Budget Nerds

You Need a Budget
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Personal finance experts Ben Barlowe and Ernie Reppe get nerdy with numbers as they share budgeting tips, strategies for categorizing transactions, and lessons learned from using the revolutionary budgeting system known as You Need a Budget.

  1. DEC 3

    #130 - Gen Z Money Trends: How TikTok and Instagram Are Shaping Personal Finance

    In today's episode resident social media gurus Amber and Sarah, of Instagram and TikTok fame respectively, join the show to talk about the personal finance trends that are going viral among the Gen Z population right now. The economy is difficult to thrive in, especially for young people, and the Zoomers have come up with creative ways to use their native digital environment to execute the common goals of all people trying to improve their finances: pay off debt and get out of the paycheck to paycheck cycle.   In this episode Sarah and Amber share six TikTok and Instagram videos as examples of popular trends, including: "No Spend" November "No Swipe" November Making micro debt payments to stay engaged with the goal of paying off debt Gamifying likes and social media engagement to pay off debt   Ernie shares his enthusiam for personal finance challenges and trends that bring a social element to finance, while Ben ponders whether using social media to help pay off debt is creative or dystopian. One thing is for sure -- young adults are finding creative ways to improve their relationship with money and bond with others working toward the same goal.   Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube Budget Nerds Livestreams: https://www.youtube.com/@YNABofficial/streams Budget Nerds Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g   Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com

    1h 15m

  2. NOV 19

    #129 - YNAB for Singles: Lauren's Categories

    In today's episode, Ben and Ernie interview Lauren, a single mid-30's physical therapist living in Arizona. Lauren is already a legend in the Budget Nerds community for YNAB'ing for years completely manually, without ever connecting a bank account. A true budget nerd, she logs in daily to enter transactions and reconcile. She's never even done a file import to enter transactions!   Lauren shares her YNAB story which began with graduating from school and working her first job. Her newfound income felt like a financial safety blanket, and she began spending, unbeknowst to her, well beyond her means. She found herself deep into debt from both credit cards and student loans, and had to ask her mother for help making ends meet. Eventually Lauren discovered YNAB, learned how to spend more thoughtfully with cash on hand rather than debt, and slowly began to take control of her situation. In just a few years she paid off well over $100k of debt!   Lauren also shares her challenges planning as a single person, including the hidden costs of being single. Housing, taxes, products and services... many aspects of personal finance today are geared toward couples and families, and may not offer good options for single adults. Single people also face unique emotional challenges. While they may only be accountable to themselves financially, they also solely bear the burden of saving for potential job loss and other unforeseen events that could impact their cash flow. Many couples and families  have the peace of mind of two incomes, as well as the emotional stablity of two people working toward a common goal of financial stability.   Finally, Lauren breaks down her YNAB categories as well as her daily habits, including using a checkbook and reconciling her balances by hand in the register!   Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube Budget Nerds Livestreams: https://www.youtube.com/@YNABofficial/streams Budget Nerds Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g   Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com

    1h 32m

  3. NOV 5

    #128 - Setup Your Plan Like a Budget Nerd: Advanced YNAB Concepts

    A few episodes ago, Ben and Ernie walked through how to set up YNAB for the first time, focusing on the basics. Today, by popular request, they are covering the advanced setup, exploring every feature YNAB has to help you setup a spending plan that fits with your life. There's a lot here, so strap in nerds!   As with episode #123 on the basic YNAB setup, this episode relies heavily on screensharing of the YNAB app, so we recommend heading over to YouTube to watch the video version of the podcast.   Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube Budget Nerds Livestreams: https://www.youtube.com/@YNABofficial/streams Budget Nerds Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g   Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com

    1h 6m

  4. OCT 22

    #127 - Pay Off Debt vs Get A Month Ahead: Which Should You Do First?

