I just started YNAB the first week of November so I won’t be doing a fresh start but YNAB has been a life changer thus far. I’ve paid off several thousand in debt and I am so much more self aware with my spending. I’ve been living pay check to pay check no matter how much money I’ve made, but that has stopped and the feeling is amazing!
I like all the historical data that comes with not fresh-starting. Completely understand why people choose to do so, and do so regularly though. When I hit what I feel is a rough patch in my finances, I can look back at all my historical data and the recent downtrend I assume barely registers as a blip when I start to look at five years of data. It gives me peace of mind. It does have the downside of reminding me that I do love to eat out. I just have to embrace it.
Already shared this in a reply to another comment, but I recently read an awesome tip from another YNABer on the "I don't want to fresh start and lose my net worth history" predicament: when fresh starting, rename the archived budget to "Net Worth Tracker", and continue to update all your account balances (debts and assets included!) once monthly! That way you can still continue to maintain your net worth graph if that's the thing you're hanging onto your old spending plan for, which has absolutely been the case for us, while getting that fresh new start in the rest of your spending plan. I'm excited to have the freedom again to fresh start without losing that net worth data I love watching change and grow so much! 🌻 Hannah
I'm not doing a Fresh Start for 2025. I'm doing a From-Scratch restart. As I look to retire early next year, my accounts will be changing, my income stream(s) will be changing, etc. Evaluating what new things I will be able to consider saving for (road trip!) once I have more time. YNAB is going to get me there. Thanks for the video and Happy New Year to the YNAB team.
WOW! A big life event like that is a great time to start with a literal blank slate! New season, brand new plan! I'm on board! Thanks for being a part of our community-a very spendful new year to you, too! 🌻 Hannah
Super happy and excited to start the new year with YNAB! I started using it July 2024 and looking forward to start budgeting and collecting data for the next full 2025. Thank you YNAB team for making our lives a little bit easier ad under control 🙏🏻
I am really looking forward to my YNAB life in 2025… a few weeks from now will be 10 years for me. What I’ve done for 2025 is really think through what I want the next year to look like in terms of financial priorities, by making an estimated yearly budget. I made a fresh start budget and entered the income I expect to earn this year (keeping the original budget for my monthly planning and tracking). Using average & expected expenses, I allocated chunks to each category of obligations. Then based on what was left I got to be really intentional about the discretionary stuff. Then I used the resulting numbers to set targets in my monthly budget. I have no illusions that the coming year will go exactly according to this plan. But it’s wonderfully calming to be able to expand my time horizon, and consider the year ahead and even a bit beyond. What an incredible transformation from the days of not having the cash to make a payment that’s due in four days. The templates look great! And “eating out not because you love eating out, but because you’re avoiding the mess and dirty dishes at home” - how does she know?! 😜
WOW Pat, that's amazing!! 10 years in and still giddy about a new year in YNAB! And you sound like a math WIZARD, to boot! "I have no illusions that the coming year will go exactly according to this plan. But it’s wonderfully calming to be able to expand my time horizon, and consider the year ahead and even a bit beyond." Wow, couldn't have said that better myself. So elated for you and the clarity you've been able to find in your finances. How empowering! Best of wishes to you in the new year! And I'd put my money on my household ordering some hot and ready pizzas this week... 😉 🌻 Hannah
I just finished my 2024 in Review presentation and sent it to hubby for us to chat about around the campfire as we wait to welcome 2025. And I may have spent a lot of time yesterday afternoon just futzing around with our budget, tweaking here and there. #budgetnerd.
Thank you, Hannah! These are great suggestions delivered in a perfect topic to side-bar ratio. Core memories of that first ice cream truck purchase revised! We are grateful for you and the team at YNAB.
Thanks for a great video! These are really good and substantive questions to ask myself as I reflect on the past year and will go hand in hand with general goal setting for the year. Love this app!
I wonder if I am the only person who really would like to travel *less* 😅 Some of it is living in a small rural town which means we travel for things others do in town (thanks orthodontist). But even the trips that were to family, or to a good place added up to too much for my taste 😂 Great video Hannah, I am definitely excited to see what else I can find in 2024 spending!
