The Jesse Mecham Show

Latest Episodes:

An Experiment Made Permanent Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

Jesse is back from his summer break and ready to answer your questions and talk money! Long-time listeners of the podcast know that each year Jesse experiments with something in his financial life, whether its reconciliation intervals or category structures. This year Jesse decided to wean himself off credit cards entirely, and he provides an update on that project. So far it's looking good, and he expects that this will be a permanent change.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

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When Expenses Rise: Ben Rolls With the Punches Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

What do you do when the biggest line item in your budget increases, like, a lot? You engage your Rule Two super powers and roll with the punches of course. Emotionally, however, it's not easy when you have to reallocate dollars away from categories to handle the increased expenses in another category. It's not just a math problem -- each of those dollars symbolizes intentions and plans, which now must be put on hold, or changed altogether.

In Ben's case, it's renovating a bathroom badly in need of a refresh. In this episode, Ben shares how he keeps his spirits up when he has to roll with punches and put plans on hold.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Follow Ben and Ernie on the Budget Nerds Podcast

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/budget-nerds/id1606054345

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0H1u8pqYrvz6zj6noHbkB3?si=fc181a82b8d540a6

Money Stress Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

Ernie is running solo today, and sharing some recent developments in his financial life that have made him rethink his budget entirely. YNAB'ers are creatures of habit, and many of us enjoy the budgets we have created and honed over the years as neat pieces of work in themselves. But as Jesse has said over and over on the podcast, the budget really exists to serve your needs and help you prioritize your spending in accordance with your values. Life is dynamic, and sometimes those needs change!

That means the budget needs to change with your life. Ernie shares how he blew up his budget and started over after a series of home renovation projects and medical bills started taxing his existing category balances. Money stress started building -- even veteran YNAB'ers are not immune to it! -- and he realized the budget was no longer serving his needs. That's the takeaway: don't be too precious with the budget you've created, even if it has served you well for a long time. And understand that money stress happens to everyone, and that's OK!

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Follow Ben and Ernie on the Budget Nerds Podcast

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/budget-nerds/id1606054345

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0H1u8pqYrvz6zj6noHbkB3?si=fc181a82b8d540a6

Rules Changes: A Quick Trip Through YNAB History Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

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

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/50-a-brief-history-of-the-ynab-rules/id1606054345?i=1000581636493

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3AdIeFpt0ZfuM0kKEF8Yr0?si=d235636937564f38

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Follow Ben and Ernie on the Budget Nerds Podcast

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/budget-nerds/id1606054345

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0H1u8pqYrvz6zj6noHbkB3?si=fc181a82b8d540a6

How to Talk to Your Partner About Budgeting Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

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.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Follow Ben and Ernie on the Budget Nerds Podcast

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/budget-nerds/id1606054345

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0H1u8pqYrvz6zj6noHbkB3?si=fc181a82b8d540a6

Managing Vacation Transactions Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

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.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Follow Ben and Ernie on the Budget Nerds Podcast

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/budget-nerds/id1606054345

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0H1u8pqYrvz6zj6noHbkB3?si=fc181a82b8d540a6

How Often Should You Reconcile? Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

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.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Follow Ben and Ernie on the Budget Nerds Podcast

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/budget-nerds/id1606054345

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0H1u8pqYrvz6zj6noHbkB3?si=fc181a82b8d540a6

Leaving Margin for Life Jul 03, 2023

Show notes

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.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Follow Ben and Ernie on the Budget Nerds Podcast

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/budget-nerds/id1606054345

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0H1u8pqYrvz6zj6noHbkB3?si=fc181a82b8d540a6

One Easy Trick to Boost Your Retirement Savings Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

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.

We want to hear your YNAB stories! Please take a moment to tell us about your biggest budgeting wins here:

https://youneedabudget.typeform.com/ynaber-stories

Follow Ben and Ernie on the Budget Nerds Podcast

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/budget-nerds/id1606054345

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0H1u8pqYrvz6zj6noHbkB3?si=fc181a82b8d540a6

This Question Doesn't Have to Be Scary: Can I Afford This? Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

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.

We want to hear your YNAB stories! Please take a moment to tell us about your biggest budgeting wins here:

https://youneedabudget.typeform.com/ynaber-stories

Follow Ben and Ernie on the Budget Nerds Podcast

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/budget-nerds/id1606054345

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0H1u8pqYrvz6zj6noHbkB3?si=fc181a82b8d540a6

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