YNAB Broke

People in the YNAB community say that they are YNAB broke. That means that your money is doing a job and isn't available to waste. That's a good thing and we are most definitely YNAB broke this week. In fact, we are so broke I'll be juggling a couple of bills just to make sure we get through the pay period. But that's okay. I like knowing exactly where we are and not checking the bank account and being shocked every time. So it's good.

Last post I wrote about a $19.99 charge that was showing in the bank and I didn't know what it was for. It completely disappeared. I don't know what it was for. It was there and then it was gone. Interesting. Now I have a $79.00 charge that I'm not sure what it's for. It's been there for a couple of days and I don't know where it came from. So I will wait to see what happens with that one. It's nice to be so on top of the money that I can see something like this immediately. Love it.

It's weird to think that I spent so much of my life not having any idea how to handle money. Living paycheck to paycheck was so normal I did not see how to do it any other way. I have tried so many different budgets and money strategies in the past but I always ended up in that paycheck to paycheck cycle. I just did not see how to get out of it. Why isn't the YNAB way of budgeting and handling your money more common? Why doesn't someone teach this to people? I just feel like so many people I know live in the paycheck to paycheck world and don't see how to get out. I know people personally that would live like that and not see a problem with it. That's the way it's done. In fact, I know people who live like that, have gotten lots of money, and because they really don't know how to handle money blew through it really rather quickly. Not that I'm an expert or could even help them at the time, but looking back I see it and realize what was wrong. They didn't know any better. Oh well, one thing I have learned in my almost 60 years is that I can't change people, I can only change me. And I'm good with that.

So in spite of being YNAB broke, I'm not stressing about money.  I paid my car registration - which I didn't plan for because I'm so new to YNAB - and that is basically what threw everything off. But it's paid and we will recover. Spring break is over and it's back to school next week, I spend no money during the school week. So things are good and I'm going to continue to say that.