You need a budget (YNAB) advice thread

Pixie5740

I also stock up on booze for Christmas. I like to have a very well stocked drinks cabinet.

andyfromotley

pillion wrote: »

It is now 2 days before pay day (24th) and the end of my first full month on ynab and for the first time in a VERY long time there is money in the bank, food in the cupboards. the credit cards haven't been used and I haven't had to redeem any nectar points. It's like magic! It's also very revealing, I know where every penny has gone. I have had to do a bit of juggling, some categories I had over budgeted for and others under budgeted, but I'm sure that's just all part of the learning curve and I'm actually excited about next month being even better. Can't wait for the money to land in the bank so that I can start allocating.

Same story here. Three months in and i haven't been overdrawn once!!! (unheard of)
I haven't added anything to the CC's!! (very unusual)
Have dealt with some unexpected expenses by moving money around.
I have a small EF and some rainy day funds on the go.
i am going away this weekend for a friends 50th and have all the money saved and ready to spend! (a miracle!)

Its been transformational, I know i tho on about Ynab a lot, but for me it just works like nothing else.

Frogletina

Craftyc wrote: »

Thanks to all the helpful people on here I did a ynab trial , watched the webinars and won a copy in the early hours of this morning. So pleased although tired today!
I am going to read the thread through again to pick up some tips from all who have posted.

Well done Craftyc

frogletina

Ciaerda

If you have a freezer I would stock up on meat, April seems to have been a long month and my food budget has also been hit hard this month I have put it down to half term.

I also have a money off coupon £10 off when you spend £60 which I need to use up by tomorrow umming and arghing whether to use it for May's shopping budget just hate making a category red.

It shows that YNAB does work because in the past it wouldn't have even raised an eyebrow.

For all those who are just starting out using YNAB I listen to the podcasts and watch the Whiteboard Wednesday video the last 4 videos have been going over the rules which has been interesting.

japmis

Has anyone managed to convert anyone in real life to YNAB?

My conversion count is zero

Red-Squirrel_2

Frogletina wrote: »

Also I had an online shop this month and due to a computer error they sent less than they should have and some silly substitutions and I got a refund and had to go and buy the missing items. As compensation I have been sent a code for £10 off an online shop but the minimum spend is £60. I like the idea of £10 off but it has to be used by 30th April. I was thinking I could use this on the last day and I would be unlikely to be charged until May 1st.

I am wondering if I would be better off not using it as I cannot think of £60 worth of things to buy which would make this worthwhile at the moment but wondering if there was something I could stock up on to save me money in the future.

Personally, I wouldn't accept that as compensation. That's an offer that drops into my email regularly anyway! I'd be onto complaints saying you want there to be no strings attached to the voucher or it isn't really true compensation.

Frogletina

Ciaerda wrote: »

If you have a freezer I would stock up on meat, April seems to have been a long month and my food budget has also been hit hard this month I have put it down to half term.

I'm a vegetarian so I can't do that...

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Personally, I wouldn't accept that as compensation. That's an offer that drops into my email regularly anyway! I'd be onto complaints saying you want there to be no strings attached to the voucher or it isn't really true compensation.

That's a thought...I'd done the online shop as I'd got one of those vouchers and they really messed it up.

They charged me for some things they didn't send and made some silly substitutions - eg sent ordinary pastry as a substitute for gluten free pastry.

frogletina

[Deleted User]

Can anyone remind me how to adjust a category please to save me trawling through the webinar?

japmis

Today I received a surprise bill of 600 euros. Ordinarily I would have freaked out and paid on a credit card; this time it's coming out of my emergency fund!!

Thanks YNAB!

andyfromotley

Missu wrote: »

Can anyone remind me how to adjust a category please to save me trawling through the webinar?

adjust as in add or take money out of it?

click on the amount in the category (it highlights it,) press + or - key calculator appears put amount to be added or subtracted from category total and it will change. if you are taking money out from a category because you don't need it it will appear in Available to budget. if you are adding to a category the amount you add will come off the Available to budget.

I've made it sound long winded, its not, dead simple - super quick.