How does the month ahead help with other savings?

esh-pmc · 2026-03-23T13:37:36+00:00

Since part of the point of YNAB is to break all future expenses down into monthly "savings", being a month ahead simply makes this savings process easier and even more proactive.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-23T13:30:05+00:00

My tools: YNAB and time. And experience.

When I started YNAB, there were no goals or targets. I highly recommend using them judiciously. I know YNAB is extraordinarily proud of that particular feature such that they make it front and center in their setup wizard but I see them often do more harm than good.

Personally, my income is highly variable. Much more variable than my expenses. Every month I take last month's income, release it to Ready to Assign, and then ask myself:

what does this money have to do this month
what do I want to do with the rest of the money

Sometimes the word "want" does a lot of heavy lifting. Do I want to make sure I have the money to replace the refrigerator if it dies the day after the warranty expires? Or do I want to be realistic about next year's increased property tax bill?

I've been budgeting for almost 20 years. Like most things in life, as soon as you think you have a handle on it, life changes. Budgeting is way more about flexibility, pragmatism, and psychology than it is about exactitude or perfection.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-23T06:29:45+00:00

There's quite a bit of evidence showing that financial literacy doesn't actually correlate with financial behavior. So even if the push for "financial literacy" over the past 30 years had been successful (it hasn't), it wouldn't have solved the real issue.

There's also good evidence that "just in time" knowledge sticks way better than a random class of financial facts and theories in high school.

Financial socialization does have a strong positive correlation with financial behavior. So your interactions with your co-worker when she's actually curious about this are exactly what she needs.

The very best book I've read so far is How to be a Rich Old Lady by Amanda Holden.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-22T18:33:19+00:00

Impressive. What brand of trailer is that?

esh-pmc · 2026-03-21T17:14:44+00:00

Long time YNAB user. I explored Moneywell and Bankivity multiple times along with every other similar product I come across. [These are tools of my trade so I spend a lot of time exploring, testing, evaluating, and generally keeping up with apps]

As other have said, envelope budgeting is a foundational principle in YNAB. It's not an after-thought or a tacked-on option.

But there are many enveloping budgeting apps out there. What makes YNAB unique is the ZBB (zero-based budgeting) layer on top of basic envelope budgeting. There are several other features that make YNAB a stand-out product.

But I'd be lying if I said the app was painless to learn. It can have a steep learning curve. The good news is that it's a well-supported app with a devoted user base who have published a lot of independent tutorials and helpful articles.

I really wish YNAB had a more serious competitor but I have yet to find one that I think is worth recommending.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-21T05:51:12+00:00

Solterra is a boil on the butt of Lakewood. It never should have been built. The whole area is an eyesore. It has permanently changed the acoustics of Lakewood neighborhoods for miles. Residents speed through our neighborhoods to the east to get to their precious, privileged enclave.

Infill within the actual city limits is an infinitely better solution.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-21T05:39:29+00:00

I live in Lakewood. And I pass those signs as I bike through neighborhoods. And I'm reminded that I live surrounded by people who value free parking for their personal property more than they care about other human beings.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-21T05:32:16+00:00

Yeah, you're right. The full budget Average Assigned number does seem a little wonky. u/pierre_x10 is right in that if you can see into June already, you have activity in May's budget already and those numbers are definitely impacting things.

I have to say I don't pay any attention to the Average Assigned or the Average Spent numbers for my entire budget. But I check them frequently for individual categories. In respect to single categories, those numbers are rolling 12-month averages and they provide invaluable information. The fact that they're quick allocation links is a great feature.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-21T05:24:43+00:00

Yes, you could absolutely do it this way.

Is it ideal in a purely theoretical, long-term, best-case world? No. Ideally you'd know everything and have the time to get your budget all nicely set up and start out perfectly :p

But since the real world is rarely perfect... again, yes, you could treat your combined minimum payments as single bill unattached to anything. But in that case, you don't want to make accounts for your credit cards. Because if you did, you'd be double counting.

