Budget Nerds
Episodes
Gen Z Money Trends: How TikTok and Instagram Are Shaping Personal Finance
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 fi...
#129 - YNAB for Singles: Lauren's Categories
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 N...
#128 - Setup Your Plan Like a Budget Nerd: Advanced YNAB Concepts
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 co...
#127 - Pay Off Debt vs Get A Month Ahead: Which Should You Do First?
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 disc...
#126 - Spending A Life of Adventure with Ashley L. (Live from FF Minneapolis)
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 YN...
#125 - All the Ways to Easily Add Transactions
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 lit...
#124 - 7 Habits That Changed Our Money Forever
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
#123 - How to Start YNAB (Simple, No Hassle Setup)
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 spendin...
#122 - Feeling Stuck? These 26 YNAB Wins Will Inspire You
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a while since Ben and Ernie have had a good old fashioned YNAB wins show, so here's another one! Ben and Ernie collected wins big and small ...
#121 - The Weirdest Categories We've Ever Seen (and Loved)
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Through all the category breakdown episodes, Ben and Ernie have seen some thought-provoking, inspiring, funny, and downright weird categories from YN...
#120 - Your Categories Are Not Alone! The New YNAB Templates
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you felt overwhelmed trying to think of categories for your money when you start a fresh spending plan? Or just wished someone would come up with...
#119 - Lauren's YNAB Categories (PLUS How She Breaks the Multi-Currency Rules)
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode Ben and Ernie chat with Lauren, a long time YNAB user going back to YNAB4 and a Customer Support Specialist at YNAB. Though she was...
#118 - Getting the Most Out of YNAB
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You don't have to be a power user for YNAB to help you gain control over your money, start loving the way you spend, and change your life. But there's...
#117 - Ben and Ernie Fight!
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get your popcorn ready, because on today's episode Ben and Ernie are lacing up the gloves and going for 12 rounds! Twelve rounds of YNAB debate, of co...
#116 - YNAB's Future Vision with CEO Todd Curtis
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode Ben and Ernie talk with the man himself, Todd Curtis, long-time YNAB team member and CEO since 2021. Todd has been a YNAB'er going ...
#115 - How Heidi Overcame ADHD and Money Mistakes with YNAB
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today Ben and Ernie are joined by long-time YNAB'er Heidi to discuss her challenges of managing money with ADHD, and how she has used the YNAB method ...
#114 - How to Handle a Windfall
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us approach YNAB from a position of scarcity, at least at first. We don't have enough money to do all the things we want to do, and we're livi...
#113 - How to Pay Off Debt The YNAB Way
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It has been a while since Ben and Ernie have done an old fashioned debt payoff episode, but it's still one of the hottest topics when it comes to pers...
#112 - Ben and Ernie Fix a Messy Budget! (YouTube Livestream Replay)
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie are back again to fix a very messy budget, and this time they are doing it live! This is a replay from their YouTube livestream on Mar 2...
Budget Nerds LIVE on YouTube: Fixing a Messy Budget
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Together they sail or sink! Today, March 26th at 3:00pm Eastern, Ben and Ernie will be livestreaming on YouTube and will attempt to fix a messy YNAB b...
#111 - What's Your YNAB Routine?
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Like the cycles of the earth, Sun, and moon, YNAB'ers have cycles too! Daily, monthly, quarterly, even yearly, there are things to do to manage your s...
#110 - Is YNAB Worth It?
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's a common question for those not already committed to YNAB: is it really worth it? I mean, paying for a budgeting software? It's a legitimate ques...
#109 - Don't Make These Common YNAB Mistakes!
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
YNAB is an incredible tool for learning to love how you spend, but it does come with a learning curve. Ben and Ernie have taught thousands of folks ho...
#108 - Spendfulness: The Word We've Been Looking For All Along with YNAB Dave
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Ben and Ernie are joined by Dave from YNAB, a YNAB teacher and contributor to many YNAB articles and blogs and a master of money a...
#107 - You Can Start YNAB Whenever You Want
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Starting YNAB is like starting anything else -- a new workout routine, new eating habits, learning a new skill -- you just have to jump in! Many peopl...
#106 - YouTube LIVE: Spendfulness and the 5 Questions
04 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year! On January 1, 2025, Ben and Ernie went live on YouTube to talk about some big changes at YNAB, and the unveiling of an important new w...
Ben and Ernie LIVE on YouTube: Spendfulness and the 5 Questions
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some BIG changes are afoot at YNAB, and Ben and Ernie the Budget Nerds are going live on YouTube today at 1:00pm Eastern time to talk about them! Link...
Budget Nerds LIVE at YNAB Fan Fest 2024 Salt Lake City
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In September 2024, YNAB invited over 150 fans to Salt Lake City to celebrate the 20th annivesary of YNAB and enjoy the camaraderie of people with a pa...
