting...
2024-11-2757 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowWhat If Being Good At Money Is Just Skill Acquisition?It's common parlance to say someone is "good with money," but it's often said in a way that suggests some people are innately gifted with money management skills. Jesse punches back at this supposition. He argues that becoming good with money is a skill, and skills are acquired through habit -- stringing together a lot of days with good money decisions until the good decisions become second nature. You don't have to be perfect either! Jesse cites his favorite definition of intelligence, which is error correction, i.e. someone who makes an error, realizes the e...
2024-11-2506 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowInfinitely FiniteMost folks do a lot of mental math with their money. They see something they want to buy, they check their bank balance, and start doing some mental math on what other things that balance needs to be able to pay for before they buy the thing. The problem is, mental math gets very sloppy very quickly! Life is often just too complex, with too many variables to be able to hold all your future spending needs in your head at all times. It's too easy to spend the same dollar many times over when you rely on mental...
2024-11-1806 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowKnow ThyselfSometimes YNAB'ers talk about money being "boring." That is, working the Four Rules patientily, consistently, until managing your money becomes another daily habit. As Jesse sees it, however, there's nothing boring about working the method. Each time you work the method, and follow the four rules, you learn more about yourself and what you want your money to do for you. And there's nothing boring about you! Get your tickets to YNAB Fan Fest 2025! Coming to San Diego, Minneapolis, and NYC. Tickets will go on sale on 11/18/2024 here: YNAB.com/events ...
2024-11-1104 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowYNAB: The Long ConIt is generally accepted that the market is driven by demand. What if YNAB was really just a long con to generate demand for quality goods and services... like toasters? Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: @ynabofficial Instagram: @ynab.official Twitter/X: @ynab Tik Tok: @ynabofficial
2024-11-0404 minBudget Nerds#101 - Planning on a Variable Income, YNAB at Your Workplace, and Free Swag!In today's episode, Ben and Ernie chat with Veronica Brashler, who is in charge of the Corporate Wellness program at YNAB. Veronica's YNAB story starts with working freelance as a wedding photographer with a highly variable, and seasonal income. Both she and her husband were self-employed at the same time, while raising a young family, and the stress of variable income was high. In her words, they felt like they always had to take the next job, because they weren't sure where the next paycheck would come from if they said no. This made it difficult to plan vacations...
2024-10-1640 min
Diario en MovimientoSoftware de la semana. YNABPodcast Diario en Movimiento T4 Ep.028 -Software de la semana YNAB.YNAB (You Need a Budget) es una aplicación de gestión de finanzas personales diseñada para ayudar a los usuarios a controlar su presupuesto, reducir deudas y ahorrar dinero. Se basa en una metodología muy estructurada que obliga a los usuarios a asignar una función a cada euro que tienen disponible, fomentando una relación más proactiva con el dinero. El objetivo es que las personas controlen sus finanzas en lugar de que sus finanzas los controlen a ellos.
2024-10-0909 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowWhat YNAB REALLY Does For YouBigger bank account balances, paying off debt, saving marriages... these are all things thousands of YNAB'ers have praised YNAB for helping them accomplish. But it's not what YNAB is about. Jesse explains: YNAB is really about getting to know yourself better, and making better spending decisions as a result. It's about reducing the second guessing in your life, and spending your money in perfect alignment with you. Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNA...
2024-10-0710 minBudget Nerds#97 - What If YNAB Paid You to Use It? And Other Sketchy Ideas from Ben Markley (Sketchy Advice)On today's episide Ben and Ernie welcome another Ben to the show -- Ben Markley, host of YNAB's Sketchy Advice series on YouTube. Ben has a reputation for striking metaphors and thought provoking ideas about money and putting YNAB's principles into daily practice, and today he shares some of his favorite ideas, including: Why you should go ahead and buy that latte YNAB is really just an elaborate gift card system Can YNAB help you keep your house clean? What if YNAB paid you to use it? Be sure to follow Ben M. and his w...
2024-08-2149 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowYou Need Frugality?Frugality is a virtue. At least, that's what many people in the financial space would claim. Being frugal is commonly seen as a good thing, presumably because it enables you to save more money. The environmentally conscious might see value in frugality as a means to reducing overall consumption. YNAB, one could argue, aims to make you more frugal. But YNAB is more interested in a deeper question: why be more frugal? The first habit in the YNAB method is to give every dollar a job. To do so, you have to know what it is...
