Explore every episode of the podcast The Jesse Mecham Show
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| There Is No Such Thing as Savings | 19 Jun 2025 | 00:08:18 | |
It seems obvious that you should save money. It's the right thing to do, after all! But even the words that we use talk about saving money have problems -- should, ought -- loaded with moral baggage. Jesse reminds us that even money earmarked for savings is still spending, just spending that has been deferred to a later date, retirement for example. That money still needs to have a job, however. Saving for what in retirement? Utility bills? Travel? Presents for the grandkids?
Money for the future has a job just like money for the present, and when you view money through the lens of giving every dollar a job, you begin to see that money is only meant to be spent. There is no savings, only spending!
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| What I Do When I Really Want to Buy It | 12 Jun 2025 | 00:07:38 | |
When you really want to buy something, what do you do? Do you wait for 48 hours to cool off a bit and think it over? Or perhaps do you create a category for it in YNAB and fund it with a few dollars, just to see how it feels? Having the urge to buy something is not a bad or shameful thing, but there should be a process for weighing that purchase against your other priorities. That's what YNAB does -- it makes money more real by giving you a framework to evaluate your spending against your priorities. That way when you buy something, you can feel really good about it -- no shame, no guilt, just joy!
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| Are Your Savings Making You Stingy? | 10 Apr 2025 | 00:07:30 | |
All money is meant to be spent, it's just a matter of when. Some people get caught in a cycle of amassing savings with no clear goal of how it is to be spent. Jesse shares an example from his wedding of how the desire to save money can backfire, and demonstrates how having a plan for your money, whether it's in the near future or distant future, is the most important thing.
As we say at YNAB, give every dollar job.
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| Rules Changes: A Quick Trip Through YNAB History | 31 Jul 2023 | 00:13:16 | |
Did you know that YNAB's Four Rules weren't always four? And contrary to popular belief, they did not spring forth from Jesse's head fully formed! No, the Four Rules developed over years as Jesse refined and clarified the YNAB method behind the software (and originally, the spreadsheet). Ben and Ernie take a quick spin through the history of the Four Rules, going all the way back to the very first YNAB website in 2004.
Budget Nerds Episode #50: A Brief History of the YNAB Rules Apple Podcasts Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/3AdIeFpt0ZfuM0kKEF8Yr0?si=d235636937564f38
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| How to Talk to Your Partner About Budgeting | 24 Jul 2023 | 00:09:56 | |
Ben and Ernie share their personal experiences talking to their partners about budgeting and YNAB. Every family is different, and every partnership will handle communicating about money and budgeting differently, but the important thing is that you do it! Frequent, regular money conversations help everyone stay on the same page and focused on the same goals, whether one person manages all the YNAB details or each person shares equally in that task.
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| Managing Vacation Transactions | 17 Jul 2023 | 00:06:28 | |
It's peak vacation season, so Ben and Ernie are comparing notes on handling the vacation budget in the moment. One the one hand, you want vacation to be vacation -- a time to unplug, be in the present moment, engaged with your family and friends. On the other hand, waiting until the end of the trip to categorize all your transactions can be overwhelming! Ben and Ernie share their approach to managing the transaction log without going crazy or burying your face in your phone the whole trip.
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| How Often Should You Reconcile? | 10 Jul 2023 | 00:06:12 | |
Reconcile your budget, that is! Ben and Ernie discuss their budget reconciliation habits, and make a case for why you should reconcile every day, especially if you are new to YNAB.
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| Leaving Margin for Life | 03 Jul 2023 | 00:07:39 | |
Ben and Ernie share a tip for making the budget feels a little less constricting -- leave a little margin in your categories! This is not an emergency fund, Ben says, but a way to give yourself some flexibility and fun.
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| One Easy Trick to Boost Your Retirement Savings | 26 Jun 2023 | 00:05:51 | |
We all know we need to save for retirement, but it can feel a long ways away. Savings can always wait while you deal with something more urgent, it seems, until all of a sudden retirement starts staring you in the face!
