A few episodes ago, Ben and Ernie walked through how to set up YNAB for the first time, focusing on the basics. Today, by popular request, they are covering the advanced setup, exploring every feature YNAB has to help you setup a spending plan that fits with your life. There's a lot here, so strap in nerds!

As with episode #123 on the basic YNAB setup, this episode relies heavily on screensharing of the YNAB app, so we recommend heading over to YouTube to watch the video version of the podcast.

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Ben and Ernie take up arms in the age old personal finance battle -- pay off your debt first, or get a month ahead on your bills? While they have discussed this topic before, in today's episode they approach the two paths with a balanced view, weighing the pros and cons of each. While they have an obvious bias toward getting a month ahead on your bills, there are certain scenarios where really buckling down on paying off debt might be the best move.

The beautiful thing about this problem is that either way, you are making progress toward a better you. Simply thinking through your approach and evaluating your emotions around debt, financial resilience, and day to day expenses helps align your actions with your priorities -- and at the end of the day, that's what YNAB is all about.

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At Fan Fest Minneapolis in June 2025, Ben and Ernie recorded their first ever live podcast of Budget Nerds! They invited friend, mentor, and fellow YNAB creator Ashley Lapato, who also runs @theorganizedwallet account on TikTok. Ashley tells her story of discovering YNAB after an especially embarassing failure to pay her bills on time while her husband was traveling for work. She resolved to finally learn how to take control of their money and become a positive finanacial contributor to their marriage. Ashley discovered YNAB, and, as you can see now, the rest was history!

Ashley also walks through her categories, including setting aside money for fostering new relationships and leaving room for "side quests," as she calls them -- adventures and experiences that help you grow and learn new things.

Follow Ashley L. on TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@theorganizedwallet?lang=en

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You may have noticed some recent changes to the YNAB app, starting with no more "add transaction" button in the bottom row of the screen. It was a little jarring for Ben and Ernie at first, but they quickly realized that you can still add transactions easily within YNAB, and in fact, there are many ways to add transactions quickly within the app. In today's episode, Ben and Ernie walk through all the ways you can add transactions in YNAB, on all platforms, including:

• iOS shortcuts and widgets
• iOS spotlight
• Using voice commands via Siri
• Android widgets
• From the lock screen of your phone

Whether you're new to YNAB or a veteran, there's probably some new ways to add transactions you haven't explored yet, including ways to auto-populate categories and payees. This episode relies heavily on screenshots and visual references, so we encourage you to watch it on YouTube as well.

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It's often said that sucess is the result of your daily habits. In today's episode, Ben and Ernie talk about seven habits that completed changed how they think about and act around money, including:

1. Giving every dollar a job (the ultimate YNAB rule!)
2. Only working with the money you have on hand right now
3. Saving for non-monthly expenses
4. Getting a month ahead
5. Finding the money first in your plan, before you spend
6. Holding on to your cash as long as possible
7. Changing your plan regularly to reflect new life circumstances

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

• Understanding the credit card float in YNAB

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YNAB is a powerful, flexible piece of software, but there is a learning curve. In today's episode, Ben and Ernie teach you how to setup a YNAB spending plan from scratch, and the essential features you need to know. If you've been sitting on the fence, wanting to jump in, this is the perfect time to get started!

And remember, as Ernie says, you don't have to be perfect! The beauty of YNAB is you can easily change your plan anytime you want, as new circumstances come up in life and as you gain more insight into what you want your money to do for you.

Note this episode relies heavily on screenshots of the software, so we highly recommend you check out this episode on YouTube too! You can follow along with Ben and Ernie and setup your plan quickly and easily.

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It's been a while since Ben and Ernie have had a good old fashioned YNAB wins show, so here's another one! Ben and Ernie collected wins big and small from YNAB'ers improving their relationship with spending one transcation at a time. They cover wins ranging from paying off debt, to accomplishing big dreams and goals, to getting a month ahead, and simply getting back on track with the YNAB method.

So if you're feeling stuck in your own money story, dig in and let these YNAB wins give you some inspiration!

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Through all the category breakdown episodes, Ben and Ernie have seen some thought-provoking, inspiring, funny, and downright weird categories from YNAB'ers. Today's episode is all about celebrating the weird and unusual categories in your plan. Ben and Ernie polled YNAB'ers across Facebook, YouTube, and even some of the YNAB team members and highlight the funniest, most inspiring, and weirdest categories they found.

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Have you felt overwhelmed trying to think of categories for your money when you start a fresh spending plan? Or just wished someone would come up with new categories for you when you need to plan for a major life event? You're in luck, someone has done all that work for you! They are called YNAB templates. In today's episode Ben and Ernie take a look at the new templates feature in YNAB, and share their experiments incorporating templates into their own spending plans.

There are a number of templates available, ranging from very general, such as the beginner and minimalist templates, to highly specific, such as getting a new puppy or renovating your kitchen. Templates have categories preloaded and organized for you, and some even have targets with ballpark figures. The idea is to help you think of the various things you need to plan for, big and small. For instance, when planning a vacation most people immediately think of airfare and hotels or Air B&B, but there are also small expenses like parking and souvenirs that can add up to big bucks over the course of a trip! With the travel template, all these things have already been considered for you, so you can just import the template directly into your plan and set targets that fit your trip.

Ben and Ernie each picked a template to import into their plan (it's easy to import templates -- just find the one you want to use, one click and it imports straigth into your plan). Ben chose travel and used it for a recent beach vacation. Ernie chose food since he and his family have recently changed their habits around eating out and shopping for groceries. Of course, templates aren't set in stone, so Ben and Ernie modified them to fit their own situation.

If you find yourself stuck on building categories in your plan, or just need some fresh inspiration, try out a template!

Find your YNAB template here:

https://www.ynab.com/templates

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In today's episode Ben and Ernie chat with Lauren, a long time YNAB user going back to YNAB4 and a Customer Support Specialist at YNAB. Though she was born in the US, Lauren is of Korean descent and since 2017 has been teaching English in South Korea. Her unique background has required some pro-level YNAB moves, since she is paid in US dollars but spends in both USD and Korean Yuan, which fluctuate in value relative to each other.

YNAB's recommended solution is to maintain two plans, one in each currency, so that currency fluctuations don't cause your plan to drift over time. This is a reliable method, but it requires you to maintain two plans and keep track of duplicate categories in each currency. Lauren prefers to manage her money in one plan, and simply makes the currency conversion when she enters her transactions in YNAB.

In today's episode Ben and Ernie dive into Lauren's categories, and discuss her unique way of managing multiple currencies in one plan.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• YNAB Templates: https://www.ynab.com/templates

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