2024-08-1206 min
Potent with Steven LawsonWhat's the Purpose of Your Money | YNAB Founder Jesse MechamTITLE: What's the Purpose of Your Money | YNAB Founder Jesse MechamDo you have trouble in your relationship with the money you earn?On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by personal finance expert and founder of YNAB, Jesse Mecham, to discuss the philosophy and principles of YNAB (You Need a Budget), an app designed to help users align their spending with their personal values and goals. Jesse shares his journey of using money intentionally and the benefits of giving every dollar a job and covers four key habits promoted by YNAB: assigning ev...
2024-08-0644 minBudget Nerds#92 - Are You Doing YNAB? Tracking Expenses vs YNABingIt's a common story: a person finds YNAB and starts using the software, only realize months (sometimes years) down the road that they weren't actually following the YNAB method. They were just tracking expenses using YNAB's software. Tracking expenses is not a bad thing -- tracking brings awareness of your spending habits and where your money and energy is going -- but the magic of YNAB is in the method, encapsulated in the Four Rules: Give every dollar a job Embrace your true expenses Roll with the punches Age your money Here's a pr...
2024-06-1237 minBudget Nerds#91 - Windfalls, Learning to Invest, and YNAB 4: Jeremy Schneider of Personal Finance ClubBen and Ernie chat with Jeremy Schneider, an entrepreneur turned personal finance teacher who aims to demystify the confusing world of investing with simple, unbiased information. In his early 20's, Jeremy founded an internet startup and ran it for 12 years, never taking home more than $36k/year -- while living in San Diego, CA! This experience required him to get surgical with his spending, and during this time he became an avid YNAB'er (using the old YNAB 4 software). At the age of 34, Jeremy sold his company and became a multimillionaire. After this windfall, Jeremy continued to work for a...
2024-05-291h 09The Jesse Mecham ShowCan You Plan to Be Spontaneous?According to Jesse, absolutely you can! In fact, YNAB enables you to be more spontaneous. Planning your spending with YNAB doesn't mean locking your dollars into rigid categories that cannot change. It means setting aside money ahead of time for the things you don't know you want yet. Many people who thrive on spontaneity unfortunately end up in financial trouble, because they're never sure whether they have the money to afford their spur of the moment purchases and experiences. Using YNAB, however, you can set up categories whose only purpose is to hold money for spontaneous expenses, so that...
2024-05-2705 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowHelping Savers SpendWe tend to think of spending as a problem that needs to be solved, however YNAB encourages spending as a thing to be enjoyed, as long as that spending is in accordance with priorities and people understand the tradeoffs they are making when they spend. In the world of personal finance we also tend to think about people who are natural spenders, but they are natural savers as well, and YNAB can help them too! Jesse responds to a comment from a YNAB team member who identifies as a natural saver, who has used YNAB to learn to love...
2024-05-2007 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowAsk Jesse: Perfect YNAB, Tithing Confusion, and More Credit Card CommentsJesse answers another round of questions from YNAB listeners. Today someone asks whether there is such a thing as "perfect YNAB" use and if good enough use is OK (yes!). Another YNAB'er is confused on how to calculate tithes for business income, and, as always, there are some questions and comments about credit card rewards. Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com Follow YNAB on social media:...
2024-04-0112 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowMerry Christmas from YNABJesse wishes everyone a Merry Christmas, full of meaning and joy. Hopefully this is a day you can enjoy without worrying about money, because you've dutifully saved up for it all year, but if not -- you can always start working on next year. After your Christmas celebrations are over, create a Christmas target for 2024 and start putting a little money away now. And as Jesse says, the Christmas bill is a joyous one! Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a...
2023-12-2503 minBudget Nerds#78 - Are Impulse Purchases Wrecking Your Finances? A YNAB Study Finds OutEveryone spends on impulse from time to time, even the most staunch adherents to frugality. According to a new study funded by YNAB, 94% of Americans admit to impulse spending. It's common nowadays to "treat yo'self" after a hard day, for instance. But is impulse spending a bad thing? Not necessarily! If your spending is aligned with your values and priorities, then spending should be fun. It should bring you joy. And with a good spending plan, it doesn't have to wreck your finances either! Ben and Ernie explore the YNAB study that asked various questions a...
