Save Money, Get Organized = Use YNAB!

This post is a little off topic for Renaissance Mama, but I want to share because it’s made a HUGE difference for us!

Finances can be such a difficult thing to get control over. I am not naturally gifted with finances, and I spent a lot of my adult life worrying about whether there was enough money in the bank to pay our next bill. Can you relate?

I experimented with a few different programs to help track our money, and nothing seemed to be worth the time I put into organizing everything.

Then, I met YNAB, otherwise known as You Need A Budget. YNAB offered both a transactions register to track all my purchases, AND an actual budget program. I log my purchases (or import them from my bank), and the program deducts it from my budget.  I can customize all the categories, and know exactly WHERE my money was going.

Now, instead of looking at my checking account balance and *hoping* I had enough to pay that bill (but what if the electric company payment posted before the check to the doctor went through?), I KNEW there was enough to pay it.   And, if I went over in one category, I could just move a little money over from another category, no sweat.

If you’d like to give YNAB a whirl, you can download a free trial program for 34 days.  They offer lots of tutorial videos including live webinars, and their customer service is fantastic.  I’ve emailed with questions, and gotten very prompt, friendly responses.   They also offer mobile versions of the program, so you can input transactions on the go.

Have you used YNAB?  I’d love to hear about your experience!

(By the way, this was not a sponsored post.  I just really like them!)