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: Reality: What does this money need to do before I’m paid again? Stability: What larger, less frequent spending do I need to prepare for? Resilience: What can I set aside for next month’s spending? Creation: What goals, large or small, do I want to prioritize? Flexibility: What changes do I need to make, if any?     Watch The Jesse Mecham Show on Youtube ..read more

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   G ..read more

When Jesse was 25, he wrote down a goal on a notecard: to live in a paid-off house by the time he was 30. He thought that owning his house free and clear would make things feel different, give him a sense of security and freedom. At the end of the day, though, the mortgage really wasn't that big of a deal -- it was just another bill to pay. There was less satisfaction to owning his home outright than he thought there would be, and some regret when he realzied he could have invested the extra mortgage payments somewhere else and made far more return.   You may not have the same outlook on ..read more

Welcome to the first episode of The Jesse Mecham Show! To kick off the new show, Jesse asks the question: what is money anyway? You might point to the cash in your wallet, you might say it's the number in your bank account, you might even say it's a medium of exchange, or a store of value. While these answers aren't wrong, they really don't capture the fullness of what money is and what it means to us.   Instead of thinking of money as merely a medium of exchange, Jesse prompts you think of it as medium of energy. You expend energy to acquire money, and then you spend that money on all th ..read more

Jesse finishes his Q&A session from his inbox with one of the longer episodes in recent memory. He also announces a big change coming to the podcast!   Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com   Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: @ynabofficial Instagram: @ynab.official Twitter/X: @ynab Tik Tok: @ynabofficial     Tickets to YNAB Fan Fest 2025 are on sale now! Coming to San Diego, Minneapolis, and NYC: YNAB.com/events   ..read more

Spendfulness is the new word in town, but don't be fooled! It's not just a portmanteau of "spending" and "mindfulness." Spendfulness isn't spending on the "right" or "correct" things. It doesn't mean spending on health or self-improvement, or even treating yourself. Although it certainly could include these things, limiting the definition to them is too small. Paying your electric bill is spendfulness, just like paying for a day at a health spa or a membership to a yoga studio.   Spendfulness is that feeling of never having to second guess about your money, or being able to replace a wate ..read more

Jesse continues his Q&A session from his inbox, addressing questions such as: whether an investment advisor is worth it and what to do with an inheritance windfall. Jesse also teases some upcoming changes to the podcast!   Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com   Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: @ynabofficial Instagram: @ynab.official Twitter/X: @ynab Tik Tok: @ynabofficial     Tickets to YNAB Fan Fest 2025 are on sale now! Coming to San Diego, Minneapolis, and NYC: YN ..read more

Jesse cracks open his inbox for another round of Ask Jesse. In today's episode he fields questions about YNAB'ing through job loss, financing a car and investing the float, and what personal finance books he recommends for kids.   Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com   Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: @ynabofficial Instagram: @ynab.official Twitter/X: @ynab Tik Tok: @ynabofficial     Tickets to YNAB Fan Fest 2025 are on sale now! Coming to San Diego, Minneapolis, and NYC ..read more

People have been doing it for years by following the YNAB method -- self-actualizing by aligning their spending with themselves. Now the YNAB team has come up with a word to describe it. It's not a budget, it's not a set of rules.   It's spendfulness.   Tickets to YNAB Fan Fest 2025 are on sale now! Coming to San Diego, Minneapolis, and NYC: YNAB.com/events   Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com   Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com   Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: @ynabofficial Instagram: @ynab.official T ..read more

The Four Rules are out... the Five Questions are in! Well... not really, the Four Rules have just been transformed and clarified. As Jesse has pointed out in prior podcasts, the Four Rules were really just one rule, the first rule -- Give Every Dollar a Job.   And that is still the master rule. To clarify what giving every dollar a job means, YNAB has come up with five questions: What does this money need to do before I’m paid again? (Reality) What larger, less frequent spending do I need to prepare for? (Stability) What can I set aside for next month’s spending? (Resilience) What goals ..read more