😂 I feel that! Since getting married, I think 90% of Mac's and my trips have been just visiting family-those plane tickets and dog-sitting is expensive! I'm hoping someday soon we get to go on a relaxing trip just for US! 🌻 Hannah
I am hoping to become a me-ier me in 2024. Wait! 2025! I do a fresh start every couple of years and this is my year to fresh start. I’m excited! (It doesn’t take much - I’m easily entertained.) I love your videos, you’re a hoot!
A me-ier me! Same! I'm also pairing a freshly started budget with a new habit of journaling every day-I feel getting my thoughts out of my head and onto something tangible will also help to me me a me-ier me. I'm excited! 🌻 Hannah
In lieu of monthly amounts being budgeted for annual savings categories, we've started handling savings the same way we handled debt...a savings snowball. We know what we need to save for, we keep those savings in a HY savings account and its there when we need it. Once our savings is done, we have all that money available to pay down a large debt (student loan) which we'll probably focus on, or saving for a new car. That way, we just pause our debt payoff to refund that savings category when we need to.
YAY! Wow! High compliment! I've found so much more peace in just MOVING FORWARD than beating up for the past. We learn a little something from everything we do! Going into the new year with more information than I had before is win enough for me! 🌻 Hannah
Some years I have done a Fresh Start; this year it will be a review to adjust targets and priorities. I might put my 2025 goals in their own categories pinned to the top on mobile so I see them every time I open YNAB on my phone even if there’s no money associated with (example: try a new baking recipe once a month )
We NEVER do a fresh start, but this year I think we're actually gonna!! Too much change in the past year has happened to make an old thing still work for us. I recently read an awesome tip from another YNABer though: when fresh starting, rename the archived budget to "Net Worth Tracker", and continue to update all your account balances (debts and assets included!) once monthly! That way you can still maintain your net worth graph is that's the thing you're hanging onto your old spending plan for, which has absolutely been the case for us. I'm excited to have the freedom again to fresh start without losing that net worth data i love watching change and grow so much! 🌻 Hannah
I keep missing payments…uugghhh I have them accounted for and then forget to pay Also I’m so confused on the credit card- how do I account for payments and such I would send to assign and then it looks like there are 2 payments. So confused
There's a Record Payment button in each credit card on desktop. Mobile has the "To/From: Checking" option which covers "Payments and Transfers" but because the language across Desktop/Mobile isn't uniform, it can be confusing. I typically just record through Desktop.
Hey there!! I'd really encourage you to check out on one of our free live workshops on managing credit cards in YNAB! In it, you'll get a real live teacher walking you and a group of other YNABers through the process of how credit cards work in YNAB, and at the end you can ask your specific questions and get their curated answers for your specific question! There's a few happening today it looks like, but should be offered frequently on our Live Workshops page! I'll like it below: www.ynab.com/free-workshops 🌻 Hannah
Yes! We had been categorizing some inflow transactions directly to these categories as opposed to "Ready to Assign", and brought in more money than we spent in those categories, which is how we have a few categories with positive inflow categories! 🌻 Hannah
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
I just started YNAB the first week of November so I won’t be doing a fresh start but YNAB has been a life changer thus far. I’ve paid off several thousand in debt and I am so much more self aware with my spending. I’ve been living pay check to pay check no matter how much money I’ve made, but that has stopped and the feeling is amazing!
I like all the historical data that comes with not fresh-starting. Completely understand why people choose to do so, and do so regularly though. When I hit what I feel is a rough patch in my finances, I can look back at all my historical data and the recent downtrend I assume barely registers as a blip when I start to look at five years of data. It gives me peace of mind. It does have the downside of reminding me that I do love to eat out. I just have to embrace it.
Already shared this in a reply to another comment, but I recently read an awesome tip from another YNABer on the "I don't want to fresh start and lose my net worth history" predicament: when fresh starting, rename the archived budget to "Net Worth Tracker", and continue to update all your account balances (debts and assets included!) once monthly! That way you can still continue to maintain your net worth graph if that's the thing you're hanging onto your old spending plan for, which has absolutely been the case for us, while getting that fresh new start in the rest of your spending plan. I'm excited to have the freedom again to fresh start without losing that net worth data I love watching change and grow so much!
