Last year, I discovered You Need a Budget (YNAB) and it’s the very best budgeting system I’ve ever come across. I’ve written about it a few times on the blog, and wanted to remind you about it today because: 1) it’s the start of a new month and 2) YNAB offers a FREE 34-day trial (no credit card required!).

I’ve shared before some of the reasons why I adore YNAB – you only budget with the money you have, there’s a mobile app that syncs with desktop and your bank, and they’ve got the best customer service and community around!

But today I thought I’d get a bit more personal and share specific benefits I’ve seen since using the program.

1. I think about money a lot less. When your money isn’t as organized as you’d like, it’s hard to turn off constant worrisome thoughts about money. If you’ve been here before, you know that it’s no way to live! I find with YNAB, it’s usually a quick check ever day or so (with a bit more time spent on paydays), and then the brain turns OFF.
2. There is more money in my account than ever. I love that one of the big goals of YNAB is to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. By embracing your true expenses, you realize that no, you don’t just have $300 in the bank to spend however. You realize you need $20 of that for gas, $50 for clothes, $100 for the utility bill, and so on. By categorizing my dollars, I have come to set more aside for bills that are two or three months down the line. Think of it like a digital envelope system.
3. My bills are getting paid ahead of time! Like many people, I’d often wait until payday to pay a bill. Since using YNAB, I’ve actually had a few occasions now where I went to pay a bill only to find I’d already paid it earlier! Not only this, I feel less stressed by large bills that come our way. For instance, our water bill ended up being a bit more than normal this month. Normally, this would cause some stress. But I’d been setting aside extra money in this category so I was able to make the payment without any stress.

Maybe some of what I’ve shared has touched a chord with you in some way. The truth is, talking about finances can be difficult or painful for some of us. There are decisions we’ve made we regret, or we feel we should be farther along than we are. It’s easy to feel like everyone else must have figured it out, but I’m here to assure you – that’s just not the case. Many of us, myself included, have really struggled in finding the best way to budget, save, and pay bills.

I want to encourage you that you’re not alone, and that it’s not too late. You can do this. You can take control of your finances, today – right now. I truly wouldn’t take the time out to be this vulnerable and share YNAB if I didn’t think it had the ability to make a difference for other people, too.

Ready to get Started?

The best way to learn how YNAB works is to try it yourself! They have a FREE 34-day trial and as I’ve mentioned, there’s no credit card required.

Here’s a short video to learn more (they also have an entire YouTube channel full of tutorials!):

To get started, head on over to YNAB. For the most successful go of it, I highly recommend that you sign up for some of the free webcasts. There’s also a Facebook group and podcast to help support your use of the program.

PS – Students get a FREE 12-month subscription to YNAB in addition to the free trial! To get started, sign up here, then email YNAB with proof of your student-hood. More details here.

I’d love to answer questions if you have them! Also, if you’ve been using YNAB, I’d LOVE to hear about it. How long have you been using it? What kind of financial goals have you achieved? What else would you add to my post? Please leave a comment below!