The most important factors in saving for retirement are starting early, and consistency, Ernie reminds us. How do you create consistency? There's an easy trick. If you're not yet, start contributing something -- anything! -- to your retirement accounts now. That amount will be some percentage of your income. Each quarter, increase that percentage of your income you are contributing by 1%. It doesn't seem like much, but it adds up fast! And most importantly, it's a slow enough change that it gives you time to adjust. As one YNAB listener writes in, it doesn't even feel like you're missing the extra money, while at the same time it's encouraging to see your retirement accounts going up.
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| This Question Doesn't Have to Be Scary: Can I Afford This? | 19 Jun 2023 | 00:09:28 | |
Ben and Ernie ask a question that strikes fear into those who don't budget (and sometimes to those who do): can I afford this? At least for YNAB'ers, this question isn't about whether you have the dollars and cents in your bank account to make the purchase, it's about your emotion, how you feel about buying the thing in question versus something else. As Ben explains, it's about opportunity cost, and luckily YNAB is very good at helping you understand opportunity costs with your money.
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| A Different Take on Credit Cards | 12 Jun 2023 | 00:10:06 | |
Ben and Ernie tackle the big credit card question (should you use them?) that Jesse has been wrestling with this year, with a slightly different take. Ben, of course, does not use credit cards as he shared with Jesse in episode #621. Ernie, on the other hand, has done it both ways, cutting up the credit card during times of his life where he was busy paying down debt, and now using it judiciously to accrue travel points that he can use on family vacations.
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| Paying Off Debt the Sustainable Way | 05 Jun 2023 | 00:06:38 | |
Jesse is taking a break for the summer, so Ben and Ernie (from the Budget Nerds podcast) are stepping in to guest host. Today, they talk about paying off debt... sustainably! So many personal finance resources urge people to pay off debt as soon as they can, and white knuckle their way toward financial freedom. While this can work for short periods of time, for many people paying off debt is a marathon, not a sprint, and white-knuckling has many pitfalls.
For one, when you're throwing every dollar and focusing all of your energy on paying off debt, it's easy to ignore Rule Two -- embracing your true expenses. If you get hit by an unplanned expense and you've thrown all your extra cash at your debt, then you may find yourself reaching for the credit card... and thereby accruing more debt. So, Ben and Ernie urge you to take things a little slower. Work the Four Rules, budget for true expenses, and have some cash reserves set aside, so that your journey to pay off debt doesn't start going backwards.
And more importantly, taking things at your own pace can help you avoid burnout and stay focused on the long term goal. As long as you are aligning your money with your priorities, you are doing it right!
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| Rule Four Reviewed | 29 May 2023 | 00:09:11 | |
Beef is pretty good aged, but you know what's even better? Aging your money! That's Rule Four -- aging your money. Basically, increase the amount of time between when you earn the money and when you spend it. By following Rule One through Three, you can accumulate cash in your categories and pre-fund future expenses, thereby increasing your options.
When you have a lot of cash available, you have options for handling unexpected expenses, taking advantages of opportunities (which require money/investment), or simply changing your strategy. It's easy to re-assign dollars that are already in categories, but you have to have the dollars there in the first place. That's the essence of aging your money.
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| Stop Budgeting Dollars You Don't Have | 03 Apr 2025 | 00:05:44 | |
YNAB only asks that you follow one rule with your money, the golden rule of money, if you will -- give every dollar a job. And within that statement is implied that you must give every dollar you have a job. Many people get in trouble when they start planning for money they expect to come but don't have yet. There be dragons!
Looking at the money you have right now, and asking yourself "what does this money need to do between now and when I get paid again?" focused you on reality, and avoids asking too many what-if questions about the future and various contingencies. And it's simple. No forecasting, no elaborate scenarios. Just concrete dollars in your wallet (or bank account) right now and present needs and wants.
Simplicity is underrated. Following this simple rule over and over, multiple times a month, maybe multiple times a week, will grow your financial confidence, your decision making skills, and your bank account!
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| Rule Three Reviewed | 22 May 2023 | 00:05:31 | |
Be like the reed... blowing in the wind. It's not a haiku, Jesse is talking about Rule Three -- rolling with the punches. Life happens, and unexpected things are going to pop up that could break the budget. When you roll with the punches however, you check the budget, find the money for the unexpected expense in another category, and fund the expense by moving money from that category.
