The Birth of Fearless Budgeting

Listen to this blog post: “I Can’t Stop Spending!” podcast, Episode 053.

I’ve decided to create a series of spending plan training podcasts because it feels like that is the most important information I can offer you right now. If you want help creating or maintaining a spending plan, this podcast series is for you. Even if you already have a spending plan, the training will be a helpful refresher and will likely provide you a with new perspectives and tips. It’s the exact same process I’ve successfully used with my one-on-one students for seven years. And there’s no charge for this podcast series.

I decided to call my training podcast “Fearless Budgeting.” I wrestled with this name for months. As you may know, I despise the word budget, but I strongly believe in the act of allocating money to categories, which is the definition of budgeting. I’ll go into more detail about spending plans vs. budgets in a later episode. But “Fearless Budgeting” truly encapsulates my overriding approach … to gently take you by the hand and help you overcome your terror around facing the truth of your spending, which is a crucial first step in the process, and to ease you into a practice that will keep you clear around your money and engaged with your spending plan ongoing.

By the end of the series, you will have a spending plan foundation and you will know how to work with your spending plan ongoing. And, you can always arrange a one-on-one session with me if you need additional help. Just go to FearlessBudgeting.com/training for details.

New YNAB Training Video Available – Tracking Cash Spending in YNAB

I just created a new training video to help YNAB users. This is part two about tracking cash in YNAB.

(Sign up here to get 34 days free to test YNAB.)

In this video, I go over how to track spending cash in YNAB as well as how to reconcile the cash account. In part one, I go into depth about receiving cash. In both videos, I demonstrate how to do split transactions as well.

First Spending Plan Training Video Available: Tracking Cash in YNAB

I finally finished my first video to help people with their spending plan! This first video walks you through tracking cash in YNAB. It’s an area that many people find confusing, so I wanted to make a video walking you through the process.

Boy, it was both fun and challenging learning how to animate PowerPoint and getting the video to match the audio. 🙂

It starts off with some discussion about the topic of tracking cash, but you can go right to time stamp 3:13 to see the step-by-step demonstration.

 
I’d love your feedback on this video. Thanks … and I hope you find it helpful.

Web-Based YNAB: My (Long) In-Depth QA Review

If you are a follower of this blog, you know that I am absolutely in love with YNAB software for managing my spending plan. YNAB stands for “You Need a Budget.” It has been a magical solution for many of us working a recovery program as it is an easy to use, virtual envelope system.

Their newest offering appeared just a few days ago. It is a web-based, subscription version that is intended to replace YNAB 4, which lives on your computer and can be saved in DropBox so you can work on it across all your devices through their Android and Apple apps.

Launch of Web-Based YNAB!

Happy New Year to everyone!

A few days ago, someone told me that YNAB was launching a new, web-based subscription version that will be replacing their current YNAB4 desktop version. The subscription will cost $50/year or $5/month. If you currently have YNAB4, you will be eligible for a 10% discount ($45/year).

[In case you don’t know, YNAB stands for You Need a Budget and it is the software that I use to manage my spending plan. You can read more about why I love YNAB here.]

Recorded YNAB for DA Members Workshop (Accounts)

The workshop went very well and I’m so excited that the recording worked! Now, aside from my sounding like Daffy Duck, I’m hopeful that this recording can help anyone, even a complete beginner. I really tried to keep it simple and resolve the issues that seem to be problematic for DA members.

Total time is 1:21 (one hour and 21 minutes). The great part is that you can stop and rewind as needed.

REMINDER! YNAB for DA Members Workshop Tomorrow

I will be conducting a free conference call tomorrow (Sunday, 11/8/15) from 2:00 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST to walk you through the Register portion of using YNAB. This workshop is specifically geared toward the tasks DA members need.

No need to register; just call in! 2:00 PM EST to 3:30 PM EST
If you cannot make it, I will HOPEFULLY be able to record the call and will post it later, so you can follow along at your convenience.

Here is the call-in information:
Dial-in Number: (641) 715-3580
Access Code: 479117

International callers
Click here for a PDF with associated country numbers.

What you will need

* A working copy of YNAB on your computer.
* Pen and paper to take notes

You can either work in your existing YNAB spending plan or create a new plan along with me for the workshop. NOTE: YNAB calls it a “budget,” so I will use that terminology though we know ours is a spending plan! 🙂

Here is the Agenda:

1. Walkthrough to create a new budget
2. Where to save your YNAB Spending Plan
3. Auto-download transactions or not?
4. Setting up on and off budget accounts
5. Entering transactions with and without a check number
6. Transferring between accounts
7. Dealing with cash
8. Splitting transactions
9. Scheduling recurring transactions
10. Reconciling with your bank account (CRUCIAL!)

There will definitely be time for questions.

If people find this helpful, there will be a second workshop dealing with the spending plan side of YNAB for DA members.

Hope to “see” you there tomorrow!

YNAB for DA Members Free Workshop

Many DA members ask me to help them use YNAB. YNAB is short for “You Need a Budget,” and it’s been a fantastic resource for lots of DA members to track their spending (it’s a “virtual envelope system”). There is a cost associated with using this software and, of course, there are many ways to track our numbers. But since I get lots of calls asking for help, it occurred to me that going over some of the core concepts and functions in a group might be effective.

Disclaimer

Oh, disclaimer: I get no money or any type of payment from YNAB. I have just used the software since 2009 and have found it invaluable in keeping me sober with money.

Allocate and Accumulate are my favorite words!

When thinking about the physical part of my recovery from compulsive debting and spending — tracking my spending — I cannot think of two words that bring me more peace.

I am Not Recovered

In April, I celebrated six years of back to back abstinence from compulsive debting. But it has become clear to me recently that I am still a seriously compulsive spender. And I now truly understand why the primary purpose of Debtors Anonymous (DA) is not incurring unsecured debt.

If we just never had to spend money again, we wouldn’t have a problem, right? But unfortunately, we must learn to forge a new relationship with money that doesn’t include incurring unsecured debt. As I’ve written before, we must walk the razor’s edge.