Foundations: The YNAB Method

With YNAB, we want you to fund your water bill, and also your wildest dreams. This app isn't about restriction. We're not about wearing thick sweaters in under-heated homes or giving up your daily coffee. That's absolutely not the vibe. Use YNAB to define priorities and guide spending toward the life you want.

YNAB is about way more than saving money. In fact, YNAB is about SPENDING money.

Need some inspiration of what real YNABers have done with the money they don’t spend on water bills?
They’ve done big things:

• Funded fairy-tale weddings completely debt free.
• Adopted children
• Taken in foster dogs
• Broke generational cycles of money stress
• Dream homes purchased
• Mended marriages

They've done everyday things:

• Bought the fancy cheese at the grocery store
• Paid for their friend’s coffee
• Shamelessly splurged on their hobby
• Have a standing date night, with babysitter funds just waiting to be spent

What will your story be?

So if YNAB isn’t budgeting, what is it? We like to say it’s knowing yourself and spending accordingly: it’s spendfulness. 

YNABers know themselves because they're in the habit of giving every dollar a job. They make regular, intentional decisions about how to spend their hard-earned money.

That gives the confidence that comes with saying, "That was money well-spent," and actually meaning it. No guilt, no second-guessing, no mental math at the cash register.

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Dive deeper into spendfulness with Ben M.:

"I really just need more money."

We hear you. But let's start with making the most of what you have right now.

Intentional spending is the cure. At YNAB, we call it giving every dollar a job, and it's the foundation of everything we do.

The secret? Make a proactive plan for every dollar before you spend a single cent.

No more wondering where your money went. No more guilt about that "splurge" you're pretty sure you could afford. 

The YNAB Method is beautifully simple:

Give every dollar a job.

Here’s how it works:

Ask yourself:

• What does this money need to do before I'm paid again? (Cover your essentials!)
• What larger, less frequent expenses do I need to prepare for? (Your car will need tires someday...)
• What can I set aside for next month's spending? (Future You will thank you!)
• What goals, large or small, do I want to prioritize? (This is where you dream)
• What changes do I need to make, if any? (Life happens, plans change)

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Turn your spending priorities into categories. Mortgage. Groceries. That vacation fund. Emergency money. Date nights. Your kid's soccer cleats. Coffee shop visits. Whatever matters to YOU.

‍Then every dollar you have right now gets assigned to one of those categories. Think of this as creating a map of what matters most to you.

‍As you fund these categories over time, something magical happens: your values start to shine through. It's like holding up a mirror to your money—and seeing YOU reflected back.

No more mystery. No more "Where did my money go?" Just clarity, intention, and purpose.

Spendfulness is about taking back that excitement, wonder, and freedom you felt as a kid with money tucked into a birthday envelope—when a few dollars held endless possibilities.

Starting Today:

• Give every dollar a job (seriously, every single one)
• Spend with confidence and purpose (no more guilt!)
• Adjust your plan as life changes (because it will, and that's perfectly okay)

Welcome to spendfulness—where every dollar has meaning and every purchase brings you closer to your best life.

Let's make your money as exciting as it was when you were eight years old.

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