    Ben and Ernie take up arms in the age old personal finance battle -- pay off your debt first, or get a month ahead on your bills? While they have discussed this topic before, in today's episode they approach the two paths with a balanced view, weighing the pros and cons of each. While they have an obvious bias toward getting a month ahead on your bills, there are certain scenarios where really buckling down on paying off debt might be the best move.   The beautiful thing about this problem is that either way, you are making progress toward a better you. Simply thinking through your approach and evaluating your emotions around debt, financial resilience, and day to day expenses helps align your actions with your priorities -- and at the end of the day, that's what YNAB is all about.   Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube Budget Nerds Livestreams: https://www.youtube.com/@YNABofficial/streams Budget Nerds Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g   Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com

    54 min

  5. OCT 8

    #126 - Spending A Life of Adventure with Ashley L. (Live from FF Minneapolis)

    At Fan Fest Minneapolis in June 2025, Ben and Ernie recorded their first ever live podcast of Budget Nerds! They invited friend, mentor, and fellow YNAB creator Ashley Lapato, who also runs @theorganizedwallet account on TikTok. Ashley tells her story of discovering YNAB after an especially embarassing failure to pay her bills on time while her husband was traveling for work. She resolved to finally learn how to take control of their money and become a positive finanacial contributor to their marriage. Ashley discovered YNAB, and, as you can see now, the rest was history!   Ashley also walks through her categories, including setting aside money for fostering new relationships and leaving room for "side quests," as she calls them -- adventures and experiences that help you grow and learn new things.   Follow Ashley L. on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theorganizedwallet?lang=en     Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube Budget Nerds Livestreams: https://www.youtube.com/@YNABofficial/streams Budget Nerds Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g   Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com

    53 min

  6. SEP 24

    #125 - All the Ways to Easily Add Transactions

    You may have noticed some recent changes to the YNAB app, starting with no more "add transaction" button in the bottom row of the screen. It was a little jarring for Ben and Ernie at first, but they quickly realized that you can still add transactions easily within YNAB, and in fact, there are many ways to add transactions quickly within the app. In today's episode, Ben and Ernie walk through all the ways you can add transactions in YNAB, on all platforms, including: iOS shortcuts and widgets iOS spotlight Using voice commands via Siri Android widgets From the lock screen of your phone   Whether you're new to YNAB or a veteran, there's probably some new ways to add transactions you haven't explored yet, including ways to auto-populate categories and payees. This episode relies heavily on screenshots and visual references, so we encourage you to watch it on YouTube as well.   Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube Budget Nerds Livestreams: https://www.youtube.com/@YNABofficial/streams Budget Nerds Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g   Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com

    40 min

  7. SEP 10

    #124 - 7 Habits That Changed Our Money Forever

    It's often said that sucess is the result of your daily habits. In today's episode, Ben and Ernie talk about seven habits that completed changed how they think about and act around money, including: Giving every dollar a job (the ultimate YNAB rule!) Only working with the money you have on hand right now Saving for non-monthly expenses Getting a month ahead Finding the money first in your plan, before you spend Holding on to your cash as long as possible Changing your plan regularly to reflect new life circumstances   Other resources mentioned in this episode: Understanding the credit card float in YNAB   Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube Budget Nerds Livestreams: https://www.youtube.com/@YNABofficial/streams Budget Nerds Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g   Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com

    1h 18m

  8. AUG 27

    #123 - How to Start YNAB (Simple, No Hassle Setup)

    YNAB is a powerful, flexible piece of software, but there is a learning curve. In today's episode, Ben and Ernie teach you how to setup a YNAB spending plan from scratch, and the essential features you need to know. If you've been sitting on the fence, wanting to jump in, this is the perfect time to get started!   And remember, as Ernie says, you don't have to be perfect! The beauty of YNAB is you can easily change your plan anytime you want, as new circumstances come up in life and as you gain more insight into what you want your money to do for you.   Note this episode relies heavily on screenshots of the software, so we highly recommend you check out this episode on YouTube too! You can follow along with Ben and Ernie and setup your plan quickly and easily.   Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube Budget Nerds Livestreams: https://www.youtube.com/@YNABofficial/streams Budget Nerds Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuIUGmbCDklkDCDm-cQqv2g   Share your YNAB wins with Ben and Ernie! budgetnerds@ynab.com

    1h 3m
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About

Personal finance experts Ben Barlowe and Ernie Reppe get nerdy with numbers as they share budgeting tips, strategies for categorizing transactions, and lessons learned from using the revolutionary budgeting system known as You Need a Budget.

Information

  • Creator
    You Need a Budget
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    105
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Budget Nerds

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