You need a budget (YNAB) advice thread

Money_Muppet

Have you budgeted £160 to the pre-YNAB debt on the budget page?

Red-Squirrel_2

Money_Muppet wrote: »

Have you budgeted £160 to the pre-YNAB debt on the budget page?

I have now, figured it out after posting, typical! Had to move some of my incomings from other categories but it all adds up now! Thanks though.

Have most of the YNAB fans on here paid $60 for the software? I really like it, and I do think it will help me, but it just seems so counter-intuitive to spend that much on something that's supposed to be an aid to saving money! I attempted to set up my own spreadsheet but I'm rubbish at it and it just doesn't flow as nicely or display as clearly.

Don't suppose there are any vouchers or discount codes out there?

tizerbelle

FireWyrm wrote: »

I carry my debts off budget in separate accounts because I dont want them fouling my budget estimates. Essentially, I treat them as pure bills.

I do the same - couldn't abide the PRE-Ynab category system and the constant red arrows

tizerbelle

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Have most of the YNAB fans on here paid $60 for the software? I really like it, and I do think it will help me, but it just seems so counter-intuitive to spend that much on something that's supposed to be an aid to saving money!

I paid full whack for it - honestly the best £38.60 ($60) I ever spent and I don't regret not waiting for a sale on Steam in the slightest.

If you attend some of the live webinars - you could win a free copy so if you are likely to be awake at the times the classes are scheduled for, you could participate in one. If you're lucky, you win a free copy; If not, you've been taught by a YNAB expert!

Red-Squirrel_2

tizerbelle wrote: »

I paid full whack for it - honestly the best £38.60 ($60) I ever spent and I don't regret not waiting for a sale on Steam in the slightest.

If you attend some of the live webinars - you could win a free copy so if you are likely to awake at the times the classes are scheduled for, you could participate in one. If you're lucky, you win a free copy; If not, you've been taught by a YNAB expert!

I've done all the classes now (shift worker so often awake at random times!) sadly no win. I've found a 10% off link, think I might just have to go with it, I'm sure it will work out as a saver in the long run.

How long have you been using it?

Money_Muppet

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

I have now, figured it out after posting, typical! Had to move some of my incomings from other categories but it all adds up now! Thanks though.

Have most of the YNAB fans on here paid $60 for the software? I really like it, and I do think it will help me, but it just seems so counter-intuitive to spend that much on something that's supposed to be an aid to saving money! I attempted to set up my own spreadsheet but I'm rubbish at it and it just doesn't flow as nicely or display as clearly.

Don't suppose there are any vouchers or discount codes out there?

Do the webinars. Learn the software inside out, and also stand the chance of winning a copy. I did 5 or 6 classes (most of them twice) before I won.

MrsDavo

@ Firewym - Thank you so much for your detailed posts! They helped me make sense of it all!

I have now moved most of my debt accounts to off budget, because I won't be spending on them at all, and I can treat them just like a bill then.

I've already earmarked the money to buy YNAB after my free trail, as it's been great these last few days.

I was always a worrier about whether I had enough to spend on food, whilst frittering it away on other things, but at least now, even though it says I have £0.00 available to budget - I still have loads in my food category, so I know if I need to go food shopping that it's ok.

I can see this really helping as I approach the next pay day at the end of March.

tizerbelle

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

How long have you been using it?

I've started with it on the 1 Nov 2013 and I've used it / obsessed over it / played with categories / tweaked it / updated it and just spent hours staring at it, ever since!!

FireWyrm

MrsDavo wrote: »

I have now moved most of my debt accounts to off budget, because I won't be spending on them at all, and I can treat them just like a bill then.

I decided for personal aesthetics that I would make a clean slate of it, so when I started, I treated 'today' as day 1 which meant that all debt was now classed as a bill. It gave me a slight psychological boost in that I wasnt staring at a big red negative number every month and it meant that I could clearly see what I had to work with. This may not suit you and certainly, there is nothing wrong with going down the pre-YNAB debt route. I just didnt like it and felt happier essentially drawing a line in the sand.

MrsDavo wrote: »

I've already earmarked the money to buy YNAB after my free trail, as it's been great these last few days.

I hope you do continue with it. It has been one of the very best purchases of my life to date and I will continue to use the same principles as the years go by even if YNAB eventually disappears. I'm sure there will be other mechanisms that will do the job. YNAB is about breaking bad habits and learning new ones and best of all, learning how to stick to them. You have to be ruthlessly honest with your budgets and complete the account reconciliations regularly to get the best out of it. To be honest, no-one yet has come back and said 'nah, cant be doing with it' once they get the hang of it.

MrsDavo wrote: »

I was always a worrier about whether I had enough to spend on food, whilst frittering it away on other things, but at least now, even though it says I have £0.00 available to budget - I still have loads in my food category, so I know if I need to go food shopping that it's ok.

That is it exactly. You are manufacturing peace of mind. I dont need to worry whether my card is going to bounce at the checkout, I know for sure and always that it will go through and that there is money to cover the spend. I know that baring some massive unforseen situation there is money to cover everything for 12 months into the future. Yes, I could lose my job, but it is a small concern since I am almost one month buffered and am making impressive headway in the debt war.

Good luck and keep it up.

MoodyMel

Does this programme work for someone who gets paid numerous amounts per month. For esample I get money weekly, fortnightly, 4 weekly and my student loans go in 3 times per year (each academic term)

Also how is it at 'adjusting' to new income frequencies. I only have one more term until I am finished at university.. then I will be working over the summer before possibly returning to study in September, or possibly not!