You need a budget (YNAB) advice thread

ShirePiskie

I had this, but it was to do with something I wasn't clicking... Hang on in there, when I get home tonight to any trusty rusty laptop I'll have a look and reply again (unless someone comes along in the meantime).

YNAB is amazing - to quote Point Break and not apply it to surfing "It'll change your life. Swear to God."

ShirePiskie

Or look on their forum, I think that's how I figured out what I was missing.

easterbunni

You need to do two things:

1) Budget an amount that you will pay to your debt in the left hand column (the right hand column will then show a reduced amount) from your Available to Budget

2) Transfer money from your bank account to your debt in YNAB (and in real life). This will not show up as anything in the middle column.

The amount in your debt account as shown in the left panel should then match the amount in the 'Balance' column.

katejo

Michelle2014 wrote: »

Just started using YNAB and entered my debts so they appear as "pre-YNAB" debt. However when I make a payment to these accounts it does not reduce the pre-ynab debt at the top of the spreadsheet? What am I doing wrong? Feeling confused.

How does YNAB deal with your debts - do you have them as "off budget accounts" or not?

Thanks for any advice.

I see that your question has been answered. Are you aware of the YNAB Forum? There are lots of helpful members there who will answer YNAB related questions.

Michelle2014

easterbunni wrote: »

You need to do two things:

1) Budget an amount that you will pay to your debt in the left hand column (the right hand column will then show a reduced amount) from your Available to Budget

2) Transfer money from your bank account to your debt in YNAB (and in real life). This will not show up as anything in the middle column.

The amount in your debt account as shown in the left panel should then match the amount in the 'Balance' column.

Thanks for your help but the figures still do not match. The Pre-YNAB debt is not updating once I have made payments to it.

jadex

Michelle2014 wrote: »

The Pre-YNAB debt is not updating once I have made payments to it.

Because it should NOT.
Pre-YNAB is not an account but category (with initial negative balance).
You don't pay into it, you budget it and then transfer between real bank accounts (i.e. money is transferred from bank account as payment to credit card company).
YNAB doesn't know if you pay for your recent purchases or for your Pre-YNAB debt if you don't tell it what you are doing.
If, for instance, you pay £350 and it is for Pre-YNAB debt then you need to input £350 on budget screen in relevant box (as budgeted), then your Pre-YNAB debt will go down by £350 (on budget screen, in real life you have to then do that corresponding money transfer which may be say £400 'cos you pay £50 for your recent purchases).
If 2 weeks later you can find another £20 to throw into your debt then you add that £20 to already inputted £350 (so it will be £370 now) and you will see your Pre-YNAB debt will go down by another £20 (but then you still need to transfer that money).
Same as you budget for electricity - money won't move because you put some amount into relevant box. You put money into that box AND you do a real payment after that.

It all will click when you do that mental switch and stop looking at your budget screen as at your banks/cards balances.
It really is not so complicated as it may sound.
Good Luck

Michelle2014

Thanks for your help. Managed to work it out. Was doing the budgeting under "Debts" instead of under Pre-YNAB debt now realise I was doing it wrong. Will try and do some of the tutorials on YNAB.

andyfromotley

Hi is there a YNAB thread on the forum. Just started on there and would be handy to have somewhere to post queries, see how others use it etc. (i know they have their own forums but i prefer the MSE stylee! :money:

andyfromotley

Hi, this may be better off in budgeting? Is it possible to move it? andy

Tidy_Up_Tash

Reddit has an active YNAB community, if that's any help.