2023-11-1537 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowBONUS: Goodbye Mint, Hello YNABBreaking news! On November 2, 2023 Intuit announced that it would be shutting down Mint, a popular personal finance app it acquired back in 2009. In January 2024, millions of users will be left looking for a replacement budgeting app. Intuit is directing users to its Credit Karma service, but it's unclear yet whether it will offer the budgeting and expense tracking features Mint was known for. YNAB, however, still remains! Jesse points out that YNAB may not be the right solution for every Mint user -- after all, YNAB aims to help you change your behavior and thinking a...
2023-11-0307 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowAsk Jesse: Airlines are Banks, Better Money Habits, and Fast TalkingIn today's episode, Jesse answers questions from YNAB'ers including how to build the habit of checking YNAB before spending and how to slow down Jesse's speech patterns for UK listeners (there's an app for that!). A listener also sends in an interesting article about how airlines have essentially turned into banks via their elaborate reward points systems. Ron Lieber on the YNAB Podcast (Episode #480) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-need-a-budget-ynab/id477248343?i=1000515131147 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2qh75uqa9uzQGggz7wwYiS?si=088cd75db8be4f01 ...
2023-10-1610 min
The Overcoming Overspending Podcast115: YNAB: The Money Method that Changed My Life with Ashley Lapato of The Organized WalletIt's no secret that I am a huge fan on the money managagement software, YNAB (You Need A Budget). I've used the software for years and it has been the single most impactful tool in transforming my finances for the better. But it's so much more than just a budgeting software. YNAB is a money management method that is govered by 4 simple yet impactful rules to guide the decisions you make with money. I couldn't be more excited this week to dive into all things YNAB with none other than YNAB's personal finance educator, Ashley Lapato. Ashley...
2023-09-191h 04The Jesse Mecham ShowRules Changes: A Quick Trip Through YNAB HistoryDid you know that YNAB's Four Rules weren't always four? And contrary to popular belief, they did not spring forth from Jesse's head fully formed! No, the Four Rules developed over years as Jesse refined and clarified the YNAB method behind the software (and originally, the spreadsheet). Ben and Ernie take a quick spin through the history of the Four Rules, going all the way back to the very first YNAB website in 2004. Budget Nerds Episode #50: A Brief History of the YNAB Rules Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/50...
2023-07-3113 min
It's Not About The MoneyBookkeeping: YNAB vs. QuickBooksWhat are some good tools if you want to get started keeping the books of your business? Steve and Tyler discuss YNAB and QuickBooks: their strengths and weaknesses, their similarities and differences, and ultimately which one you might want to choose for your business. (00:00) - iOS automations
(02:50) - Two bookkeeping tools: YNAB and QBO
(05:13) - What is YNAB great at?
(09:55) - What is QuickBooks great at?
(12:47) - Setting aside money for taxes
(16:57) - Equivalent concepts in YNAB and QBO
(20:15) - What does your tax pro need from your books, really?
(26:07) - Handling (or not) me...
2023-06-2939 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowA Mother's Method for Living Well (Contest Announcement!)At a recent YNAB all-hands meeting, Sarah gave a personal presentation about her "Mama's Method," rules her mother gave her for living well. Sarah told them in YNAB Four Rules style: Give every moment a job Embrace yourself and others Roll with it Age is just a number (play a lot!) In honor of Sarah's presentation, and upcoming Mother's Day, YNAB wants to hear from you! YNAB is running a contest between now and May 11th. The contest is simple: share your mother's method to living well, in the style of the YNAB Four Rules i...
2023-05-0104 minGetting to Good EnoughEpisode 244: We're YNAB Budgeting CoachesSquee! Janine and Shannon have exciting news to share: We've both completed a training program to earn the certification YNAB Certified Budgeting Coaches. We're very excited to coach people so they can benefit from this unique budgeting methodology and software as we have. This week we talk all about why we love YNAB (You Need a Budget).Discussion topics include:• We've finished our certification program and are now YNAB Certified Budgeting Coaches• We learned so much!• What's YNAB? It's You Need A Budget, a methodology and software for budgeting. We love it.
