Sounds far fetched, I know, almost as crazy as our current administration banning the great American pastime of fishing. With bad news coming out of Washington so fast and furious that it’s hard to keep up, 
maybe someone from YNAB needs to educate our legislative and executive branches on what a budget really is and how it’s supposed to work. Deciding where to spend money on isn’t a real budget. Neither is deciding how much to spend. Deciding where NOT to spend is where a real budget begins. Once you understand that aspect, budgeting takes on a whole new meaning.
What would it look like if the government used YNAB?
First, we wouldn’t be operating on a month to month basis. Last month, the federal government went into the red $209 billion, 14 percent higher than the previous record set in February of last year. You Need A Budget (YNAB) teaches its users how to stop the paycheck to paycheck cycle by simply knowing where their money is spent and formulating a REAL plan to get out of this vicious cycle.
Second, every dollar would have a job, a mission, a purpose. Some may claim that this is already happening to a degree in our federal, state, and local governments, but I disagree. These faux budgets our legislators are concocting are shams, they have no idea what’s being purchased, what’s being spent, or WHY. Some people even encourage legislators to “pass the bill to learn what’s in it.” YNAB eliminates that possibility because its proprietary software helps you not only track, but helps you dictate how to spend your money. You are in control, not your money, not your debt, not your bill collectors. YOU.
Third, by using YNAB, governments would be able to save for a rainy day. You know they’re coming – those 6 month car insurance premiums that eat your lunch – and this budgeting software helps you prepare for them. YNAB would help our government prepare for the upcoming rainy day known as the Baby Boomer Social Security Buster that’s looming on the horizon in about 10 to 15 years.
Fourth, YNAB would help governments roll with the punches. Things come up, like wars, recessions, and the need to payoff entire states to get your legislation passed. YNAB makes small adjustments when you overspend, ensuring that you fix those mistakes before you go to the next month. What a concept! Can you imagine anyone in government actually admitting to overspending and doing something about it?
I know. It’s more than just a little far fetched to wish that any government, federal, state OR local, would budget the YNAB way, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Check out YNAB and see if it isn’t the most innovative, intuitive, and incredible way to take back control of your money, because if you don’t control your money, it will certainly control you. Don’t believe me? Just look at the Federal government’s projection of its own debt problems.
Photo by metimbers2000
About the author
If you enjoyed what you just read and would like to get FREE email updates with the freshest articles from The Wisdom Journal delivered right to your inbox, subscribe today! It's ridiculously easy and you can unsubscribe at any time. Since your email address is never sold or abused, you can subscribe with confidence.
