How to Become a World Champion with Money

Have you ever wished your money life felt more like a winning team—and less like a losing season? I have. And as a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan, I know a thing or two about disappointment.

All I want in life is to see the Vikings win a Super Bowl before I die. Honestly, that’s it! But given their 0-4 record in the big game (and not a single appearance since I was born), I've spent decades watching the teams that do win and learning what it actually takes to build a champion.

Over the years, starting with my own transformation and journey to the Budget Nerds, I’ve realized that getting good with money is a lot like building a Super Bowl-winning team. 

Let me show you what I mean so you can stop worrying about money and start building something you’re proud of.

Want to Win With Money? Follow a Game Plan.

In the NFL, every great team starts with a vision—a blueprint. Will they build around a star quarterback like Patrick Mahomes? Or construct a dominant defense like the Seahawks? Maybe they go with a rookie QB and his lower salary so they can put a bunch of quality stars around him like the Patriots. There’s not one way to build an NFL champion. What’s key is picking a blueprint and sticking with it.

At YNAB, our blueprint is simple: Give Every Dollar a Job. Before spending a dime, you decide what your money is for. This proactive approach gives you clarity, confidence, and control. It might not be the only path to success, but it’s helped hundreds of thousands of people get good with money. And that’s why we stick with it.

Budgeting Essentials: Cover Necessities First

Football games are won in the trenches—with solid offensive and defensive lines. Protect the QB. Pressure the opponent. Without this, you’re toast. 

The money equivalent? Cover your necessities. Things like rent or mortgage, groceries, transportation, and the minimums on your debt. These are the basics and until they’re handled, it’s going to be an uphill battle to get to the place you want to be with your money.

The most important thing you can do with your money is pay for the necessities.

How to Plan for Non-Monthly and Irregular Expenses

Once a team locks down the essentials, it’s time to add play makers—quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends. You want a group of skill players that can generate consistent offense and create the occasional big play. And while these positions are on the field at the same time, it’s generally not necessary for all of them to have big games in order to win.

Non-monthly expenses work the same way. New tires one month, school fees the next, then a surprise root canal months later. They don’t hit all at once, but they will hit (sometimes harder than you’d like). If you’re not setting money aside now, you’re going to feel it later.

Get a Month Ahead and Control the Game

Let’s recap. NFL champions are built from the inside out. They start with great line play, then add skill players. Your money life works the same way. Cover your necessities, then prepare for non-monthly expenses—and do it consistently. That’s how you build momentum.

But how do you stay consistent over time?

In the NFL, it’s all about the draft. The best teams find young talent and develop them into starters. Rookie contracts are cheap, which means more money to use elsewhere. That flexibility is a huge competitive advantage.

That’s exactly what it’s like when you’re a month ahead with your money.

Being a month ahead means your next month’s spending plan is fully funded before that month begins. You’re using this month’s paycheck to cover next month’s expenses. When you’re truly a month ahead, you wake up on the first, fully funded—and if you didn’t earn another dollar that month, you’d still be covered.

No more timing bills to paychecks. No more holding your breath until payday. It’s a game changer.

Getting a month ahead is like drafting well—you create options, reduce pressure, and make money easier to manage.

How to Use Your YNAB Plan to Support Your Priorities

NFL teams use the draft to fill gaps. A retiring veteran? Draft his replacement. But sometimes, they draft for impact instead of need—a player they love, someone who adds something special. Those players generally become fan favorites.

Your money should work the same way.

Yes, you cover the basics. Yes, you prep for irregular expenses. Yes, you get a month ahead. But don’t stop there—use your money to build the life you want.

Maybe that’s the big Italy trip you’ve dreamed of since college. Maybe it’s the $4 coffee with your best friend every Thursday. Whatever matters to you, make room for it. No guilt required.

Stay Flexible—Life Will Blitz You

And if something throws your plan off? That’s normal.

A star player gets injured. The offense isn’t clicking like the coach anticipated. Things don't go according to plan for every team, but the best ones make adjustments. You should do the same with your money. So when you have a surprise bill, a change in plans, or an opportunity you didn’t see coming, that's okay.

We move money. We adjust. We carry on.

How Give Every Dollar a Job Builds Long-Term Consistency

Honestly, on paper it’s not that hard to build a Super Bowl champion. Where it gets tough is getting the 100+ people of the organization all on the same page. The Vikings have never been able to do it and, honestly, I don’t know if they ever will. Being a Vikings fan is brutal.

Thankfully, your job with money is going to be a lot easier.

Just follow the blueprint of Give Every Dollar a Job and ask yourself these five questions every time you’re paid. Paycheck after paycheck. Month after month. You’ll be a champion by the end of the year. 

You might even want to start thinking about what you’ll say in your post-championship interview…

Have you ever worried about money? You’re not alone. Download YNAB, get good with money, and never worry about money again.