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GIVEAWAY: You Need a Budget

May 25th, 2010 · 248 Comments · What to Buy

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image It’s a bit like Quicken on steroids (in a good way).  To go right along with your List Plan It organization from last week, this week I’ve got a piece of software to get you completely organized with your family budget.  You Need a Budget is based on these four rules:

1. Stop living paycheck to paycheck.  The goal is to live on last month’s income, at least.

2. Give every dollar a job.  Tell your money what you want it to do, rather than doing what you can with the money you have.

3. Plan for a rainy day.  YNAB breaks out larger bills into monthly payments so you’re ready for big bills when they come.

4. Roll with the punches.  Takes care of you if/when you overspend by moving money around next month, automatically.

Ultimately, YNAB is a budgeting software that seems to have the power of Dave Ramsey’s common sense infused into its code.  I’ve played around with it a little, but I haven’t experienced its full potential yet.  It has been incredibly easy to understand, which is saying something because I’m really resistant to learning new software.

It tracks cash inflow, outflow, and your own projected budget for the month, and I have to say that the categories are almost exactly what I’m already using, so they’re very sensible.  I really wish we would have used something like this when we first got married.you need a budget

You Need a Budget can import files from your bank, but you don’t have to give it your bank info.  You just download your statement each month as part of your budgeting time.  My only disappointment so far is that it doesn’t seem to be able to talk to my credit card, so I’d still have to enter each receipt by hand.  The help function is ready at hand and easy to navigate, so I didn’t look for the answer to that question for 15-30 minutes, just seconds.  That’s a biggie!

On the other hand, two of my biggest hassles with our current budgeting program have been solved:

  • A receipt can be broken into multiple categories, which is great for those trips to a big box store for groceries, gifts, and personal products all on one piece of paper.
  • You can change your budgeting each month, and it stays with that month, rather than changing for the whole system.

I like that the software can generate quick and easy reports to help you compare your spending, set goals, and determine your success.  It also shows your bank account as if you’ve already spent whatever you budget for the month, a visual reminder that if you’ve budgeted it for something, that money is not there.  That alone could alleviate a lot of money headaches.

Although our family, like Claire from Saving Money Plan, hasn’t ever experienced credit card debt, I can imagine this software would be a lifesaver for someone trying to dig out from the snowball effect debt brings.  The best part is that you don’t have to take my word for it at all: YNAB offers a 7-day free trial download, which is even better than thumbing through Dave Ramsey’s latest book in the store as you consider purchasing it.  It all comes with incredible customer service, a breath of fresh air in a world of holding for elevator music or not even being able to find contact info on a website.  Not only will you get real help when you need it, but they’re also set up for tutorials, webinars, and forums to handle the rest of your questions before you even have them.

WIN IT!

I am pleased to have one copy of You Need a Budget ($59.95 value) for a KS reader to keep – and not just for 7 days.  Enter by leaving a comment on this post about your current budgeting software/system/lack of budget.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED; WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

(If you receive KS via email, you will need to click over to the site to leave a comment.) If you’d like more chances, obtain extra entries by doing the following.  Please leave all your entries in separate comments so it’s easier for me to count.

  1. Comment about your own current budgeting system.
  2. Visit You Need a Budget‘s tour and describe the best feature, in your opinion, of the software.
  3. Subscribe in a reader or via email to Kitchen Stewardship (or tell me if you already do).
  4. “Like” me on Facebook.
  5. Leave a comment at Claire’s post OR enter the carnival linky.
  6. Follow me on Twitter, and Tweet about the giveaway. 
  7. Stumble or Digg any post at Kitchen Stewardship (you can use the Share This icon at the bottom of the post).  (What is Stumble?)
  8. Download the free trial of You Need a Budget.

Be sure to tell me everything you did in your comments, a separate comment for each.  There are a possible 8 entries!

I will use random.org’s integer generator to choose the winner.  Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, May 31st (Memorial Day), and I’ll post the winners that week.

If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

Disclosure: The book link is an Amazon affiliate link, and I am also an affiliate of You Need a Budget, so I will earn a small commission for any purchases made through this site.  As always, shoot for a used book sale first, but if you’re shopping online anyway, I appreciate it when you start here.


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