The key here is that you check the budget and find the money first! You don't simply spend the money and try to figure it out later.
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| Rule Two Reviewed | 15 May 2023 | 00:08:07 | |
It's back to basics time! Rule Two in the YNAB method is "embrace your future expenses." In short, think about the things you will have to buy or pay for in the future, and act on them NOW. Car going to need new tires in six months? Don't wait till they need replacing to budget for them, start budgeting now! Save a portion of the replacement cost each month until you've reached the replacement cost for those tires.
Really Rule Two is Rule One again, give every dollar a job. You're giving your dollars jobs today, to pay for expenses tomorrow.
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| Rule One Reviewed | 08 May 2023 | 00:04:33 | |
Jesse is going back to basics and reviewing the Four Rules, which are the foundation of YNAB. The first rule: give every dollar a job. What does that mean exactly? YNAB wants you to live and spend according to your values and priorities -- the things that are most important to you. In order to do that, you first have to start giving your dollars jobs that are in line with your priorities. That's the heart of Rule One.
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| A Mother's Method for Living Well (Contest Announcement!) | 01 May 2023 | 00:04:22 | |
At a recent YNAB all-hands meeting, Sarah gave a personal presentation about her "Mama's Method," rules her mother gave her for living well. Sarah told them in YNAB Four Rules style:
In honor of Sarah's presentation, and upcoming Mother's Day, YNAB wants to hear from you! YNAB is running a contest between now and May 11th. The contest is simple: share your mother's method to living well, in the style of the YNAB Four Rules if you can. One person will be chosen at random, and the winner will receive a $100 VISA gift card!
To enter the contest, write a post with your mother's rules to live by, told in YNAB "four rules" style, on any of YNAB's social media channels -- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Tik Tok. Make sure to tag YNAB, and include the hashtag #fourrulestoliveby in your post. Winner will be announced on May 11th, 2023!
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| What's In Your Financial Shovel of Dirt? | 24 Apr 2023 | 00:05:02 | |
Jesse shares a story about growing sweet potatoes and shoveling dirt... lots and lots of dirt. There's a metaphor here about budgeting too. It's work, and sometimes takes a long time to pay off. But steady, sustainable work day after day yields big results!
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| Giving Future You A Bit More Negotiation Ammo | 17 Apr 2023 | 00:06:47 | |
Jesse shares a trick for improving your Rule Two planning (Embrace Your True Expenses), and better prepare for the next unexpected expense.
Jesse suggests pulling your last six months of bank statements, and quickly scanning them for large expenditures. Look at the number of digits, and flag the transactions that have a large number of digits (to you). This should only take a few minutes. Note the payee. This exercise is the first place to look when planning for future unexpected expenses. Did you get in a fender bender and end up with a $1,000 bill from the body shop? Did you hire a plumber to fix some leaking pipes in your basement? These are possible future expenses you can use Rule Two to plan for.
Now, hopefully you won't be getting into fender benders on a regular basis! But that auto shop expense might trigger you to think about upcoming regular car maintenance that you haven't yet budgeted for. Likewise, owning a house means regular maintenance, so at some point you're probably going to call a plumber out again. Time to assign money in your budget and plan for that!
This is a good, easy strategy for improving your Rule Two thinking, and put future you in a better financial position.
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| Paid In Full, But Always in Debt | 10 Apr 2023 | 00:07:15 | |
Jesse continues his rant about exploration of credit card use, observing that "paid in full" users are, technically, always in debt. Paid in full users are people who have the cash at any moment to pay off their credit card balance in full, but choose to pay off the balance before the next billing cycle. While they do pay off the balance regularly (monthly, or weekly, maybe even daily), and thus never incur interest, they are in debt until the moment they pay off the balance. And of course, after they have paid off the balance, they are again in debt as soon as they charge the next expense on their credit card.
Does the distinction matter though? Jesse ponders the question, and gives an update on his own experiment of only using a debit card for expenses in 2023.
