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Oh, and more than $6,000 after one year.” Their website states, “On average, new budgeters save $600 in their first two months with YNAB. YNAB saves us far more money than it costs us.
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So here’s my honest answer to the, “Is YNAB worth the money?” question.įor us, the short answer is absolutely yes, it’s worth every penny! aligns with your personal financial principlesīenj and I have found that YNAB ticks all of those boxes for us, so we are more than happy to invest in it!.If you’re just getting started with budgeting, the number of options can feel downright overwhelming. Even if you’re a seasoned budgeter, you might be nervous to try something new.īudgeting programs function differently depending on the philosophies of the organizations that designed them. There are so many ways you can budget- from spreadsheets to paper planners, and apps to online software, like YNAB! The wedding went off without a hitch (pun fully intended), and Benj and I have been budgeting together with YNAB ever since. I even used it a few months later to budget for our wedding! It kept me accountable and stopped me from ordering live swans and ice sculptures. YNAB was easy to understand and to use on a daily basis. I had never heard of this budgeting software before, but I took to it like a fish to water. It was during this process that Benj introduced me to You Need a Budget ( YNAB for short). We had fun estimating costs, running numbers, checking out apartment complexes, and talking to others about their expenses (i.e. Because that’s what normal couples do, right? (Right guys? C’mon, anybody?) So, being the nerds we are, we set up a mock budget together. Benj and I wanted to have an accurate idea of what living on our own would cost. We fell in love and started talking about our future life together.īefore long, the subjects of money and living expenses came up.
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Instead, I simply kept a running list of the money I’d earned and spent.īecause I lived at home with my parents, and didn’t have many recurring expenses, I had never given budgeting much thought. I had never done a zero-based budget until a few years ago, even though I’d faithfully saved money since elementary school (further proof that I’ve always been a nerd). (Or as my husband always responds, “No-the beginning.”) Once upon a time, I fell in love with budgeting. I’ve heard quite a few people ask, “Is YNAB worth the money?” It’s a fair question that deserves an honest answer, so let’s chat.
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