#105 - Dealing with Major Financial Setbacks
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Setbacks are a fact of life. Fortunately YNAB gives you the tools to be flexible with your spending plan. While we plan our spending based on normal ...
#104 - Silly Things YNAB Makes Us Do
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
YNAB'ers are great people -- as evidenced by the camaraderie and stories heard at the recent YNAB Fan Fest in Salt Lake City -- but let's be honest......
#103 - Fixing a Messy Budget
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today Ben and Ernie try something different: they are looking at a messy budget -- a VERY messy budget -- sight unseen and attempting to clean it up. ...
#102 - LIVE Q&A: New YNAB Features, Cash Only YNAB, Budgeting with Partners, and More!
02 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie hosted a Live Q&A on the YNAB YouTube channel on Oct. 30th, 2024. If you missed it, here's the full replay! They fielded questions from ...
Budget Nerds Are Going LIVE on YouTube - Oct 30th, 2024
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie are going LIVE on YouTube at 1:00pm Eastern on October 30th, 2024. Come and join us! If you're tuning in after the Live show, the full r...
#101 - Planning on a Variable Income, YNAB at Your Workplace, and Free Swag!
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Ben and Ernie chat with Veronica Brashler, who is in charge of the Corporate Wellness program at YNAB. Veronica's YNAB story start...
#100 - The 100th Episode! Ben and Ernie Reflect
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is officially the 100th episode of Budget Nerds (if you count the YouTube episodes that were published before the audio podcast feed)!...
#99 - Ben Actually Changes His Budget
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you're standing up, you might want to take a seat, because something big has happened... Ben actually changed his budget! Over the last year Ben ha...
#98 - Many Goals, One Plan
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the interesting parts of working at YNAB is you get to observe human behavior related to personal finance. As Ben and Ernie have noticed over t...
#97 - What If YNAB Paid You to Use It? And Other Sketchy Ideas from Ben Markley (Sketchy Advice)
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On today's episide Ben and Ernie welcome another Ben to the show -- Ben Markley, host of YNAB's Sketchy Advice series on YouTube. Ben has a reputation...
#96 - Ask the Nerds: Grab Bag Edition
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie get a handful of recurring questions that aren't quite big enough topics to make into their own episode, but nevertheless deserve to be ...
#95 - Managing Variable Income as a Busy Graduate Student: Jasmin Green, PhD Student UC Davis
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Budget Nerds have covered the spending habits of a lot of married folks with families, but what about the single people out there? In today's epis...
#94 - How Does It Feel to Be a Month Ahead? Budget Nerds Weigh In
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Getting a month ahead with your money is a milestone for many YNAB'ers. Being a "month ahead" means that when the first of the month hits, all your bi...
#93 - Dream Bigger Than Your Bills!
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today Ben and Ernie are joined by returning guest and YNAB Lead Educator, Erin Lowell, who posed the idea of thinking bigger with your money. Many peo...
#92 - Are You Doing YNAB? Tracking Expenses vs YNABing
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's a common story: a person finds YNAB and starts using the software, only realize months (sometimes years) down the road that they weren't actually...
#91 - Windfalls, Learning to Invest, and YNAB 4: Jeremy Schneider of Personal Finance Club
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie chat with Jeremy Schneider, an entrepreneur turned personal finance teacher who aims to demystify the confusing world of investing with ...
#90 - YNAB Mega Wins: Round Two
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie open their inboxes for another mega round of YNAB wins -- stories from YNAB users about positive outcomes, reduced stress, and newfound ...
#89 - Find the Money First
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
YNAB is well known for the Four Rules, or what many YNAB'ers are now calling the Four Habits, which describe the process of gaining control of your mo...
#88 - Swim Fins and Why You Shouldn't Compare Yourself to Others
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Ben shares a story about swimming at the YMCA. One of Ben's favorite forms of exercise is swimming laps at his local YMCA, and whi...
#87 - Stop Making Boring Financial Goals
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie respond to a recent survey reported by Jill Schlesinger on CBS Morning about American's 2024 financial resolutions. The top responses: s...
#86 - Cash Categories vs Cash Accounts
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Ben and Ernie discuss what to do with cold, hard cash money. For many YNAB'ers debit and credit card spending fits nicely into the...
#85 - Do I Have to Give EVERY Dollar A Job?
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The short answer is yes. But why? Ben and Ernie dig into the reasons why giving every dollar a job is essential to creating a stress-free life around ...
#84 - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Unexpected Expenses
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rule Two of YNAB's Four Rules is "embrace your true expenses." True expenses are expenses that may not be regular, but are a normal part of life: new ...
