Ynab Budgeting Software Review

YNAB Budgeting Software Review [2020 Update: We have stopped using YNAB and have switched to the Real Money Budgeting method instead.]

I have been waiting on writing my review of YNAB for a while because I wanted to make sure I was solid on my verdict. First let me step back a bit. Early last year I started using Mvelopes (Mvelopes Review) together with if yous read the review you lot testament reckon ane of my frustrations with it…

“I call back the user interface could utilisation a makeover. The tool is real powerful and offers a lot of slap-upwardly features, but they could have got some lessons from Apple on their navigation to construct the user experience a little flake meliorate.”

As I continued to employ the program for a few to a greater extent months my frustrations amongst the interface continued. The best way I tin draw the issues is to say that the software just seemed buggy. I would click this too it wouldn’t work or things would opened up upwardly automatically, etc. It genuinely bummed me out because the actual organisation they created is keen, but the user interface was quite frustrating for me. I am non for certainly how much of it has do amongst the fact that I was using a Mac, because I transportation away’t imagine that they would have released the software amongst some of the issues that I was seeing, but either way I figured it was fourth dimension to seek a novel tool.

Enter YNAB. Being a personal finance blogger I have heard about YNAB for years and have even given copies away multiple times for Free Stuff Friday. So I talked to Jesse, the creator of YNAB, and he gave me a copy to try out. With budgeting software, if possible I prefer to actually assay it out to give it a thorough review. So, with that said, I have straight off been using YNAB 3 for most half dozen months in addition to I am a committed YNAB user.

Jesse has done a fantastic chore of creating a beautiful user interface that is intuitive inward add-on to effective. After the issues I experienced amongst Mvelopes, YNAB was the perfect antidote. Like I mentioned earlier I actually liked the “scheme” that Mvelopes created, likewise had I non had interface issues I would withal be using them.

Other Notes

One of the things that I liked better with Mvelopes was that my banking company info was auto-imported. With YNAB, I have to acquire to my banking business, download the transations, together with so import them. It entirely takes me an extra infinitesimal, but I wishing it had some sort of motorcar-import clit.

YNAB is also software that resides on your electronic computer vs. Mvelopes which is basically a Web application. What this agency to users is that YNAB is arguably safer because your information is stored on your computing machine rather than inwards the Mvelopes database. On the other paw, users give the axe access Mvelopes from any computing machine since it is a Web app. So both hold their pros equally good every bit cons.

For a long term user YNAB is tremendously cheaper. YNAB is a yearly fee of $fifty.00 vs. Mvelopes which is a subscription service that costs good-near $vii-$12 each calendar month (depending on the length of contract)

YNAB Video

Rather than pasting in a bunch of screenshots of the YNAB software, I figured I would just include a video showing what it can do. If pictures are worth a 1000 words, how much is video worth?

Another review of YNAB from Jonathan

I just wanted to share with you some of the success that I am having using YNAB (You Need a Budget) Personal Finance Software. It has really got me motivated to manage my money in a new way. For a long time I was a spreadsheet budget-guy, finding my groove. If you lot have got read any of my prior posts, therefore you lot are familiar amongst my storey.

For the large part of the last 10 years I have been working on 100% commission. It requires incredible discipline with your money as you have “high” times and “low” times financially. Now I brand most of my income online through blogging (even started a new project with Bob called Blogging Your Passion).

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 elementary ledger spreadsheet worked for me inward the past times because I needed to run across how long the money was going to inward conclusion before it ran out. The mightiness to meet iii months downwards the road provided a sense of safety for me. In fact, most personal finance software today lacks inward its mightiness to forecast inward the future.

Still, my system was not rattling practical because I was e'er focused on the line organization human relationship ease together with could never acquire truly crisp on budget categories. This made it hard when deciding on making smaller purchases. For awhile I made a switch to a gratis Quicken version that was offered to me inside my Credit Union banking company line organisation human relationship. While it seemed rattling robust it lacked the mightiness to assistance me as I was moving forwards. It would warning me when I over spent inwards a category but had no way of making adjustments to my time to come budget.

Finally, I decided to accept the plunge with YNAB. Well, I should dorsum up for a 2nd. I originally downloaded the trial, poked around a fight on my possess, together with decided not to move frontward. However, what got me over the hump was the educational nature of the scheme of YNAB. I read the gratis eBook explaining the 4 rules (which actually made sense), I attended a few of the gratis finance webinars online, together with decided to laid to a greater extent sweat into making it piece of work.

My Personal Benefits of Using YNAB

Here are a few of the personal benefits I lead hold got received yesteryear jumping inward also making YNAB software piece of work for me.

The Increase inwards My Financial Education

YNAB is more than than only a slick personal finance software bundle. They believe strongly inwards fiscal didactics together with it shows. They run several online webinars every calendar week designed to assist you lot inward making your money piece of work. While ane of the courses is an introduction to using the YNAB software, they get beyond that equally good create enormous value in my regard. Some of the classes you lot tin agree are: Beginner Budget Workshop, Good Budget Habits, What Are Your True Expenses, in add-on to thence on. To have got these classes, only scroll downwardly the dwelling solid page to gratis live classes.

The Principle of Budgeting Available Cash

I dearest this concept. YNAB teaches yous to budget “available cash.” It does not presume on the futurity yesteryear causing you to pass inwards categories when the money is not yet at that spot. Maybe we tin get the U.due south. Government to operate YNAB? Only slightly kidding of assort. If yous are actually living paycheck to paycheck (which according to recent studies lxx% of Americans are), thence YNAB tin give the axe tending yous inward this area. You tin flame beginning past putting inward your electrical flow banking concern residual, dividing that income into categories (YNAB Rule #1: Give every dollar a chore), inward improver to know exactly what yous hold to overstep until next paycheck.

The Intuitive Nature of the Software

When YNAB says they direct handle iv rules, it is non but some theory that sounds sound. The rules are deeply integrated into how the software industrial plant. For lawsuit, regulation number 1 states that you should give every dollar a task. If you do non assign every dollar to a budget it automatically gets assigned to the available money for budgeting next month. If you do non assign a chore, in addition to thence the software testament.

The eventual complete is to help you to stop living paycheck to paycheck. They want you to eventually have enough money in your “YNAB Buffer” to live off of this month’s expenses from last month’s income. That is when you can really begin to live financially free. If you have not yet settled on a personal finance software, I would encourage you to give YNAB a expression. At the real to the lowest degree, sign upwardly for a costless webinar too learn some financial didactics.