2023-03-3118 minBudget NerdsThe Wide, Wonderful YNAB CommunityBen and Ernie discuss the rich and diverse YNAB community across the web, from subreddits to Facebook groups to YNAB-hosted seminars and workshops. There are YNAB groups for multiple languages, YNAB groups for people with disabilities, and YNAB groups for people following other financial help programs. Whoever you are and whatever your background, there's almost certainly someone else out there using YNAB! YNAB Community Links YNAB main subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/ynab/ YNAB (You Need a Budget) Fans! https://www.facebook.com/groups/YNABFans Friendly YNAB (You Need a Budget) Support https://ww...
2023-03-2243 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowAsk Jesse: Travel Hacking, Credit Cards, and YNAB'er ExperiencesIn this installment of Ask Jesse, Jesse answers questions from podcast listeners about travel hacking and credit card and debit card fraud protection. He also reads an experience from one YNAB'er who switched from using credit cards to debit cards. Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2023-03-0613 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowAsk Jesse: More on Credit Cards, Tracking 401k in YNAB, and Paying Off Student LoansJesse answers listener questions about tracking 401k deposits in YNAB and how to strategize paying off student loans. Jesse shares his evolving thoughts about credit cards, and why the Mecham household will only use a single debit card for expenses in 2023. Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2023-01-1607 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowAsk Jesse: Tracking 401k in YNAB, Early Retirement Budgeting, Advisors, and MoreJesse answers a grab-bag of questions from listeners, including whether it's a good idea to track 401k investments in YNAB (it's not), how to budget for early retirement, good books for learning how to to invest, and more. Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2022-12-1212 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowWhat If Your Coworkers Weren't Stressed About Money?It's no surprise, but employees carry their money stress into work with them. And that stress not only affects their performance at work, it affects their happiness and, by extension, increases turnover. Jesse shares results from a survey of over 3,000 YNAB'ers in the US who work full-time jobs in a variety of age ranges and income levels. YNAB found that only 24% of YNAB users experienced financial distress over the past two years of pandemic-fueled chaos -- pretty amazing compared to a broader survey of American workers by PWC which reported 63% experiencing financial distress. Another interesting st...
2022-06-2712 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowMeet Todd: The CEO Behind YNABJesse invites the CEO of YNAB, Todd Curtis, to the show to discuss the anatomy of the company, the collaborative philosophy behind the work done by the various teams and functions, and some of the previous work and experiences that have shaped Todd's attitudes about operations and business culture. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2022-04-041h 34The Jesse Mecham ShowEP14 Money Stories: How Mackenzie Uses YNAB to Navigate College, International Travel, and Multiple CurrenciesInternational student of mystery Mackenzie is financially wise beyond her years... all thanks to YNAB and embracing the four rules while a young college student. Since discovering YNAB Mackenzie has traveled throughout Europe, and has come up with some unique strategies for managing her budget in a variety of currencies: the British pound, the euro, and US dollars. She's also learned some lessons about careful budgeting living in some of the most expensive cities in the world, like London. The most important thing for college students, she says, is to just get started with YNAB. T...
2022-02-2820 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowEP13 Money Stories: Jak and Chelsea Tackle ADHD... with YNABMillions of people struggle with ADHD, and it has financial ramifications -- decision fatigue, difficulty planning future purchases, and impulsive spending habits. Jak is a coach for "ADHD'ers," as she calls them, helping people form strategies for coping with emotional highs and lows and gain control over their money. An ADHD'er herself, she found the visual aspect of YNAB highly effective in keeping her engaged with both her current spending and her long-term plans (sinking funds). Chelsea is an intuitive eating coach, and a fellow ADHD'er who engaged Jak for coaching. Together they discovered YNAB, a...
2021-12-2024 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowFrom the YNAB Mailbag: When Should I Invest in the Stock Market?Jesse answers a listener-submitted question. If you've paid off your debt, and you have an emergency fund, should you start investing in the stock market? If your goal is to build wealth -- and there are many good reasons to -- then investing in the stock market is a great way to do that. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-10-1105 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowTik Tok for Financial Advice? YNAB's Got That CoveredDid you know YNAB is on Tik Tok? Yep, thanks to YNAB team member Sarah Schweisthal, You Need A Budget has been lighting up Tik Tok "stitches" with budgeting advice for the yoots. Sarah talks about her work sharing the Four Rules on Tik Tok, as well as her own budgeting journey going from being deeply in debt to traveling full-time in a travel trailer. Follow YNAB (and Sarah) on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youneedabudget?lang=en Take the 34-day challenge: https://www.youneedabudget.com/34da...
