An acronym for You Need a Budget, the YNAB app will automatically sync to your accounts if you wish or—for folks suspicious of sharing financial information—you can provide the current total of your bank account for an unlinked option (this method requires manual entry of income and expenses). The app works by prompting users to follow four rules:
Give every dollar a job, meaning to assign every dollar to a specific category when you receive it instead of after spending it.
Embrace your true expenses, which encourages users to put money aside for non-monthly expenses, like property taxes or holiday gifts.
Roll with the punches. This rule for emergency savings prompts you to move money from less essential categories, like a vacation, to fund emergency expenses, like a car repair.
Age your money. Instead of spending your entire monthly income, set some aside for next month’s bills so that you can begin to get ahead in your expenditures.
YNAB costs $11.99 monthly or $83.99 yearly (at $6.99 per month) with the first month free. Sounds pricy but the app claims to help users save up to $600 in their first two months!
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