Budgeting is pretty fun already... if you're a budget nerd. But what's even more fun than reconciling your account, or assigning that fresh pay check that just hit your account? Making a game out of it! Ben and Ernie discuss the various ways they have "gamified" YNAB, to have some fun with the process, to hit stretch goals, and to improve their spending decisions and willpower when funds in a certain category get tight. Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com Follow Budget ...
May 17, 2023•53 min•Ep. 65
Ben and Ernie tackle the topic of paying off debt, with a different bent than the typical personal finance podcast or blog. Where many sources focus on paying debt off at all costs, using extreme measures or simply throwing every dollar at debt, Ben and Ernie prefer a paydown approach which focuses on your priorities. What is most important in your life? Find a way to continue doing those things, while cutting back on non-essential aspects of your life to free up money for debt pay down. Often t...
May 03, 2023•41 min•Ep. 64
Ernie is hosting a live "Budget with Me" session on the Budget Nerds YouTube channel. Ernie will be sharing his actual budget and demonstrating his process for budgeting his April paychecks. The livestream will air on May 1, 2023 at 7:00pm Eastern here: https://www.youtube.com/live/AAAgGHPlC3k?feature=share If you missed it, you can still view the recording of the livestream on the Budget Nerds YouTube channel. Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQq...
Apr 27, 2023•2 min
It's Ben's turn! Ben shares a whopping 84 categories from his budget on today's show, from "BMI" to "sundries" (Ben's favorite word). Ernie will be budgeting LIVE on YouTube with his actual April paychecks, to show you his budget and his process. You can catch the livestream on May 1st at 7:00pm Eastern here: https://www.youtube.com/live/AAAgGHPlC3k?feature=share Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmb...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 63
Ever wonder what Ben and Ernie's budget looks like, in detail? Today you'll find out! Ernie shares every category in his budget -- all 60 of them -- how he uses them, and how they developed over time. Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g...
Apr 05, 2023•47 min•Ep. 62
Ben and Ernie discuss the rich and diverse YNAB community across the web, from subreddits to Facebook groups to YNAB-hosted seminars and workshops. There are YNAB groups for multiple languages, YNAB groups for people with disabilities, and YNAB groups for people following other financial help programs. Whoever you are and whatever your background, there's almost certainly someone else out there using YNAB! YNAB Community Links YNAB main subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/ynab/ YNAB (You Need a B...
Mar 22, 2023•43 min•Ep. 61
Ben and Ernie tackle the age-old question: can I afford it? Many people who are stressed about money face this question regularly, and without a solid plan for their money, there's not a good answer to the question. The answer usually comes down to this: how much money is in my bank account right now, how much do I owe right now (do some mental math), and is the remainder enough to buy this thing? As we all know, the bank balance and mental math approach to this question is a slippery slope, and...
Mar 08, 2023•51 min•Ep. 60
ANNOUNCEMENT: Ben and Ernie are going LIVE on YouTube on Feb. 22, 3:00pm EST to chat with you and answer your questions. If you missed the Q&A, you can still watch the replay -- just head on over to the YouTube channel linked below. YouTube Live Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/live/TQgblkdkFVI?feature=share Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g...
Feb 22, 2023•2 min•Ep. 59
Ben and Ernie invite Hannah, from the popular YouTube budgeting show Heard It From Hannah, on to the show to talk about everyone's favorite topic -- pets! Dogs, of course, are man's best friend (sorry cat people), but they can also be expensive! If you own a pet, it's essential to include them in your budget plans. Ben, Ernie, and Hannah discuss the ways they have included their pets into the Four Rules, from things as simple as monthly kibble, to pet insurance, to unexpected surgical procedures...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 58
The good, the bad, the meh, and everything in between -- Ben and Ernie review their most memorable purchases in 2022. Ben discovers that tree management is actually a true expense (and not a small one at that), while Ernie battles rodents and fart spray at his house. Ben and Ernie want to hear about your YNAB wins! Send them an email: budgetnerds@youneedabudget.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g...