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| Jesse Chats with a Guy Who Has Never Used a Credit Card | 03 Apr 2023 | 00:34:22 | |
Jesse talks with a man who has never used a credit card -- YNAB's own Ben Barlowe, who you may also recognize from the Budget Nerds podcast. Ben is 34 years old, has four children, a house (purchase with a mortgage), and a busy life! Believe it or not, he has been able to navigate life without ever having used a credit card.
Ben discusses the reasoning behind his personal decision to not use credit cards, how he obtained a mortgage with no credit score, and how he manages day to day expenses such as renting cars without a credit card.
Credit cards are ubiquitous these days, but that doesn't mean you HAVE to use one. Ben demonstrates that it's possible to have a robust, well-planned financial life without credit!
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| Ask Jesse: Talk Slower, Pay Down Debt Faster | 27 Mar 2023 | 00:10:55 | |
It's time for another round of Ask Jesse! Jesse fields questions from podcast listeners about how to manage multiple bank accounts, negative budgeting, and whether he can slow down his speech pattern (sorry Leslie!)
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| Rule One and the Pursuit of Nothing | 20 Mar 2023 | 00:03:31 | |
Jesse challenges the idea of constantly pursuing something financially. For many of us in the modern world, our default is to always be chasing something -- more things, more experiences, more retirement funds, more debt paid down. Some of these things are a net good, some... maybe not. Jesse reminds us that our financial life doesn't always have to be in pursuit of something. It's ok to just let your money support your life, and nothing more. Can you do that, just for a little while?
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| Am I Spendy or Spendful? | 27 Mar 2025 | 00:06:11 | |
Jesse relates a story of a couple looking at a piece of gym equipment posted for sale at their local gym. It was expensive, and Emily's gut reaction was "no, it seems spendy." After some reflection she told her husband they should talk about it more, because maybe it was really a spendful purchase.
We are faced with decisions like these all the time. Without a plan, anything can seem spendy, even good things we want to spend our money on. Likewise, we can end up spending on things we don't really care about. Then there's the question "can I afford it?" that plagues us. These swirling, anxiety inducing questions can be answered by giving our dollars a job and working the 5 Questions (see episode #724 for more on the questions).
Next time you catch yourself thinking something is too spendy, ask yourself instead, could this be spendful?
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| Expensive Is a Lazy Word | 13 Mar 2023 | 00:03:19 | |
When people say "that's too expensive," what do they mean really? That they can't afford it, that it costs too much for a certain group of people, that it costs too much on principle? Jesse relates Rule One to the word "expensive" and concludes that its meaning is too slippery to be a useful term for people following the Four Rules.
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| Ask Jesse: Travel Hacking, Credit Cards, and YNAB'er Experiences | 06 Mar 2023 | 00:13:58 | |
In this installment of Ask Jesse, Jesse answers questions from podcast listeners about travel hacking and credit card and debit card fraud protection. He also reads an experience from one YNAB'er who switched from using credit cards to debit cards.
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| Rule One and DIY FTW | 27 Feb 2023 | 00:03:37 | |
Jesse analyzes a recent situation in which he was planning to build something in his wood shop, when a friend remarked that he could buy the same thing a lot cheaper. While we talk about money all the time in YNAB, and frequently equate money with time, and discuss the tradeoffs of buying this thing versus that thing -- Jesse reminds us that we don't have to think of everything in terms of economic decisions. Sometimes you give dollars a job (Rule One) which is for sheer enjoyment.
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| Debit vs Credit Card Smackdown (and a Rant) | 20 Feb 2023 | 00:15:48 | |
In response to episode #603 "You Spend More Money with Credit Cards," many listeners wrote Jesse to pick a bone with his claim that the debit card was a superior way to pay for things. The arguments usually boil down to the assertion that credit cards have better purchase protection and fraud prevention compared to debit cards. Jesse addresses these concerns, and more, on today's episode.
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| Ask Jesse: Save for Cars or Pay Down Mortgage, Debt Consolidation, and How Do You Know When to Spend? | 13 Feb 2023 | 00:15:06 | |
Jesse answers questions from the YNAB mailbag, including whether a couple should save for new cars to replace aging vehicles, or pay down the mortgage faster, whether debt consolidation is a good idea, and how exactly do you know when it's ok to spend money?