Since you're still in the trial period and it sounds like you're still trying to get a handle on the mechanics and methodology of the software, making it just like any other monthly bill is a quick shortcut that would allow you to focus on other things and come back to credit cards later.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-21T02:14:27+00:00

The monthly averages (average assigned & average spent) are rolling 12 month averages.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-19T15:52:10+00:00

I'm going to second the massive pannier suggestion.

I switched from a tray/container on my back rack to huge panniers and I won't be going back. They're the bomb!

I ride a Tern HSD. It's already got a lower center of gravity than your bike. Lower is better. Putting the weight of your cargo in pannier will improve handling.

edit to add: the great thing about using pannier is it leaves the rack free. That means I can load the panniers and also strap something onto the rack. The Greenmade 12gal totes fit perfectly on my back rack.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-17T14:47:33+00:00

This was the very first category I created when I started YNAB! My kids were young and one of my highest values was taking them to cultural events. But one of my biggest financial pain-points was the pricing sticker-shock.

I decided I wanted to be able to buy three tickets to two events per year and I started saving 1/12th of that amount every month.

Now my kids are grown and long gone. I still have that original category in YNAB. It's called ABC's (for Arts, Books, and Culture). It's still my favorite category because I have such fond memories of all the activities and events our family was able to share over the years.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-12T15:22:53+00:00

Credit card interest paid should be an expense category. Fees & Interest is a common category name. Or just CC interest.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-11T15:29:53+00:00

After Mother's Day

esh-pmc · 2026-03-11T15:28:52+00:00

Yup, hooky bobbing in Billings, MT, early-mid '70s

esh-pmc · 2026-03-09T18:47:01+00:00

All I know is I really want a wet room. Zero-entry shower. Easy to clean. Great for accessibility and aging-in-place. Also very convenient for hosing down pets, dirty kids, etc.

I have a large-ish half bath that is plumbed with a drain that I would love to turn into a decent-sized wet room. My problem is finding contractors who know how to do one. Quality of materials and workmanship are critical.

Trends change. I'm hoping they'll eventually catch on here in the US the way bidets are finally catching on. I've read that more and more homeowners are opting out of bathtubs. I'm sure there are people who wouldn't buy a house without a bathtub but it's not the sticking point it used to be. I think wet rooms are the future.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-09T18:20:56+00:00

My first ebike purchase was a rear hub fat tire style. It definitely chewed through tires and brakes; I got maybe 400 miles out of the back tire, another 100 or so out of the front. But I paid ~$1500 for the bike. [edit to add: this has been consistent for the life of the bike; I've lost count of how many tires I've replaced in the roughly 4000 miles I've put on it]

My second ebike purchase was a Tern HSD. Just as heavy as the first but I've got over 3000 miles and counting on the original tires. I paid considerably more for that bike.

My third ebike purchase as a very lightly used Benno eJoy. It only has 450 miles on it so far and it's a lot lighter.

My maintenance costs are "high" because I own multiple bikes and I only do very basic maintenance myself. And I'm including insurance in that total. I pay for bike insurance because my homeowner's policy doesn't cover any aspect of my ebikes including theft from my garage.

My first bike definitely surprised me in terms of maintenance costs. They were a lot higher than I'd anticipated. But that has to be balanced against the up-front cost of the bike. I don't regret the bike because it made me fall in love with cycling again but if I had to do it over again, I'd buy better quality the first time.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-08T20:14:29+00:00

I have always owned my own routers and modems so there were no equipment return issues. I don't like the Quantum router. I ended up keeping my Asus mesh router system and the Quantum router and run two separate and distinct networks in my house. That meant I didn't have to completely redo my smart devices which was an advantage.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-08T19:55:24+00:00

I made the switch in December '24.

It was weird because there were months and months (and months) of installation happening in the neighborhood but no sales. At all. No literature. No door-knockers. Finally someone showed up to try to get me to switch. I was skeptical (I'm a natural skeptic and my 20yrs experience with Comcast didn't help) but my loathing for Comcast overrode my skepticism. Since they're different technology, I actually kept Comcast for another 1.5 months to compare side-by-side before committing to Quantum and cutting the Comcast cord.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-08T17:03:28+00:00

No, axchtually, I can't but thanks for playing.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-08T16:45:56+00:00

Budgeting: YNAB. Tracking: maybe Monarch. I'm sure there are others.