🌻 Hannah
I'm not doing a Fresh Start for 2025. I'm doing a From-Scratch restart. As I look to retire early next year, my accounts will be changing, my income stream(s) will be changing, etc. Evaluating what new things I will be able to consider saving for (road trip!) once I have more time. YNAB is going to get me there. Thanks for the video and Happy New Year to the YNAB team.
WOW! A big life event like that is a great time to start with a literal blank slate! New season, brand new plan! I'm on board! Thanks for being a part of our community-a very spendful new year to you, too!
🌻 Hannah
I love how you helped us look at the positives of our old year in money.
Looking at the positives is more helpful and fun than looking at the negatives, am I right?!
🌻 Hannah
Super happy and excited to start the new year with YNAB! I started using it July 2024 and looking forward to start budgeting and collecting data for the next full 2025. Thank you YNAB team for making our lives a little bit easier ad under control 🙏🏻
YAY! Isn't that exciting?! This is gonna be the year to beat for sure!! Can't wait for you!
🌻 Hannah
I am really looking forward to my YNAB life in 2025… a few weeks from now will be 10 years for me. What I’ve done for 2025 is really think through what I want the next year to look like in terms of financial priorities, by making an estimated yearly budget. I made a fresh start budget and entered the income I expect to earn this year (keeping the original budget for my monthly planning and tracking). Using average & expected expenses, I allocated chunks to each category of obligations. Then based on what was left I got to be really intentional about the discretionary stuff. Then I used the resulting numbers to set targets in my monthly budget. I have no illusions that the coming year will go exactly according to this plan. But it’s wonderfully calming to be able to expand my time horizon, and consider the year ahead and even a bit beyond. What an incredible transformation from the days of not having the cash to make a payment that’s due in four days.
The templates look great! And “eating out not because you love eating out, but because you’re avoiding the mess and dirty dishes at home” - how does she know?! 😜
WOW Pat, that's amazing!! 10 years in and still giddy about a new year in YNAB! And you sound like a math WIZARD, to boot!
"I have no illusions that the coming year will go exactly according to this plan. But it’s wonderfully calming to be able to expand my time horizon, and consider the year ahead and even a bit beyond." Wow, couldn't have said that better myself. So elated for you and the clarity you've been able to find in your finances. How empowering!
Best of wishes to you in the new year! And I'd put my money on my household ordering some hot and ready pizzas this week... 😉
🌻 Hannah
I just finished my 2024 in Review presentation and sent it to hubby for us to chat about around the campfire as we wait to welcome 2025. And I may have spent a lot of time yesterday afternoon just futzing around with our budget, tweaking here and there. #budgetnerd.
Ummmm, I LOVE THIS?! Campfire YNAB chats?!?! Amazing!! Wish I could bring my husband and join 😅
🌻 Hannah
Happy New Year Hannah and all YNAB team! ^_^ I wish all your true expenses covered!
And a very spendful new year to you too!!
🌻 Hannah
Thank you, Hannah! These are great suggestions delivered in a perfect topic to side-bar ratio. Core memories of that first ice cream truck purchase revised! We are grateful for you and the team at YNAB.
Thanks for a great video! These are really good and substantive questions to ask myself as I reflect on the past year and will go hand in hand with general goal setting for the year. Love this app!
YAY! Of course, wouldn't want to go into the new year any other way! Glad it's helping you too!!
🌻 Hannah
I wonder if I am the only person who really would like to travel *less* 😅
Some of it is living in a small rural town which means we travel for things others do in town (thanks orthodontist). But even the trips that were to family, or to a good place added up to too much for my taste 😂
Great video Hannah, I am definitely excited to see what else I can find in 2024 spending!
😂 I feel that! Since getting married, I think 90% of Mac's and my trips have been just visiting family-those plane tickets and dog-sitting is expensive! I'm hoping someday soon we get to go on a relaxing trip just for US!
