#101 - Planning on a Variable Income, YNAB at Your Workplace, and Free Swag!
Oct 16, 2024
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Veronica Brashier, who manages the corporate wellness program at YNAB, shares her journey from freelance wedding photographer to financial wellness advocate. She discusses the stress of variable income while raising a family and how discovering YNAB transformed her financial planning. Veronica offers insights on incorporating YNAB into employee benefits, alongside enticing swag for those who advocate for it at their workplaces. She emphasizes the importance of budgeting for financial security and balancing family life amidst seasonal income fluctuations.
Veronica's journey illustrates how budgeting software can alleviate the stress of managing variable income for self-employed individuals.
Promoting YNAB as part of workplace benefits fosters a supportive community for financial discussions, enhancing employee well-being and organizational culture.
Deep dives
Corporate Financial Wellness Programs
The episode highlights the initiative of bringing financial wellness into corporate environments through a program that allows organizations to support their employees' financial education and management. This effort aims to enable employees to utilize budgeting tools effectively, which can significantly improve their financial stability and mental well-being. It is suggested that if employees can persuade their employers to provide access to these tools, it could create a supportive community at work for discussing financial matters and budgeting strategies. This collaboration can lead to a more informed workforce and contribute positively to company culture and employee morale.
Navigating Variable Income with Budgeting
Managing finances with variable income is emphasized as a significant challenge for individuals, especially those in self-employment, like the episode's guest, who experienced fluctuations in earnings as wedding photographers. The guest discusses how budgeting software transformed their approach to financial planning, allowing them to thrive even during lean months. By implementing strategies to separate income for essential expenses, they gained control over their financial situation and were able to make informed decisions about spending. This shift not only made budgeting easier but also fostered a sense of stability amidst the uncertainties of self-employed income.
The Importance of Health and Well-Being in Budgeting
The discussion emphasizes how effective budgeting can lead to improved health outcomes, demonstrating that managing finances goes beyond mere dollars and cents. The guest shares personal experiences where budgeting led to better access to healthcare services and proactive health measures for their family. These financial decisions positively influenced their well-being and overall family dynamics, allowing for preventive care instead of only addressing emergencies. This underscores the argument that budgeting is not just about managing money but also about fostering healthier lifestyles and relationships.
Creating Meaningful Experiences through Budgeting
The episode explores how budgeting enables families to prioritize experiences over material possessions, allowing for rich family memories through travel and celebrations. The guest shares their family's tradition of celebrating significant milestones, such as 13th birthdays, with trips instead of parties, reinforcing the idea that meaningful experiences are at the heart of their financial planning. Budget allocations for experiences reflect conscious spending choices that enhance the family's quality of life. By setting aside resources for holidays and vacations, they cultivate lasting family bonds, positioning their financial plan as a tool for life enrichment.
In today's episode, Ben and Ernie chat with Veronica Brashler, who is in charge of the Corporate Wellness program at YNAB. Veronica's YNAB story starts with working freelance as a wedding photographer with a highly variable, and seasonal income. Both she and her husband were self-employed at the same time, while raising a young family, and the stress of variable income was high. In her words, they felt like they always had to take the next job, because they weren't sure where the next paycheck would come from if they said no. This made it difficult to plan vacations or just take time off to relieve stress (during peak wedding season she would typically work multiple weddings every weekend!).
When she discovered YNAB, the stress relief was immediate. All of a sudden they had clarity around their true expenses, and how much was "enough." Today, Veronica helps others find this sense of relief with her work at YNAB. Her current job is to work with companies to provide YNAB to their employees as part of their benefits package. And she's brought lot of YNAB goodies for the Budget Nerds community!
Share YNAB with your workplace and get some swag!
Tell your employer about us and we'll reward you with some exclusive YNAB things. Here's how to make it happen:
Write a message to your HR team requesting that they consider YNAB as an addition to your benefits package. You can use the templates at ynab.com/wellness/share for inspiration.