“Do the next thing”

I found YNAB in late December of 2006.  We were well on our way in the process of paying down our debt. I knew we needed a plan to make the job of tracking our spending easier and faster.  I dreaded those days of flipping paper pages balancing accounts.  A Google search brought me to You Need A Budget.  Well, I already knew that, in fact I already had one.  It was just a bear to manage.

This software is more than software; it teaches and guides you through the murky turbulent waters that often occur in our financial lives.  The reality is that life happens.  No budget can be a cookie cutter copy each month.  What worked in December might not work in January.  This is a reality that I knew, but just couldn’t fully embrace because my budgeting system didn’t allow it.  This one did!

Two years later I still mention YNAB to whomever I can.  The stress of running the checkbook down to pennies each month until the next paycheck is gone.  The guilt from overspending the budgeted figure on clothing or food here or there is gone.  Not only did Jesse’s plan help me fine tune my goals, it provided navigational tools that helped me making adjustments when life throws you financial challenges.

A great part of the plan is that it takes you from where you are, no matter how bad your money situation seems, and encourages you into believing that conquering your debt is a possible task!  Our debt is down from six digits to a low four digit number and there is a light at the end of the tunnel!  I can’t wait to try YNAB 3 to see how much more work Jesse and his team have done to make it even more user friendly!