#83 - Kath Eats: An Interview with Nutrition Blogger Kath Younger, RD
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie invite Kath Younger, Registered Dietitian and popular nutrition and wellness blogger, onto the show to discuss how her health journey le...
#82 - YNAB's Four... Habits?
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Behind every rule, there's a habit. In today's episode, Ben and Ernie explore YNAB's Four Rules, but in the context of the habits they build. After al...
#81 - YNAB Wins Mega Episode
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Through 80 episodes (and counting!), passionate YNAB'ers have been sharing their personal finance wins, big and small, with Ben and Ernie. Whether it'...
#80 - There's No Such Thing As Saving Money
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What if... saving money wasn't actually a thing? Crazy, right?! Well, if you subscribe to YNAB's philosophy -- the Four Rules -- then money is properl...
BONUS - Live Q&A on YouTube (11/29/2023)
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie went live on YouTube on November 29, 2023 to answer questions, share their budgets, and nerd out about YNAB. This bonus episode is a reb...
#79 - ANNOUNCEMENT! Live Q&A Today at 3:00pm EST (Nov 29th, 2023)
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Set your reminders, Ben are Ernie are going live on the YouTube channel today at 3:00pm EST. They'll be answering your questions and getting nerdy abo...
#78 - Are Impulse Purchases Wrecking Your Finances? A YNAB Study Finds Out
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone spends on impulse from time to time, even the most staunch adherents to frugality. According to a new study funded by YNAB, 94% of Americans ...
#77 - Are You On the Credit Card Float? Credit Card Alerts Can Help
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The credit card float, as it has been termed, is the situation in which a person is reliant on the month-long grace period of the credit card to meet ...
#76 - The Most Elegant Budget We've Ever Seen? An Interview with Budget Nerd Lee Bond
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the principal budget nerds at YNAB, Ben and Ernie have seen their fair share of elegant budgets, but the one featured in today's episode might take...
#75 - The Ultimate Guide to Targets in YNAB
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Forecasting is kind of a dirty word at YNAB, because the Four Rule are all about budgeting the dollars you have now, and not counting on future dollar...
#74 - The Unexpected Benefits of Budgeting
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie share insightful comments from a recent conversation in the YNAB Fans Group on Facebook in which one YNAB'er asked: what's one benefit t...
#73 - Saving Dollars? Sure, But How About Saving Time!
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
YNAB is all about giving dollars a job, but what about your time? Ben and Ernie poke at the edges of common budgeting practices in YNAB to determine w...
#72 - Paying Off the Mortgage: Erin Walks Through How She Did It
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Long time YNAB'er and Lead Educator at YNAB, Erin Lowell, shares her experience paying off her mortgage using YNAB principles. Mortgage Professor l...
#71 - Inside the Categories with Budget Nerd Gabi Bradley
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie interview fellow budget nerd and YNAB power user Gabi Bradley. Gabi is a busy mom balancing work, family, and changing financial obligat...
#70 - Focused Views: A Powerful New YNAB Feature!
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie discuss the exciting possibilities of a powerful new feature in YNAB called "Focused Views." Focused Views allow you to see a subset of ...
#69 - Budgeting a Month Ahead
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie share their different strategies for applying Rule Four -- aging your money -- and specifically budgeting for the month ahead. Ben budge...
#68 - Applying YNAB Principles Outside the Budget
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie discuss YNAB's Four Rules, and whether they can be applied to other areas of life outside the budget. As it turns out, yes they can! Whe...
#67 - 9 Ways to Master the Memo
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie return to their nerdy roots and talk memos today, all about that little field in the transactions next to the category and balance. Turn...
#66 - Emergency Fund vs Month Ahead
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
YNAB is not like other budgeting methods. Rule Four is "age your money" and it encourages folks to spend last month's earnings on this month's expense...
#65 - Gamifying YNAB
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Budgeting is pretty fun already... if you're a budget nerd. But what's even more fun than reconciling your account, or assigning that fresh pay check ...
#64 - Real Life Debt Pay Down (Without the Guilt)
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie tackle the topic of paying off debt, with a different bent than the typical personal finance podcast or blog. Where many sources focus o...
BONUS: Budget With Ernie Livestream!
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ernie is hosting a live "Budget with Me" session on the Budget Nerds YouTube channel. Ernie will be sharing his actual budget and demonstrating his pr...
#63 - Ben Shares His Categories
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's Ben's turn! Ben shares a whopping 84 categories from his budget on today's show, from "BMI" to "sundries" (Ben's favorite word). Ernie will be...
#62 - Ernie Shares His Categories
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder what Ben and Ernie's budget looks like, in detail? Today you'll find out! Ernie shares every category in his budget -- all 60 of them -- h...
#61 - The Wide, Wonderful YNAB Community
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie discuss the rich and diverse YNAB community across the web, from subreddits to Facebook groups to YNAB-hosted seminars and workshops. Th...
