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You need a budget software review3/28/2023 The register is exactly like your checkbook register and is where you will record all of your expenses. The software is divided into 4 primary sections which you can see and select in the lower left: Register, Budget, Scheduler, and Reports. I chose to start a new budget, and was presented with the register page: The welcome wizard allows you to start a new budget, import a budget from the basic version of YNAB, and to open an existing budget. Once loaded, you are presented with the welcome wizard: The banner window does indicate which modules are being loaded and provides you with visible feedback that things are loading up like they should be, but I just can’t understand why such a relatively simple program takes so long to load. The only other software package I use that takes this long to load is Photoshop CS3 which is far more complex. YNAB literally takes about 15 seconds to load. I am used to software loading rather quickly. Using YNABĬlicking on the desktop icon launches the software and displays a very crisp and professional looking banner window which is displayed until the software fully loads, which unfortunately takes a long time. This is just one example of the overall simplicity of this software. It literally took me less than a minute to install the software. The installation process uses a standard windows installation wizard and with just a few clicks the software installs itself and ads a link to your start menu and optionally your desktop and quick launch bar. Rule #4 helps you deal with overspending ( which does happen). Rule #3 helps you plan ahead for known upcoming expenses. This is commonly referred to as a zero based budget. Rule #2 places every incoming dollar to an expense category. It certainly isn’t a big deal, but something you should be aware of. You can still use YNAB without having the 1 month savings, but it makes it a bit awkward as income for the month has to be tracked differently. If you’re in debt though ( like me), I am an advocate of Dave Ramsey’s $1000.00 baby emergency fund. I think this is a great practice, if you aren’t in debt. This is a point I really struggled with and still haven’t fully made a decision on yet. In order to do this, the rule recommends you have 1 month of income in savings. Rule #1 basically tells you to live on last month’s income. I won’t go into the details on the rules, but you can read about them in detail over at the You Need a Budget website. Rule #1 – Stop living paycheck to paycheck.Both versions of the YNAB are based on 4 Rules: The 4 Rulesīefore I jump into the details of the software, we need to discuss the 4 rules. I didn’t want another spreadsheet, so I didn’t look at the regular version of YNAB. YNAB isn’t a spreadsheet, but a full custom desktop software product like other software products such as Quicken, MS Money, MS Office, etc. YNAB came later and improved on an already great product. He then developed the first spreadsheet version of YNAB that anyone could use. His process wasn’t static, but a “living budget.” Jesse quickly realized his system was unique. Seeing an opportunity, Jesse began to research available budget software. The problem was the spreadsheet was very specific to Jesse and Julie’s needs. They began to share their personal process with their friends and they all said they needed a budget too. They lived on a budget, lived on less than they earned and used the spreadsheet as a tool to manage their money and anticipate upcoming financial needs. YNAB started out as a custom spreadsheet used by Jesse and his wife Julie for tracking and managing their expenses. Jesse quickly responded back and hooked me up with an evaluation copy of YNAB. I contacted Jesse Mecham, the owner and founder of YNAB for an evaluation copy to both check out it for myself and to write up a review on. I had read on some other blogs about You Need a Budget ( YNAB) and decided I would like to try it out. I didn’t like the fact that it wasn’t easy to report on my various budget categories nor was I able to import bank transaction data easily. I don’t need a budget, I need budget software! I’ve been using my own clunky spreadsheet. As a result, I’ve struggled with maintaining our budget as well. I’ve looked at many different options and even tried using them with little success. For the past 3-months or so I’ve been searching for the right software to use to manage our budget.
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