2021-10-0624 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowBehind the Scenes: A Random Chat with the YNAB TeamAs you might have noticed by now, the team at YNAB is diverse, eclectic, and full of passionate people with a wide range of interests. It is no surprise, then, that in the course of conducting these Behind the Scenes interviews, Jesse discovered a ton of interesting and, well, random things about the employees of YNAB! Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-09-0645 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowBehind the Scenes: Personal Finance Tips from the YNAB TeamIn today's installment of Behind the Scenes, YNAB team members share their insights about personal finance, whether it's overcoming the fear and confusion of investing, learning to push yourself to achieve things you never thought you could, or better understanding our conditioning around money and success. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-08-3048 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowBehind the Scenes: The YNAB Team Shares Their Very Best Budgeting AdviceToday Jesse asks the team at YNAB to share their top pieces of advice for new YNAB users... besides, you know, that you need a budget. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-08-2342 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowBehind the Scenes: Working at YNABIn today's installment of Behind the Scenes, Jesse asks employees why they applied for a position at YNAB, what the interview process is like, and whether the company has lived up to its reputation as the best small business place to work at (no, really, that's what Fortune said, for the second year running!). YNAB gets a lot of applications, and the hiring process is fiercely competitive, but those who have made it share their thoughts and experiences. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-08-1658 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowBehind the Scenes: YNAB Employees Tell Their Debt StoriesJesse interviewed every employee at YNAB, asking them about a wide range of topics -- how they heard about YNAB, what they are working on in their roles, and their money struggles and successes. Today, you'll hear from a selection of YNAB employees discussing their debt struggles, how they came into debt, and how they have used the Four Rules to pay it off. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-07-2639 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowEP09 Money Stories: Carol Kissinger Was "Bad At Money," Until She Found YNABIn today's money story, Carol Kissinger tells her story of discovering YNAB after moving from America to Berlin. She had never been good with money, was indebted to her parents for years, and frequently argued with her husband about money. Moving to Berlin put new stress on her bank account, until she discovered YNAB. The Four Rules helped her put a simple framework around money and clarify what it was she was spending on. As it turns out, impulse purchasing was a recurring theme in Carol's budget. She and her husband would see money in t...
2021-07-0526 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowYNAB and the Vocabulary of FinanceAssets? Liabilities? Balance sheet? FBI's? What does it all mean? Jesse helps you understand some of the basic financial terms that come up often in YNAB, as well as some YNAB-specific lingo related to the software and the budgeting process. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-05-0507 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowYNAB Features You Didn't Know ExistedJesse walks through some hidden features of the YNAB software you probably didn't even know existed! Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-05-0303 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowYNAB and PrivacyAt YNAB your data is exactly that -- YOUR data. Financial data is personal and sensitive, and as Jesse explains, YNAB does not and will not touch that! Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-04-2605 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowEP06 Money Stories: How YNAB Saved Erika from Drowning In DebtIn today's money story, Jesse chats with Erika, a 32 year old married woman who found herself struggling in the deep end of credit card debt. Until YNAB, Erika always managed her money with her bank statements -- if there was enough for her current outflows, good! There wasn't much of a plan or cushion for surprises, however. Shortly after getting married Erika began to feel trapped in her debt payments, which had become burdensome due to the credit card debt she and her husband had racked up for their wedding. After some close calls where s...
2021-04-1933 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowEP04 Money Stories: How YNAB Brought Sita Peace of Mind... and Peace in LifeSita Thomas is a woman of many talents, and many careers, having worked jobs ranging from massage therapy to data analytics. She has been using YNAB for over 8 years to help her reach her goals, including going back to school and making a career change, taking time off work to care for a terminally ill family member, and removing the day to day stresses of money from her life. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-03-0136 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowHow to Get a Job at YNAB with Emma RollsJesse chats with YNAB's manager of support hiring, Emma Rolls, about what it takes to get hired at YNAB, what type of person fits in with the company culture, and Emma's personal experience learning about YNAB and getting hired. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2021-02-1529 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowYNAB Named Fortune's 2020 "Best Small Workplace" with Taylor Brown, CTOJesse and Taylor Brown, YNAB's Chief Technology Officer, celebrate the company being named Fortune's #1 Best Place to Work in Small Business in 2020. Jesse and Taylor take a walk down memory lane, reminiscing about the very early days of YNAB and how they much they've grown since, both as a company and as leaders within the business. The moniker "best place to work" doesn't just happen, but rather is a consequence of Jesse and Taylor's work in defining their company and employee values and consistently acting on those principles over the years. Of course winning this h...