Jan 25, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 57
Simplification is kind of a running theme in Budget Nerds, but Ben and Ernie haven't done a whole show dedicated to simplifying -- simplifying the budget, your bank accounts, even your life! Today they discuss various ways they've tried to simplify their finances over the years, what has worked and what hasn't. Do I Need a Savings Account? by Ben Barlowe https://www.youneedabudget.com/do-you-even-need-a-savings-account/ Is It Bad to Keep Money in a Savings Account? by Matthew Amster-Burton https...
Jan 11, 2023•49 min•Ep. 56
Ben and Ernie look back at 2022 and discuss the themes for the year, celebrate some budgeting wins, and identify areas for improvement next year. Ben and Ernie want to hear about your YNAB wins! Send them an email: budgetnerds@youneedabudget.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g...
Dec 28, 2022•47 min•Ep. 55
Ben and Ernie introduce the brand new YNAB feature "YNAB Together," which allows partners and families to share a budget via group login, with varying levels of permissions. During the extensive beta testing process, the YNAB team hammered out the many challenges of shared logins and permissions, but the process also revealed something unexpected -- shared budgets made partners and families feel connected with their money in a way that they never had before, when just one person "owned" the budg...
Nov 30, 2022•29 min•Ep. 54
Budgeting is all about tradeoffs. Tradeoffs are built right into the Four Rules (in particular Rule One and Rule Three)! Ben and Ernie revisit the idea of tradeoffs in budgeting, and discuss the kinds of tradeoffs they had to make when they first started budgeting and the kinds of tradeoffs they find themselves making now as seasoned budgeters. Ben and Ernie want to hear about your YNAB wins! Send them an email: budgetnerds@youneedabudget.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.c...
Nov 16, 2022•50 min•Ep. 53
Last year, Ben and Ernie shared the 6 Habits of Successful YNABers, but there's a lot little things they do which have made them effective budgeters over the long run. Today they share those little habits, and Ben finally spends money out of a category he's been funding for a loooong time. Ben and Ernie want to hear about your YNAB wins! Send them an email: budgetnerds@youneedabudget.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g...
Nov 02, 2022•47 min•Ep. 52
Ernie shares some big changes he's made to his budget recently, including revised categories, more hands-on input, LESS automation, and fresh goals. Ben and Ernie want to hear about your YNAB wins! Send them an email: budgetnerds@youneedabudget.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g...
Oct 19, 2022•32 min•Ep. 51
Before there were four rules, there were... no rules at all! Ben and Ernie take a trip in the Wayback Machine to collect every iteration of the YNAB Rules they could find, going all the way back to 2004 when Jesse started the company. As Jesse developed the ideas behind his budget spreadsheet, the rules start forming, but it took a few years before the rules as we know them today came into focus. The YNAB Team is always looking for ways to explain the YNAB method in clearer terms, but looking ba...
Oct 05, 2022•36 min•Ep. 50
Is this the nerdiest Budget Nerds episdoe to date? Ben and Ernie take a tour of the YNAB API, the programming interface behind the YNAB software which allows app developers to interact with the software and build cool tools. They share some of their favorite API apps and offer suggestions for their dream features. Any developers listening out there? Ben and Ernie want to hear about your YNAB wins! Send them an email: budgetnerds@youneedabudget.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.yout...
Sep 21, 2022•38 min•Ep. 49
Ben and Ernie discuss a listener question... what does your budgeting process look like when you're not chasing a goal? After you've paid off the debt, paid off the house, or achieved some other big financial goal, how do you stay on target and keep your head in the game? Ben and Ernie remind us that it's OK for the budget to be boring, but at the same time there are some ways to shake up your process and re-evaluate things even when you don't have a goal to drive your focus. Send Ben and Ernie ...
Sep 07, 2022•44 min•Ep. 48
Ben and Ernie celebrate the two year anniversary of hosting Budget Nerds, and share some of the important things they've learned doing the show. They also discuss some of the ways their budgeting habits have evolved since starting the show. Get your Budget Nerds sticker here! https://youneedabudget.typeform.com/budgetnerds Big shout out to Kalix who took Ben's jingle idea and made it into reality! You can write into the show at: budgetnerds@youneedabudget.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: http...