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| One Thing That Tells You You're Doing Money Right | 06 Feb 2023 | 00:04:37 | |
Jesse shares one key indicator that you are budgeting and doing your money right.
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| A Major Downside to Not Having Money Stress | 30 Jan 2023 | 00:04:57 | |
Not having money stress is a GREAT feeling to have. But a YNAB employee, Katie, pointed out a downside to it -- people assume you make more money than you really do. Because who else would have no money stress except people who are rolling it in?
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| Ask Jesse: Doubling Income, Real Estate, Debit Card Fraud Prevention | 23 Jan 2023 | 00:08:40 | |
Jesse fields more listener questions today, including what you should do when you double your income (teaser: there's really not a wrong answer as long as it's saving!), how to budget for real estate investments, and whether debit cards have sufficient fraud protection to use over credit cards.
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| Ask Jesse: More on Credit Cards, Tracking 401k in YNAB, and Paying Off Student Loans | 16 Jan 2023 | 00:07:47 | |
Jesse answers listener questions about tracking 401k deposits in YNAB and how to strategize paying off student loans. Jesse shares his evolving thoughts about credit cards, and why the Mecham household will only use a single debit card for expenses in 2023.
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| Now Burn It All Down Again | 09 Jan 2023 | 00:07:35 | |
Last week Jesse urged YNAB'ers not to make any sudden or drastic moves to their budget. But you know it's the beginning of the year, and that can only mean one thing! It's time for a budget burndown.
Every year Jesse burns down his budget... er, plan, and examines every single assumption built into it. Do we really need to own a house? What if we lived in an RV for awhile? Do we need two cars? What if we sold one? Etc, etc. The point of this exercise is to question everything, and in the process, better understand what your non-negotiables are. In most cases, you'll likely put most of the categories you had back into your plan. But perhaps the burn down process helps you identify a couple areas that don't really serve you anymore, or dollars that could be more useful doing a different job.
So, get ready to burn it down!
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| These 5 Questions Will Rewrite Your Financial Future | 20 Mar 2025 | 00:11:33 | |
YNAB only has one "rule" for managing your money, and that's to give every dollar a job. This is easier said than done, however, so to help with this task, Jesse presents 5 questions to clarify what you want to do with your money:
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| Don't Make Big Changes, People! | 02 Jan 2023 | 00:03:10 | |
Happy New Year! We hope 2023 is a fruitful and productive year, financially and otherwise, for everyone. It's that time of year again, the time for resolutions, big goals, and new plans. Jesse urges you to pump the brakes, however, and DO NOT make big changes to your budget. Not right now. Just iterate on what you've been doing, and try to do a little bit better than last year.
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| A Strategy for the Holidays in 2023 | 26 Dec 2022 | 00:03:11 | |
We hope you had a Merry Christmas and very happy holiday! If you didn't use YNAB to plan for this year's Christmas bill, that's OK, you can start now for next year! In January start saving for Christmas 2023 by putting aside one twelfth of the Christmas budget each month.
Jesse also has another exercise for you. Write a little note to yourself about what went well this Christmas, and what you want to do differently next time. Then set a reminder for that note to open back up in October 2023. You'll have forgotten by then, and you'll have plenty of time to prepare to make the next Christmas even better than the last.
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| Every Gift I'm Giving Julie, Forever | 19 Dec 2022 | 00:06:47 | |
Jesse shares some of the gifts he's given his wife, Julie, over the years, and why every year from now on the gifts will be made, not bought.
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| Ask Jesse: Tracking 401k in YNAB, Early Retirement Budgeting, Advisors, and More | 12 Dec 2022 | 00:12:56 | |
Jesse answers a grab-bag of questions from listeners, including whether it's a good idea to track 401k investments in YNAB (it's not), how to budget for early retirement, good books for learning how to to invest, and more.
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| You Spend More Money with Credit Cards | 05 Dec 2022 | 00:12:28 | |
It's a fact, you do. We know this because banks LOVE credit cards, and they're incentives for using credit cards rely on the fact that many people spend more money on credit than they would otherwise. Jesse meditates on the nature of credit card fees, incentives, and the game that banks play to get people to spend on credit.
