Budgeting is all about tradeoffs. Tradeoffs are built right into the Four Rules (in particular Rule One and Rule Three)! Ben and Ernie revisit the idea of tradeoffs in budgeting, and discuss the kinds of tradeoffs they had to make when they first started budgeting and the kinds of tradeoffs they find themselves making now as seasoned budgeters.

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Last year, Ben and Ernie shared the 6 Habits of Successful YNABers, but there's a lot little things they do which have made them effective budgeters over the long run. Today they share those little habits, and Ben finally spends money out of a category he's been funding for a loooong time.

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Ernie shares some big changes he's made to his budget recently, including revised categories, more hands-on input, LESS automation, and fresh goals.

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Before there were four rules, there were... no rules at all! Ben and Ernie take a trip in the Wayback Machine to collect every iteration of the YNAB Rules they could find, going all the way back to 2004 when Jesse started the company. As Jesse developed the ideas behind his budget spreadsheet, the rules start forming, but it took a few years before the rules as we know them today came into focus.

The YNAB Team is always looking for ways to explain the YNAB method in clearer terms, but looking back at old versions of the Four Rules gives some insight into how the budgeting method and the software have changed over time.

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Is this the nerdiest Budget Nerds episdoe to date? Ben and Ernie take a tour of the YNAB API, the programming interface behind the YNAB software which allows app developers to interact with the software and build cool tools. They share some of their favorite API apps and offer suggestions for their dream features. Any developers listening out there?

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Ben and Ernie discuss a listener question... what does your budgeting process look like when you're not chasing a goal? After you've paid off the debt, paid off the house, or achieved some other big financial goal, how do you stay on target and keep your head in the game? Ben and Ernie remind us that it's OK for the budget to be boring, but at the same time there are some ways to shake up your process and re-evaluate things even when you don't have a goal to drive your focus.

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Ben and Ernie celebrate the two year anniversary of hosting Budget Nerds, and share some of the important things they've learned doing the show. They also discuss some of the ways their budgeting habits have evolved since starting the show.

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Big shout out to Kalix who took Ben's jingle idea and made it into reality! You can write into the show at:

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Ben and Ernie discuss what things made their "wish farm" list, that is, the purchases they have specifcally outlined in their budget, but haven't (necessarily) funded yet. The goal with the wish farm is to put pen to paper on things you really want to save for, and see if those desires are still there in the future when you can start to allocate dollars to them. Often the process of simply writing down the things you want can help you achieve clarity around your goals and the dollars you will give to your jobs.

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Support specialist Kat joins the podcast to talk about managing credits in YNAB. Tracking and managing credit cards can be confusing in YNAB if you are new to the app, but Kat breaks down how credit cards work in zero-based budgeting and the nuances of how the YNAB app handles them. Ben and Kat also field some common questions from YNAB users about credit cards and credit strategies.

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Ben and Ernie compiled a big list of YNAB tips, tricks, hacks, and expert-level moves from YNAB users across the world. Even if you think you know YNAB like the back of your hand... you are sure to learn at least one new thing in this episode!

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