🌻 Hannah
Thank you for the multiple perspectives 😀. Happy New Year Hannah🎉
Happy to be constantly thinking out loud on camera 😅
🌻 Hannah
I am hoping to become a me-ier me in 2024. Wait! 2025! I do a fresh start every couple of years and this is my year to fresh start. I’m excited! (It doesn’t take much - I’m easily entertained.) I love your videos, you’re a hoot!
A me-ier me! Same! I'm also pairing a freshly started budget with a new habit of journaling every day-I feel getting my thoughts out of my head and onto something tangible will also help to me me a me-ier me. I'm excited!
🌻 Hannah
In lieu of monthly amounts being budgeted for annual savings categories, we've started handling savings the same way we handled debt...a savings snowball. We know what we need to save for, we keep those savings in a HY savings account and its there when we need it. Once our savings is done, we have all that money available to pay down a large debt (student loan) which we'll probably focus on, or saving for a new car. That way, we just pause our debt payoff to refund that savings category when we need to.
This is actually a great idea. We use savings here and there for things but also set goals and always feel like we’re spinning our wheels.
NGL... "Everything Else," and "Dining Out." Just imagine if I got a handle on this... Happy YNAB New Year, Hannah!
😂😂 SAME, but make it groceries for me 😅
🌻 Hannah
Brilliant. That felt like therapy. (And I'm a therapist, lol)
YAY! Wow! High compliment! I've found so much more peace in just MOVING FORWARD than beating up for the past. We learn a little something from everything we do! Going into the new year with more information than I had before is win enough for me!
🌻 Hannah
Some years I have done a Fresh Start; this year it will be a review to adjust targets and priorities. I might put my 2025 goals in their own categories pinned to the top on mobile so I see them every time I open YNAB on my phone even if there’s no money associated with (example: try a new baking recipe once a month )
We NEVER do a fresh start, but this year I think we're actually gonna!! Too much change in the past year has happened to make an old thing still work for us.
I recently read an awesome tip from another YNABer though: when fresh starting, rename the archived budget to "Net Worth Tracker", and continue to update all your account balances (debts and assets included!) once monthly! That way you can still maintain your net worth graph is that's the thing you're hanging onto your old spending plan for, which has absolutely been the case for us. I'm excited to have the freedom again to fresh start without losing that net worth data i love watching change and grow so much!
🌻 Hannah
Not Hannah making me cry in the last two minutes of that one….😂
🥺 Look at us 🥲
🌻 Hannah
#perspentage #wotd 😎
😂😂😂 my brain went, "hold on, am I brilliant??"
🌻 Hannah
I keep missing payments…uugghhh
I have them accounted for and then forget to pay
Also I’m so confused on the credit card- how do I account for payments and such
I would send to assign and then it looks like there are 2 payments. So confused
There's a Record Payment button in each credit card on desktop. Mobile has the "To/From: Checking" option which covers "Payments and Transfers" but because the language across Desktop/Mobile isn't uniform, it can be confusing. I typically just record through Desktop.
Perspentage is my is now my favorite word ever! This shall be my theme for 2025! Happiest of New Year’s to you Hannah!
Hey there!! I'd really encourage you to check out on one of our free live workshops on managing credit cards in YNAB! In it, you'll get a real live teacher walking you and a group of other YNABers through the process of how credit cards work in YNAB, and at the end you can ask your specific questions and get their curated answers for your specific question! There's a few happening today it looks like, but should be offered frequently on our Live Workshops page! I'll like it below:
www.ynab.com/free-workshops
🌻 Hannah
lol, RIGHT?! My brain farted but I thought... kinda makes sense, though. 😅
🌻 Hannah
I don't have the "positive inflow categories" on my spending breakdown, is it just me?
If you always add items like refunds to Ready to Assign, you won't see positive inflow categories all that much.
Yes! We had been categorizing some inflow transactions directly to these categories as opposed to "Ready to Assign", and brought in more money than we spent in those categories, which is how we have a few categories with positive inflow categories!
🌻 Hannah
2024. delete that s show and start over
😂😂 That's really how it can feel sometimes!
🌻 Hannah