2020-11-2348 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowYNAB for GoodIn light of the terrible events that have transpired in 2020, YNAB is launching a new initiative to help those in need. YNAB is partnering with non-profit organizations that work with marginalized communities on personal financial and financial resource issues. YNAB is offering licenses for its software for free to these non-profits, so those in need can benefit from YNAB's powerful budgeting tools. If you work for a non-profit or know of one who could benefit from this program, visit https://www.youneedabudget.com/good for more details and how to sign up for the program.
2020-07-2704 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowFinancial Wellness by YNABJesse and the YNAB team are excited to announce a new service: financial wellness for businesses and their employees! For any company, big or small, YNAB will educate your employees on the most important yet often overlooked aspect of financial wellbeing… budgeting of course. Financially stress-free employees are good employees. They are empowered, they have freedom to be creative in their life, and they are more productive as a result. This is a FREE service for the business. You can find out more by going to: https://www.y...
2020-06-1505 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowYNAB and COVID-19Freshly returned from paternity leave, Jesse discusses how YNAB has handled the coronavirus pandemic as a company. As always, his focus and the company's focus has been on giving the best budgeting advice they can. Additionally, the YNAB team has written articles exploring how people can weather the financial storm in the wake of COVID-19. You can read the blog entries here: https://www.youneedabudget.com/blog/ Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2020-05-0404 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowThe YNAB Debt BootcampIf you made it through the last few weeks, you know why Jesse hates debt and why you should too! Start the New Year by putting those feelings into action. Jesse has created a "debt bootcamp" for YNAB users to help you get serious about getting rid of your debt for good. Best of all, it's FREE for all YNAB software subscribers. The Debt Bootcamp will be an intense, 8-week challenge to get rid of as much debt as possible. The camp will be run through a private Facebook group where yo...
2019-12-3105 minThe Jesse Mecham ShowFinancial Wellness by YNABA little behind the scenes at YNAB and Jesse asks listeners a favor Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
2019-03-1106 min
The Jesse Mecham Show240 - What Learning YNAB Looks LikeStops, Starts, and Struggles. Be patient with yourself as you learn the YNAB Way.
2016-09-0503 min
2016-08-0807 min
The Jesse Mecham Show197 - What's the Difference Between YNAB and Mint?Mint: Post-Mortem. YNAB: Minority Report
2015-11-0903 min
Radical Personal Finance246-You Need a Budget and Here's the Best Way for You to Make One! Interview with Jesse Mecham, Founder of YNABSometimes you discover something that's been out there for years and you want to smack yourself in the head for not tuning in to it sooner. That's how I feel when it comes to YNAB. (For the uninitiated YNAB stands for You Need A Budget.)I used YNAB years ago and my response at that time was, "ho-hum." I then proceeded to ignore it for the next 6 years to my own detriment. Bummer. I wish I'd paid more attention!
I was reintroduced to YNAB by my own listeners (the full story is in this episode...
2015-10-0258 min
2014-08-2503 min
Listen Money Matters - Free your inner financial badass. All the stuff you should know about personal finance.You Need a Budget – YNAB Review and a Chat with the CEOThe importance of budgeting can’t be overstated. Today we talk to the king of budgeting tools, Jesse Mecham the CEO of You Need a Budget and give you an honest YNAB review.
We talk about budgeting with Mint a lot and it’s a great tool. But there is always talk of You Need A Budget within the personal finance community so we wanted to check it out. And because we provide only the best for you, we brought on the founder to discuss the tools so we can provide an in depth YNAB review.
Y...
2014-08-2532 min
The Jesse Mecham Show099 - Real Estate Investing with YNABA discussion on how I use YNAB to manage our real estate investing.
2013-11-1812 min
The Jesse Mecham Show081 - Handling Accounts Receivable in YNABThis is a quick riff on how you could (quite easily) handle accounts receivable in YNAB.
2013-05-0606 min
The Jesse Mecham Show065 - "YNAB Works" is Here!I'm pleased to announce the launch of "YNAB Works!" A Home Study Guide+DVD Video package for schools, clients, kids of awesome parents, employees…basically anyone you care about :)
2013-01-1407 min