You’ll give every dollar a job and then adjust as needed between paydays/inflows of money. It’s also a lifestyle, as it requires you to take a proactive approach to budgeting. YNAB is a budgeting app/software program that can be used on a regular computer or mobile device. This past year I decided to do something about it.Īfter trying and failing to get my family’s spending under control with other budgeting methods, I started a free trial with You Need a Budget. Nonetheless, writing about money in my professional life while mishandling my own finances has been a source of shame. Maybe that’s not unusual, like comedians who suffer from depression. Readers, I have a confession to make: I’ve been a personal finance writer for five years, but my own finances are far from perfect.