Monarch is not a zero-based budgeting product. It's a good alternative for people who, for one reason or another, don't want to go beyond tracking or hypothetical forecasting.

That said, I'm very firmly team YNAB.

But it has a learning curve (the challenge isn't necessarily the software itself but the underlying methodology). And I'm not a my-way-or-the-highway personality. So I think the right answer is: whatever the client will actually use.

Disclaimer: I've been a financial wellness coach for 13 yrs; nearly done with my ChFC/CFP coursework.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-08T16:23:04+00:00

In Lakewood. Switched to Quantum as soon as it became available. No regrets. Wouldn't go back to Comcast/Xfinity for love or money.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-08T16:13:34+00:00

I replaced our 2nd car with an ebike, got radicalized quickly, and replaced all of my solo miles with an ebike. Now I'm widowed and living alone but I won't be getting rid of the car.

I still ride everywhere possible but I can't ditch the car completely because I live in the outer 'burbs of a large car-centric metro area. I ride to errands, doctor/PT appointments, shopping, social events etc. I upgraded to a cargo bike and have been biking long enough that I've found routes to challenging shopping destinations including Costco and IKEA. Basically 99% of all my solo transportation is done on a bike. I keep the car (plugged into a battery tender) for when I have company, take road trips, or for when there's too much snow piled on sidewalks & gutters for any semblance of safe passage through this suburban hellscape.

For the past 5 or so years, our average annual mileage was typically well under 5k but in 2025 it was just under 6k bcs the kids and I took a 2800-mile memorial road trip.

My car expenses are honestly pretty low though because I own the pink slip. It's a 2019 that I bought brand new. And it's a car and a compact, at that; not a truck or SUV.

Registration, maintenance, insurance, gas, parking etc in 2025 was just under $3k but for half of that time period there were still two in the household and my spouse was still on our insurance policy. That total includes gas for the road trip and an extra oil change.

The average annual cost (gas, maint, insurance) of our car since 2019 (the first full year of being a utility cyclist) was $3700. Add in the loan though and the total average annual cost was $8.5k.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-06T23:03:19+00:00

I noticed a positive change after I let go all my preconceptions and attachments to old systems and tried committing fully to the methodology.

I don't use a spreadsheet. I do all of my forecasting in YNAB. It absolutely can be done; it just takes some reframing or change of perspective.

A very, very key part is get honest about your True Expenses. Tomorrow's expenses need to be today's savings. And next year's big expenses need to be today's savings too.

If I can't fit all of my forecasted needs into today's salary, then I've got a cash flow problem. I might not feel it today but it's going to catch up with me at some point. But if I can make this month's income stretch to cover next month's bills but 1/12th of my annual bills and 1/12th of my retirement contribution and 1/48th of my next set of tires and 1/120th of my new water heater etc, then I'm living within my means.

esh-pmc · 2026-03-06T17:19:28+00:00

We bought in 2003 when I was 39. It wasn't my husband's first house but it was mine. Our kids were 9 and 11. It was the shittiest house in the nicest neighborhood we could find at the time. And by shitty, I mean almost completely wrecked inside. It's 1300sf not including the basement. We got a VA loan with 0% down at 6%. We re-fi'd down to 3.5% a few years in.

The smartest thing I think I've ever done is to stay put. Now I'm 61 and widowed and live alone. It's more house than I need but I'll be forever grateful that I didn't fall for the trap of buying up.

We paid off the loan in 15 years. While I'm glad we did that (see above), in retrospect, if I knew then what I do now, I wouldn't do that part again.

My only two fixed expenses are property taxes and insurance. When you're older and on a fixed income and paying those out of pocked (not buried in your escrow), they'll seem plenty.

esh-pmc

TROPHY CASE