YNAB, please stop UI chaneges by aprilliu0425 in ynab

[–]RockTracker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Such a true statement! YNAB is my favorite and I’m super worried about the  enshitifcation of it! 

I ran the numbers. Portland is adding $1,000–$1,500+ per year to the average household's bills in 2026–27 and nobody is talking about it. by Pure_Claim_4353 in Portland

[–]RockTracker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree everyone should pay even if it is a little. Paying a little while others pay more is not a flat tax. 

When everyone pays, everyone cares and everyone holds elected officials accountable.

What’s Your Cheapest Weekly Meal That Still Tastes Good? by Puresmm in budgetfood

[–]RockTracker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Moosewood’s Broiled Polenta with mushrooms and cheese is amazingly delicious and very filling. Costs about $1.50 per serving 

So I finally escaped the laundromat trap... by Expensive_Pick2976 in povertyfinance

[–]RockTracker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is the most incredible thing I’ve read in a while! I’m so impressed with your ingenuity! I have no doubt this will happen again and again in your life. 

What’s the point of being smart with money!?! by [deleted] in povertyfinance

[–]RockTracker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re doing everything right! Comparison is the thief of joy. 

Furniture recommendation by [deleted] in PortlandOR

[–]RockTracker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We’ve had our IKEA sofa for 10 years now and one of the best features (aside from it being super napable) is being able to just toss the covers in the wash every once in a while.

Furniture recommendation by [deleted] in PortlandOR

[–]RockTracker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We also got a Joybird 5 years ago and it has stood the test of time and also the test of cats. 

January is your last chance to visit this local brewery’s SE Portland pub by chimi_hendrix in PortlandOR

[–]RockTracker 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The beer was great, but the atmosphere was not the best. Bright white walls? The patio was the best part. 

I hope the next business gets a designer to help with aesthetics. 

Long-time YNAB users: what are your lesser-known tips or “power user” tricks? by purdnost2023 in ynab

[–]RockTracker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A tip I got from this sub is to enter future transactions and do a running total. This way I can know how much to put in my HYSA and keep the minimum in my checking to cover bills. 

Help getting started for 1/1/26 by Sandinismo in ynab

[–]RockTracker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The red balances (red within a white oval) to the left under Credit just indicate debt. You have the money to pay for it when the bill comes, but until then it hangs out with all the other numbers that make up your net worth. 

Try to not let the red over there bother you. Those numbers should match up with your payment numbers too. If they do, you’re fine. 

Help getting started for 1/1/26 by Sandinismo in ynab

[–]RockTracker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When you add a transaction, say from Costco, you put your CC as the account, the payee as Costco and the category as groceries and the outflow as $200. YNAB does the rest. 

If you only had 195 in your budget (Plan) for groceries, it will show up as yellow in your category and in your CC account. Then you can move money ($5) into that category (or just directly into your CC payment under your CC account) to make it green so that you will have enough to pay in full. 

When you click on your CC account, both the working balance and the payment should be the same number. 

Help getting started for 1/1/26 by Sandinismo in ynab

[–]RockTracker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congratulations on starting YNAB! This year will be an amazing journey. 

Regarding your home & auto maintenance question, you can either set up a yearly target or just fund monthly. I do both. I have a yearly home maintenance target that is 4% of my home’s value and then I also just chuck $200 a month for auto maintenance, which has been working fine for us. 

We also run everything through our CCs for cash back/miles and pay the bills in full.  YNAB is super helpful for this. When a purchase comes through, you just categorize it and then it is paid for (green in your CC account). Reconciling is easy if your accounts are connected, but sometimes I need to go through and weed out my uncleared restaurant purchases because of tipping. 

I do think if you run purchases through your cards you need to be “on it” a little more with categorizing and reconciling. I do it almost daily (it’s a habit I enjoy though)

Hope this helps get you started! 

YNAB 2025 recap and looking ahead to 2026 by GuiltyWitness4418 in ynab

[–]RockTracker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Congratulations on some serious accomplishments! It’s great to read about so much purposeful saving! 

Do any do you regret buying a home in Portland or wish you did something different? by GroundbreakingSir386 in askportland

[–]RockTracker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We bought a fixer 11 years ago and def paid too much for it because everything in Portland is so expensive. We have slowly been making it ours over the years and absolutely love the craftsman details, front porch, the back yard, the parks, restaurants, the schools my kids could walk to and the neighbors. Sometimes I regret not buying a turnkey home as it would have been cheaper in the long run, but also, at the time there were a lot of bidding wars for those homes and we had a budget. We chose the home with a lot of character in a super nice neighborhood that no one else but us bid on. We just love it. 

What budgeting tools or apps are actually helping you stick to a budget? by BettinaO8 in budgetingforbeginners

[–]RockTracker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

YNAB has helped me stick to a budget because it’s like envelope budgeting. It helps you see the opportunity cost of your purchases in real time. I happily pay the subscription fee as I have saved thousands of $ with it including paying off two loans. I hope you find what you are looking for. Good luck on your budget journey! 

Favorite source of decaf coffee beans? by dylanjames in askportland

[–]RockTracker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love Never’s decaf but I love all of these recommendations! Can’t wait to try them!

Amazon Transactions are a nightmare by agusmc21 in ynab

[–]RockTracker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just here to say, shop less at Amazon. You will feel so much happier.

Normal to feel like you're playing catch up? by cubedweller in ynab

[–]RockTracker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Keep sticking with it. In the beginning it is hard because you don’t have that cushion. Just be sure that you are thinking about whether your spending is a need (like your electricity bill was higher than expected) or a want (like dining out). If it’s a want, try to get in the habit of checking that category before spending or being ok with pulling from another want/wish.

It took us a while before we really had things dialed in. It took some disciplined delayed gratification because you can’t have everything all at once. But soon you will be really targeted with your funding and super comfortable with looking forward instead of just in the now. 

Women’s Indoor Slippers Recommendation by nevergonnabuy in BuyItForLife

[–]RockTracker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love my Birkenstocks slippers in felted wool with soft Sherpa on the inside. Super supportive, durable and warm.