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New to organizing your finances (or maybe new to YNAB?) Pop the bubbly, you’re here! Check out the most popular posts about how to be a better money manager.

New to organizing your finances (or maybe new to YNAB?) Pop the bubbly, you’re here! Check out the most popular posts about how to be a better money manager.

Learn the whys and hows of money management

New to YNAB? Start Here!

Learn how to use the YNAB Method, give every dollar a job, and set up your first categories with beginner videos and guides.

We’re a Spendfulness App Now. We Always Were.

It doesn’t feel like we made up spendfulness, it feels like we found it. Dan breaks down what it means for you (spoiler: a life well spent).

Top 10 Frequently Asked YNAB Questions

You've got questions, we've got answers. Here are the 10 most frequently asked questions from new YNABers.

The Ultimate Rule Two Expense

Lindsey Burgess
|
September 6, 2016

We talk a lot about the importance of funding your Rule Two categories because it is really important.

Of Bench Pressing And Budgeting...

Jesse Mecham
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August 31, 2016

Today, I want to talk, just briefly, about bench pressing and budgeting. I bring up bench pressing, not because it's the most useful lift; it's not. (Everyone knows that's the squat.) But the bench press is the most popular, especially if you're a high school boy.

Got 20 Minutes A Month? Then You Can Budget.

Jesse Mecham
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August 17, 2016

Budgeting can seem like a big, serious undertaking. But really, if you have 20 minutes a month, you can budget. Read for a quick run through.

What is Sabotaging Your Finances?

Lindsey Burgess
|
July 28, 2016

Many people believe that finances are inherently complicated. But it simply isn’t true. You can and should simplify your budgeting routine.

The Most Boring, Perfect, Real-Life Success Story Ever

Lindsey Burgess
|
June 2, 2016

Financial awakenings come in all shapes and sizes. For Melissa Wiley, a 29-year-old federal employee, living in Washington, D.C., it was a broken A/C unit. On the surface, Melissa had it all together. She owned her own place. She always checked her bank balance before purchasing anything.

How I Took a Dream Vacation on a Variable Income

Guest Author
|
May 20, 2016

As a freelancer, I don’t have a steady income. Making this trip was a dream come true and paying for it with cash was the icing on the cake.

Why Zero-Based Budgeting Works

Todd Curtis
|
April 14, 2016

Zero-based budgeting reduces financial stress by eliminating uncertainty. Learn why giving every dollar a job creates clarity, confidence, and control.

Credit Cards In YNAB: The Long Read

Jesse Mecham
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April 13, 2016

Trying to understand the underlying logic behind credit cards in YNAB? We're going to take a short history lesson back to the 16th century.

Should I Add More Categories in YNAB?

Todd Curtis
|
March 22, 2016

If budgeting for a specific category (that you're not 100% sure is a top priority) attracts money, it IS a priority. It belongs in your budget.

If You Aren't Changing Your Budget, You're Doing It Wrong

Lindsey Burgess
|
March 8, 2016

Change your budget as you need to. It will actually keep you going. Instead of feeling like a failure, you'll feel like you're winning.

How to Make Your Goals Reality

YNAB
|
March 2, 2016

You need a budget. We all do. I say it every week. But what you also need are goals. Essentially, budgeting is all about goals.

Why Embracing Your True Expenses is Everything

Lindsey Burgess
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February 25, 2016

As you pull together your list of larger, less frequent expenses, you can start estimating what they will cost and plan for them.

An Unlikely Love Letter to Budgeting

Lindsey Burgess
|
February 13, 2016

Dearest Budget, We both know it was not love at first sight, but maybe that is part of what makes it so special now, all these years later.

Why Starting Fresh Isn’t Giving Up

Todd Curtis
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January 19, 2016

What’s the difference between “starting over” and “starting fresh”? One of them feels pretty heavy, doesn’t it? A little bit like failure.

How Old Is Your Money?

Jesse Mecham
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January 8, 2016

No financial number offers a complete picture of your financial stability or flexibility. Learn what the age of money says about your budget.

How to Make a Budget Bucket List

Lindsey Burgess
|
December 1, 2015

Do you have a few crazy, impossible dreams, that may or may not be all that crazy after all? Add them to your budget and see what happens.

Beware Rapidly Changing Priorities (aka Black Friday)

Jesse Mecham
|
November 25, 2015

You, yes, you, always need a budget, but I find it especially important on Black Friday. Whether or not you partake in the madness that is Black Friday, I hope you’ll think about the real danger behind the frenzy: your rapidly changing priorities.

Budgeting Truths

Lindsey Burgess
|
November 5, 2015

YNAB’s Four Rules aren’t a gimmick. They’re about me. They’re about you and the life you want. So don’t be surprised if you start seeing budgeting truths all around you.

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The Big Questions of Budgeting

Lindsey Burgess
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October 15, 2015

Should you automate your finances? Yes. Spend your time and energy on prioritization. What do you really want? What is most important to you?

The Mythical Perfect Budget

Dave Crombleholme
|
September 17, 2015

Is there such a thing as a perfect budget? How about an ideal budget? YNAB teacher Dave breaks it down for you...

How to Handle Overspending

Jesse Mecham
|
September 16, 2015

We try not to play favorites, but if we had a favorite rule, let’s just say Rule Three: Roll With the Punches, would be a front-runner. And we talk a lot about “Rolling with the Punches,” but today we want to talk about exactly what you can do to address overspending.

Budgeting With An Irregular Income

Jesse Mecham
|
September 2, 2015

When budgeting with an irregular income, you will always start with the same question: What does this money have to do before I’m paid again?

The Real Cost of Money Shame

Guest Author
|
August 7, 2015

Many people talk about how they’ve “never been good with money." And with that statement, there's an undercurrent of shame.

Planning vs. Forecasting When Budgeting

Jesse Mecham
|
August 5, 2015

Budgeting and forecasting are not created equal. Budgeting is planning how you will use money that you have on-hand. Forecasting is planning how you will spend money you think you will have—you hope you will have—in the future. As a result, budgeting tends to be more realistic.

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