The Jesse Mecham Show

Latest Episodes:

Atomic Budgeting: Compound Interest Jun 22, 2020

Show notes

Jesse has become a fan of James Clear's Atomic Habits, in which Clear explains how small changes to your habits can build up to big changes in your life. Naturally, Jesse saw how atomic habits could work for budgeting too.

So for the next few weeks, Jesse will be covering several aspects of "atomic budgeting," starting with the power of compounding interest.

Atomic Habits by James Clear:

https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-James-Clear-audiobook/dp/B07RFSSYBH/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=atomic+habits&qid=1592096296&sr=8-2

Financial Wellness by YNAB Jun 15, 2020

Show notes

Jesse and the YNAB team are excited to announce a new service: financial wellness for businesses and their employees! For any company, big or small, YNAB will educate your employees on the most important yet often overlooked aspect of financial wellbeing… budgeting of course.

Financially stress-free employees are good employees. They are empowered, they have freedom to be creative in their life, and they are more productive as a result.

This is a FREE service for the business. You can find out more by going to:

https://www.youneedabudget.com/wellness/

Daily Reconciliation and Gardening Jun 01, 2020

Show notes

The attentive gardener notices the small things. The way plants grow, flourish, and wither on a daily basis. He knows that weeds are easily dispatched when pulled daily. The gardener plays a long game, but sees each move in detail.

Budgeting is no different. The attentive budgeter notices small things, finds small efficiencies there, because she checks in often. She knows that it's easier to correct course when her budget is moving in the wrong direction, because she watches carefully and often. The daily reconciliation becomes a joy, not a chore.

Doing Nothing Is Something May 25, 2020

Show notes

It's a common refrain in times of crisis. We must do something. But inaction is, in fact, always an option. Many times, especially when it comes to finances, it is a great option! Jesse reminds us that, in light of current economic conditions, it's perfectly OK to do nothing.

Chickens, Fruit Trees, and Trellises May 18, 2020

Show notes

There's something growing at the Mecham household... and it's in the backyard! Jesse confesses he spent a good portion of his paternity leave preparing a garden with a handful of chicks, fruit trees, and a garden full of asparagus, cantaloupes, and other goodies.

As always, while exercising his green thumb Jesse was thinking about budgeting. Immediate gratification is rare in the natural world. Nearly everything worth having takes time, effort, and care to grow and develop. Chicks need to be fed and kept safe and healthy before they can grow into egg-laying hens. Fruit trees take years before they bear their first fruits. Yet these things, once harvested, can be so much more satisfying than, say, a generic carton of eggs at the store.

Budgeting is no exception to the rules of Nature. Good things come to those who wait, and steward their money well. But the good things are worth it.

Windfalls and Uncertainty May 11, 2020

Show notes

After receiving several questions about what to do with windfall money during times of economic uncertainty (like these), Jesse tackles the topic in today's episode. As always, but especially true nowadays, cash is king!

YNAB and COVID-19 May 04, 2020

Show notes

Freshly returned from paternity leave, Jesse discusses how YNAB has handled the coronavirus pandemic as a company. As always, his focus and the company's focus has been on giving the best budgeting advice they can.

Additionally, the YNAB team has written articles exploring how people can weather the financial storm in the wake of COVID-19. You can read the blog entries here:

https://www.youneedabudget.com/blog/

Chasing Value Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

Jesse examines how the recent panic buying of food, home goods, and other staples highlights the intrinsic value of certain things that we take for granted. When demand for historically safe assets like bonds and gold falls, yet demand for household goods like flour and toilet paper soar, it shines some light on the practical value of things. In short, you can eat flour, but you can't eat a bar of gold!

In the future, Jesse encourages us to consider saving not only for future expenses and retirement, but also for some staples and basic goods for unexpected times.

Write That Gem Down! Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

Jesse muses on the impact the coronavirus will ultimately have on people and their habits. When society reopens, will people return to their previous habits? Or will they grow, having spent their time in isolation examining themselves and their priorities, their Rule Zero?

Jesse hopes that people do use this time to reflect, to re-examine their life and rediscover their priorities, and, most importantly, write down the wisdom that comes from that process!

Rule Zero Morphs Before Your Very Eyes Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

Last week Jesse discussed the importance of Rule #1, giving every dollar a job. Rule one is always important, but in uncertain times like these it takes on renewed significance. Jesse has often talked about the rule before the rule, though, the so-called Rule Zero.

Rule Zero is understanding what's important to you, why you're bothering to give your dollars a job in the first place. At the end of the day, to what end are you budgeting? What's the purpose?

In the wake of the pandemic and economic woes gripping the country, consider whether the answer to Rule Zero has become clearer to you. Perhaps in these times you can find not only the resolve to budget like you've never budgeted before, but also to clarify why you're budgeting in the first place.

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