Last year that’s how many people checked out the budget software links I posted on The Wisdom Journal ^[2]. Unfortunately, they all went to Mvelopes or Quicken. Those are two good financial software tools, but I don’t think they rank nearly as well as You Need A Budget (YNAB) ^[3].

Why am I so excited about YNAB ^[3]?

This is the only budgeting software I’ve run across that has a plan as part of it’s core to help you get out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. That’s right. By following along and doing your budget the YNAB ^[3] way, you’ll begin to live on LAST month’s income, not THIS month’s income.

Why is living on last month’s income so significant?

It gives you an income buffer. If your best friend unexpectedly comes into town and wants to go out for dinner, it won’t bust your spending plan to do so because you’ll have a buffer – living on last month’s income allows that.  The buffer money comes from any cash that you save or don’t spend and YNAB ^[3] helps you do that too.

The Four Rules of YNAB

1. Stop living paycheck-to-paycheck
2. Give every dollar a job
3. Save for a rainy day
4. Roll with the punches

^[4]

You probably understand the first three rules, they’re self explanatory, but that last rule, “Roll with the punches,” is what really motivates so many people to use YNAB ^[3]. Budgets aren’t meant to be written in stone. Sometimes you DO have friends ^[5] drop in from out of town, sometimes you DO need to buy a new pair of work shoes, sometimes you DO have to fly out of town to a funeral. Surprises happen, and when they do, most people who are already struggling to live within a budget ^[6] just give up, or fall woefully behind. YNAB ^[3] helps you get over those challenges in an intuitive, simple, and effective way.

YNAB ^[3] doesn’t encourage you to give up saving for an emergency fund. No, you still fund your savings for emergencies and at the same time, all those little leaks that previously went unnoticed are plainly visible. Money you know about can be re-captured – and that is the beauty of YNAB ^[3].

You can try out their software FREE for 7 days and should you decide to buy, for a limited time, the great people at YNAB ^[3] are giving readers of The Wisdom Journal ^[2] a 10 percent discount if they use the coupon code “wisdom” at checkout. Additionally, I am giving away one copy of their software out of my own pocket to a randomly selected reader of this blog. All you have to do is leave a comment on one of my posts about this fantastic budgeting ^[6] software (including the post you’re currently reading). Include a topic you’d like me to write about in the future and I’ll register your name for two entries! The drawing will be help February 1st!

Go ahead, leave a comment – what have you got to lose?

About the author

Ron has written 1080 articles on The Wisdom Journal.

The founder and editor of The Wisdom Journal ^[2] in 2007, Ron has worked in banking, distribution, retail, and upper management for companies ranging in size from small startups to multi-billion dollar corporations. He graduated Suma Cum Laude from a top MBA program and currently is a partner in a national building materials company.

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