How to Budget When Everything Is Expensive
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
As inflation continues to rear it's ugly head in 2022, prices are going up and up, meaning budgets are getting stretched thin. Inflation is essentially another form of scarcity, Jesse points out, albeit involuntary scarcity. Jesse reminds us that scarcity is what drives us to be creative with the budget, and get more clear about our values. Budgeting is also an active process, so this time of inflation is a good time to dig deeper into every category, find the things that are auto-pilot and re-evaluate whether they shoud continue to be so. By exercising your Four Rules muscles, you can...
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Ask Jesse: How Should You Track Vacation Spending?
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
A listener writes into the show to ask: how should you track vacation spending? Vacation is a time to relax and let loose a little, but the listener wants to make sure he is pacing the family's expenses during the trip so he doesn't go overbudget. Jesse offers a few different options, including sophisticated use of categories to track the vacation spend without creating too much complexity. Have a question for Jesse? Send him an email at: Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at
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A Financial Roadmap for Marriage and Financial Separation with Attorneys Kelly Frawley and Emily Pollock
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
Kelly Frawley and Emily Pollock are attorneys specializing in matrimonial and family law, and regularly contribute to Forbes on issues related to divorce and business. In today's episode, they discuss the important questions you should be asking before marriage about money, finances, and expectations about the future. And, in the event of divorce, some of the important things you should be doing and asking during the process. Both Kelly and Emily agree that the most important thing couples can do before and during their marriage is communicate. Whether it's about debt and how you intend...
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Better Budgeting... and a Rant about Banks
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
Struggling with YNAB? That's OK, you're not alone, and Jesse has a few things to look at and make sure you are truly following the Four Rules. And along the way, Jesse has a bone to pick about banks and their data export practices! Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at
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Ask Jesse: First-Time Home Buyer in a Crazy Market
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
A first-time house shopper wrote into the show for advice on how to approach the crazy, red hot housing market we are currently in. The writer wants to buy her first home, but is unsure whether she will have enough money to put down as house prices rise at a rapid pace. Jesse reminds us that, most importantly, cash equals options, and it's never a bad thing to have more cash on hand. He advises her to become an expert on her local real estate market, and really think about why she wants to buy, and what exactly she needs from a home before taking the plunge into home ownership. Sign up...
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Savings With a Purpose
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
Jesse shares some case studies from the Mecham household, where he has taught his kids to budget their savings the YNAB way, giving those savings dollars a job. The kicker? Their savings sit in the same checking account as their fun money. With practice and the four rules, however, they have developed the discipline to spend only what they have budgeted for each purpose. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at
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EP16 Money Stories: First Responders and Finance, $78k Debt Paid off in 28 Months
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
Jesse welcomes Jason and Katie Hoschouer to the podcast. Together they paid off $78,000 of debt in a mere 28 months, an amazing burst of focused saving and budgeting! Jason is a retired police officer with 23-years experience in the force, now turned financial coach. He helps other first responders get their budgets in order, pay off debt, and build savings so they don't have to live paycheck to paycheck and work tons of overtime to make ends meet. He also hosts a podcast about finance for first responders, Badges & Budgets. GPS Financial Coaching Badges & Budgets...
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Meet Todd: The CEO Behind YNAB
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
Jesse invites the CEO of YNAB, Todd Curtis, to the show to discuss the anatomy of the company, the collaborative philosophy behind the work done by the various teams and functions, and some of the previous work and experiences that have shaped Todd's attitudes about operations and business culture. Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at
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EP15 Money Stories: Unconventional Job? No Problem. A Lifetime of Budgeting Wisdom from Nina Clark
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
Nina Clark grew up in a large family tight on money, but with a mother who was very good at budgeting and stretching a dollar. Nevertheless, she wasn't taught anything about money growing up, so she learned her money lessons the hard way: overdrafting her checking account and racking up debt at a young age. Things got more complicated when she went through a divorce and became a single mother. Ever determined and positive, Nina regained her financial footing and became a seasoned budgeter with a little help from YNAB. Nina's story is also unique in that she's never worked conventional...
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Ask Jesse All About Taxes
You Need A Budget (YNAB)
It's that time of year again, and April 15th looms! Taxes are due soon, and perhaps no other financial topic generates as much confusion and as many questions. To that end, Jesse answers questions about taxes from YNAB listeners who wrote into the show. As with any tax question, when in doubt it's always best to contact a tax professional! Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at
info_outlineJesse chats with Scott Trench, CEO of BiggerPockets and a real estate investor, about how people can get started with real estate investing and build more wealth. Scott started his working career like many business college graduates, working at a large company as a financial analyst. Early on he stumbled across the Mr. Money Mustache blog, which advocates frugality and saving a large percentage of your income to achieve financial independence. From there, Scott became interested in using real estate to build his personal wealth and reach financial independence earlier in life.
Then, an encounter with the founder of the BiggerPockets website led Scott to a job with the company, and eventually, a chance to steer it as the CEO. Along the way Scott has learned a lot about real estate investing, and purchased and managed several properties. He now uses that knowledge to run the BiggerPockets website, which offers teaching and tools for people new to the real estate market.
Scott also acknowledges the costs and tradeoffs associated with becoming a good real estate investor. He's not shy about the amount of time needed to learn the basics, suggesting around 500 hours of reading and research before considering your first real estate purchase. For some people, like busy specialized professionals (doctors and lawyers for instance) or entrepreneurs running businesses, this time might be too high a cost, and distract from their primary focus. For the right person with patience and diligence, however, real estate investing can be an excellent way to build wealth and achieve financial independence.
BiggerPockets
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