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| The Different Tenses of Money | 28 Nov 2022 | 00:04:18 | |
Jesse riffs on the idea that money has different "tenses," that is, money's purpose is to be spent, and spending can happen in the past, present, or future. Debt is past spending, savings is future spending, and so on. It's an interesting idea, one that might help you better visualize the purpose of money in your own life, and how it aligns with your priorities.
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| Rule One and Gratitude | 21 Nov 2022 | 00:03:34 | |
For everyone listening in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving! Jesse encourages us this week to step back and make a list of everything we are thankful for. Taking a moment to express your gratitude for the things you have and the things that are going well in your life is not only good for your soul, it's good for your budget too! We tend to spend so much of our time in the weeds of categories and transactions, that a little time looking at the big picture and being grateful can help us get back in touch with our priorities. Is what you have enough, is it sufficient?
As Jesse says, you really can't be too grateful!
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| What's the Most Expensive Thing You've Budgeted For? YNABers Share | 14 Nov 2022 | 00:06:26 | |
Jesse shares results from a recent survey of YNABers asking: "what's the biggest thing you've saved for with YNAB?" Vacations, cars, houses, college... there are some big line items indeed!
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| Ask Jesse: What's the Most Important Metric? | 07 Nov 2022 | 00:05:15 | |
YNAB'er Allison asks: of all the metrics in the YNAB software, which is the most important one to track? To which Jesse answers... none of them! Jesse prefers to track net worth over time, which is not captured in YNAB since it's a calculation of the value of what you own minus what you owe. As Jesse explains, though, if you are working the Four Rules well, then you will create more opportunties to save and invest money and pay off debt, all of which will increase your net worth.
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| The Last $300 | 31 Oct 2022 | 00:04:32 | |
Once you've started working the Four Rules, you start to realize that most of your money is kind of... spoken for. You need to pay the rent, the utlities, insurance, and so on. When you get through the list of non-negotiables, there's often just a few hundred dollars each month to play around with in the budget, and those dollars are where the real gains are made. Like David Bach's "latte factor," the small optional expenses we accumulate without budgeting properly can add up to big savings over a surprisingly short amount of time.
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| You're Already Talking to Your Kids About Money | 13 Mar 2025 | 00:06:54 | |
You've heard the term "monkey see, monkey do," and it's true of kids and money too -- and probably not in the ways you expect! Jesse shares a couple lessons about kids and money he's learned from parenting seven children, and how kids often learn as much or more from the things you do with your money rather than what you say about money. What you say matters too, however! The main takeaway is to be thoughtful about how you engage with money, becuase your kids are listening (and watching).
Watch The Jesse Mecham Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessemechamshow
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| When Is Your Age of Money Enough? | 24 Oct 2022 | 00:05:43 | |
Killian, a YNAB 4 user, asks about Rule Four and the "age of money" metric. How long should you age your money before you can relax a bit and not budget so stringently?
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| Rule Three Happens BEFORE Spending, Not After | 17 Oct 2022 | 00:04:23 | |
Jesse drops a reminder that Rule Three, when properly implemented, happens before you spend the money on that unexpected expense -- not after!
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| EP 18 Money Stories: Surviving Financial Abuse with Dr. Kerry Roarke | 10 Oct 2022 | 00:29:16 | |
Jesse talks with domestic abuse survivor and now advocate, Dr. Kerry Roarke. Despite a successful career in pharmacy, Kerry found herself stuck in an increasingly abusive marriage, with very little say or power over how she spent or saved money. Since leaving that relationship and righting her financial ship, Kerry has volunteered to help other women find shelter and safety from domestic abuse, and identify the red flags that signal abusive relationships.
Without access to money, women have few resources to leave an abusive relationship, find shelter and food, and obtain legal help. There are many agencies, charities, and non-profit organizations across the country that can provide resources, but finding them can be a challenge. So, Kerry helped create the Safe House app, which compiles all the local resources available to people in a single place.
You can find the app, and other resources, at https://yoursaferplace.org
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