The Jesse Mecham Show

Latest Episodes:

Ask Jesse: Doubling Income, Real Estate, Debit Card Fraud Prevention Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

Jesse fields more listener questions today, including what you should do when you double your income (teaser: there's really not a wrong answer as long as it's saving!), how to budget for real estate investments, and whether debit cards have sufficient fraud protection to use over credit cards.

Please keep your questions coming! Send them to:

askjesse@ynab.com

Ask Jesse: More on Credit Cards, Tracking 401k in YNAB, and Paying Off Student Loans Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

Jesse answers listener questions about tracking 401k deposits in YNAB and how to strategize paying off student loans. Jesse shares his evolving thoughts about credit cards, and why the Mecham household will only use a single debit card for expenses in 2023.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Now Burn It All Down Again Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

Last week Jesse urged YNAB'ers not to make any sudden or drastic moves to their budget. But you know it's the beginning of the year, and that can only mean one thing! It's time for a budget burndown.

Every year Jesse burns down his budget... er, plan, and examines every single assumption built into it. Do we really need to own a house? What if we lived in an RV for awhile? Do we need two cars? What if we sold one? Etc, etc. The point of this exercise is to question everything, and in the process, better understand what your non-negotiables are. In most cases, you'll likely put most of the categories you had back into your plan. But perhaps the burn down process helps you identify a couple areas that don't really serve you anymore, or dollars that could be more useful doing a different job.

So, get ready to burn it down!

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Don't Make Big Changes, People! Jan 02, 2023

Show notes

Happy New Year! We hope 2023 is a fruitful and productive year, financially and otherwise, for everyone. It's that time of year again, the time for resolutions, big goals, and new plans. Jesse urges you to pump the brakes, however, and DO NOT make big changes to your budget. Not right now. Just iterate on what you've been doing, and try to do a little bit better than last year.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

A Strategy for the Holidays in 2023 Dec 26, 2022

Show notes

We hope you had a Merry Christmas and very happy holiday! If you didn't use YNAB to plan for this year's Christmas bill, that's OK, you can start now for next year! In January start saving for Christmas 2023 by putting aside one twelfth of the Christmas budget each month.

Jesse also has another exercise for you. Write a little note to yourself about what went well this Christmas, and what you want to do differently next time. Then set a reminder for that note to open back up in October 2023. You'll have forgotten by then, and you'll have plenty of time to prepare to make the next Christmas even better than the last.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Every Gift I'm Giving Julie, Forever Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Jesse shares some of the gifts he's given his wife, Julie, over the years, and why every year from now on the gifts will be made, not bought.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Ask Jesse: Tracking 401k in YNAB, Early Retirement Budgeting, Advisors, and More Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

Jesse answers a grab-bag of questions from listeners, including whether it's a good idea to track 401k investments in YNAB (it's not), how to budget for early retirement, good books for learning how to to invest, and more.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

You Spend More Money with Credit Cards Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

It's a fact, you do. We know this because banks LOVE credit cards, and they're incentives for using credit cards rely on the fact that many people spend more money on credit than they would otherwise. Jesse meditates on the nature of credit card fees, incentives, and the game that banks play to get people to spend on credit.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

The Different Tenses of Money Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

Jesse riffs on the idea that money has different "tenses," that is, money's purpose is to be spent, and spending can happen in the past, present, or future. Debt is past spending, savings is future spending, and so on. It's an interesting idea, one that might help you better visualize the purpose of money in your own life, and how it aligns with your priorities.

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

Rule One and Gratitude Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

For everyone listening in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving! Jesse encourages us this week to step back and make a list of everything we are thankful for. Taking a moment to express your gratitude for the things you have and the things that are going well in your life is not only good for your soul, it's good for your budget too! We tend to spend so much of our time in the weeds of categories and transactions, that a little time looking at the big picture and being grateful can help us get back in touch with our priorities. Is what you have enough, is it sufficient?

As Jesse says, you really can't be too grateful!

Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:

askjesse@ynab.com

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