Aug 24, 2022•39 min•Ep. 47
Ben and Ernie discuss what things made their "wish farm" list, that is, the purchases they have specifcally outlined in their budget, but haven't (necessarily) funded yet. The goal with the wish farm is to put pen to paper on things you really want to save for, and see if those desires are still there in the future when you can start to allocate dollars to them. Often the process of simply writing down the things you want can help you achieve clarity around your goals and the dollars you will gi...
Aug 10, 2022•41 min•Ep. 46
Support specialist Kat joins the podcast to talk about managing credits in YNAB. Tracking and managing credit cards can be confusing in YNAB if you are new to the app, but Kat breaks down how credit cards work in zero-based budgeting and the nuances of how the YNAB app handles them. Ben and Kat also field some common questions from YNAB users about credit cards and credit strategies. Get in touch with the show: budgetnerds@youneedabudget.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.co...
Jul 27, 2022•47 min•Ep. 45
Ben and Ernie compiled a big list of YNAB tips, tricks, hacks, and expert-level moves from YNAB users across the world. Even if you think you know YNAB like the back of your hand... you are sure to learn at least one new thing in this episode! Write into the show! Tell Ben and Ernie about your killer trick, ask questions, suggest an episode topic, or share a YNAB win: budgetnerds@youneedabudget.com Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g...
Jul 13, 2022•48 min•Ep. 44
What if you got to work with a bunch of other budget nerds? Wouldn't it be great to talk budgets and categories around the water cooler without feeling self-conscious? Money is a sensitive topic for many people, especially in the workplace, and unfortunately a lot of workers bring their money stress with them into work. To that end, Ben and Ernie discuss YNAB's new service Financial Wellness, which brings YNAB to companies as part of their employee benefits. Aftera all, YNAB the company is full ...
Jun 29, 2022•30 min•Ep. 43
While the folks at YNAB have no opinion on how you should spend your money (that's a highly personal decision and up to you to decide), there's one thing that just keeps coming up: restaurants! Over and over again, new budgeters find that much of their money is being spent dining out at restaurants and ordering take out, and many of those budgeters decide to cut back on it after realizing this fact. So today Ben and Ernie continue their discussion on food spending by sharing their strategies for...
Jun 15, 2022•46 min•Ep. 42
If you haven't noticed it you might actually live under a rock -- groceries have gotten expensive these days! Inflation has crept into nearly every crevice of the economy, but food prices in particular have risen drastically. If anyone's up to the task of managing the budget with high food prices, it's budget nerds, and in today's episode Ben and Ernie share their strategies for keeping your grocery category under control. One key takeaway -- it's OK to spend a lot of money on groceries! Health ...
Jun 01, 2022•53 min•Ep. 41
Ben returns to the show (with a very cute baby) and he and Ernie answer viewer-submitted questions. Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g
May 18, 2022•39 min•Ep. 40
Did you know you can use YNAB to track your investments too? Former investment advisor and current YNAB team member Matthew Amster-Burton joins the show to talk about how he uses YNAB to get real nerdy with his investment accounts. Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g
May 04, 2022•27 min•Ep. 39
While Ben is out on paternity leave, Ernie invites Jesse Mecham -- the founder of YNAB and therefore the ultimate budget nerd -- onto the show to answer 73 questions about life, budgeting, and whether or not Jesse will ever fix his golf swing. Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g
Apr 20, 2022•41 min•Ep. 38
Erin Lowell, a lead educator at You Need A Budget, joins the show to replace Ben.... just kidding, Ben is irreplaceable! But while he's out on paternity leave, Ernie is hosting the show with guests. Erin has a LOT of experience budgeting, and a fair amount of experience buying and renovating houses, so she shares a recent experience buying a beautiful old home on a 15-year mortgage and renovating the kitchen on a budget, while managing the stresses of moving and being without a place to cook. Fo...
Apr 06, 2022•33 min•Ep. 37
