What is YNAB?

YNAB is a dynamic personal budgeting software that can change lives and families. It’s based on a time-tested and proven methodology and has been around for over 20 years. YNAB stands for You Need A Budget. Carrie is a certified YNAB coach and completed an intensive 10-week training program through You Need A Budget (YNAB) in the fall of 2022. Carrie has been working with budget coaching clients individually and in group formats in both pro-bono and paid capacities since then.

Does it work?

Carrie has personally been using YNAB with her family since the start of 2016 and can’t imagine life without it. YNAB has helped Carrie’s family navigate temporary income losses, major career and income shifts, a home sale/purchase, car purchases, adding another child to the family, paying for daycare, debt-paydown, summer camp, vacations, and more.

Why Coaching?

Consider coaching a long-term investment into your future self: the person you are becoming. We’ll never ‘arrive’, but we can continually learn, improve, and make forward progress. Getting started in anything new often requires assistance and training. Personalized coaching will lessen the learning curve timeline, reduce confusion, make your efforts more effective, and help you see results quicker. Get started on the right path, create a customized plan for you, and have the accountability, support, and encouragement to stick with it.

• Individual coaching sessions: For those who are either familiar with the software or would like one on one, hands-on guidance and assistance getting set up and running. Follow-up emails are sent after each session to summarize the learning covered as well as notes and resources. Sessions start at $140 per hour pro-rated for the amount of time used. 

• Coaching Packages: Carrie has developed a comprehensive instructional guided and hands on learning path designed to help new users feel confident and comfortable using YNAB. During a free discovery call, Carrie will suggest package plan options consisting of 3 - 6 hours for a discounted hourly rate. Payment plans can be discussed if requested. Each session is approximately 1 hour in length, but other time-durations are available. Topics covered: 

• Money mindset and intentions are uncovered to find the motivation to stick with budgeting. The methodology YNAB was built around is covered as well as a birds-eye overview and tour of the software’s interface. 

• The nuts and bolts of setting up and funding a budget for success are covered.

• Using and operating within the budget are covered, as well as habits for success and tips for budgeting with a partner. 

• Live one-on-one working and review sessions to dig deep into your unique goals, budget, and questions. 

• Follow-up and accountability check-ins as we touch base to see how things are going. 

• As needed email support available during our working relationship. 

• All coaching sessions are always accompanied by a recap email that summarizes the learning, follow-up actions, and provides supportive resources. 

The cost of the software: YNAB is $ 99 annually, but if working with Carrie, you will receive 94 days of free trial time with no commitment and no need to put any payment information on file. As stated on YNAB’s website, users save on average $600 by the second month, $6,000 by the first year, and paid off an average of $8,000 during a 2021 debt paydown challenge.  One YNAB subscription can serve up to 5 individual users and create unlimited budgets!