You Need a Budget

I’ve always been fairly frugal in my attitude, but my parents didn’t teach me much about money. In fact, the only thing my parents taught me about money is that you can’t hold on to it! “Buy now, worry later”, as it turns out, is not a winning strategy for prosperity. You need a plan. I’ve been using You Need a Budget software to handle my money for a few years now.

Back in 2007 (can it really be that long?) I won my first blog giveaway from Free Money Finance, and the prize was a free copy of YNAB Pro. Until then, I’d never had a real plan for spending and saving our money. Consequently, we were always just a few paychecks from disaster. If you don’t have a budget, chances are, so are you.

From the first time I downloaded the software to now, my money has been more of a blessing to me than a hassle. I went from scraping by somehow to to being in charge of my money in no time flat!

YNAB does more than just help you plan your spending.  It also helps you set goals, manage multiple accounts, and track your net worth so you can watch your money grow. YNAB lets you quickly download transactions from accounts to your computer, schedule recurring transactions, and budget your money down to the penny.

YNAB is now in its fourth incarnation, YNAB3, and it is the prettiest piece of software I’ve used–and I’ve tried a lot of different budget software! Looks aren’t everything, of course, but the interface is easy to use, and it makes you want to think about your money. The program guides you as you set up your first budget with handy popups and tutorials.

Of course, it takes more than just software to help you get a grip on your money. You’re also going to need support. You Need a Budget has something no other software that I know of offers: community. You can attend YNAB university, online classes, or visit the community forum for answers and advice. All of that is offered for free!

Whether you’re struggling with debt or just looking for a new way to manage your money, YNAB can help. You can get a 34-day free trial before buying, so run on over and see if YNAB is as good for you as it has been for me!

I am, of course, trying to sell you this product. Opinions about YNAB are 100% mine. I really do love it! Links to YNAB are affiliate links and I will earn a percentage of your sale. If you choose to buy YNAB, I hope you’ll do it through my link! It won’t cost you anything extra, but it will help me pay for this blogging habit of mine. Thanks!