Budget Nerds

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/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g

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

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 Budget) Fans! https://www.facebook.com/groups/YNABFans Friendly YNAB (You Need a Budget) Support https://www.facebook.com/groups/1401727190120850 Debt Bootcamp https://www.youneedabudget.com/debt-bootcamp/ More Money Challenge https://www.youneedabudget.com/moremoneychallenge/ #YNABCommunity (Instagram)   Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com   Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g

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 prone to a lot of errors. But with a solid plan, following YNAB's Four Rules, you don't have to worry anymore! There's either money in the category for the thing you want to buy, because you assigned dollars to it already, or there's not. If there's not enough money in the category, then you can move money from other categories to see if there's enough to cover the cost -- and if you are OK with the tradeoff. Maybe you're OK with zeroing out your coffee budget for a month to buy this thing, whereas taking money from the rent category would obviously be a non-starter!   Ben and Ernie go beyond the dollars and cents, however, and discuss the hidden costs of things. There are things with ongoing maintenance costs -- like Ernie and his lawn equipment -- then are things which have a potential non-monetary cost, like Ben's new One Wheel. When you ask the question "can I afford it," especially for big ticket items, it's important to consider all the angles!   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

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

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.   Watch Heard It from Hannah on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Lm5_9ps_zo0   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      

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  

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://www.youneedabudget.com/is-it-bad-to-keep-money-in-a-savings-account/   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  

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  

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 budget.   YNAB Together: A Guide https://support.youneedabudget.com/en_us/ynab-together-B1nS78Cki   How to Budget with a Partner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVoNYf3Fm2Y     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