#60 - Can I Afford This?
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie tackle the age-old question: can I afford it? Many people who are stressed about money face this question regularly, and without a solid...
#59 - LIVE Q&A on YouTube (Feb 22, 2023)
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ANNOUNCEMENT: Ben and Ernie are going LIVE on YouTube on Feb. 22, 3:00pm EST to chat with you and answer your questions. If you missed the Q&A, you...
#58 - All About Pets with Hannah (Heard It From Hannah)
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie invite Hannah, from the popular YouTube budgeting show Heard It From Hannah, on to the show to talk about everyone's favorite topic -- p...
#57 - Ben and Ernie Review Their 2022 Purchases
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The good, the bad, the meh, and everything in between -- Ben and Ernie review their most memorable purchases in 2022. Ben discovers that tree manageme...
#56 - Simplify
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Simplification is kind of a running theme in Budget Nerds, but Ben and Ernie haven't done a whole show dedicated to simplifying -- simplifying the bud...
#55 - 2022 Year In Review
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie look back at 2022 and discuss the themes for the year, celebrate some budgeting wins, and identify areas for improvement next year. B...
#54 - Budgeting Together: A First Look at the New Feature "YNAB Together"
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie introduce the brand new YNAB feature "YNAB Together," which allows partners and families to share a budget via group login, with varying...
#53 - Tradeoffs
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Budgeting is all about tradeoffs. Tradeoffs are built right into the Four Rules (in particular Rule One and Rule Three)! Ben and Ernie revisit the ide...
#52 - The Other Little Habits of Successful YNABers
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, Ben and Ernie shared the 6 Habits of Successful YNABers, but there's a lot little things they do which have made them effective budgeters o...
#51 - Ernie Changes His Budget, Again
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ernie shares some big changes he's made to his budget recently, including revised categories, more hands-on input, LESS automation, and fresh goals. ...
#50 - A Brief History of the YNAB Rules
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Before there were four rules, there were... no rules at all! Ben and Ernie take a trip in the Wayback Machine to collect every iteration of the YNAB R...
#49 - A Look Behind the API Curtain: Ben and Ernie Tour the YNAB API
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is this the nerdiest Budget Nerds episdoe to date? Ben and Ernie take a tour of the YNAB API, the programming interface behind the YNAB software which...
#48 - When the Budget Gets Boring: Budgeting in Between Priorities
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie discuss a listener question... what does your budgeting process look like when you're not chasing a goal? After you've paid off the debt...
#47 - Budget Nerds Celebrates Two Years!
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie celebrate the two year anniversary of hosting Budget Nerds, and share some of the important things they've learned doing the show. They ...
#46 - Ben and Ernie Start a Wishfarm
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie discuss what things made their "wish farm" list, that is, the purchases they have specifcally outlined in their budget, but haven't (nec...
#45 - Credit Cards with Kat
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Support specialist Kat joins the podcast to talk about managing credits in YNAB. Tracking and managing credit cards can be confusing in YNAB if you ar...
#44 - Think You Know YNAB? Tips & Tricks from YNAB Masters
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Ernie compiled a big list of YNAB tips, tricks, hacks, and expert-level moves from YNAB users across the world. Even if you think you know YNA...
#43 - What's It Like to Work With a Bunch of Budget Nerds?
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What if you got to work with a bunch of other budget nerds? Wouldn't it be great to talk budgets and categories around the water cooler without feelin...
#42 - Dining Out: Taming the Budget Blower!
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While the folks at YNAB have no opinion on how you should spend your money (that's a highly personal decision and up to you to decide), there's one th...
#41 - Getting Nerdy with Groceries: Tips to Trim Your Budget
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you haven't noticed it you might actually live under a rock -- groceries have gotten expensive these days! Inflation has crept into nearly every cr...
#40 - Q&A #3: Letting Kids Look at the Budget, How Many Categories Is Too Many, and More!
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben returns to the show (with a very cute baby) and he and Ernie answer viewer-submitted questions. Follow Budget Nerds on YouTube: https://www.you...
#39 - Getting Nerdy with Investments in YNAB with Matthew Amster-Burton
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know you can use YNAB to track your investments too? Former investment advisor and current YNAB team member Matthew Amster-Burton joins the sh...
#38 - 73 Questions with Jesse Mecham
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While Ben is out on paternity leave, Ernie invites Jesse Mecham -- the founder of YNAB and therefore the ultimate budget nerd -- onto the show to answ...
#37 - Houses on a Budget: Buying, Renovating, Mortgages, and More with Erin
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Erin Lowell, a lead educator at You Need A Budget, joins the show to replace Ben.... just kidding, Ben is irreplaceable! But while he's out on paterni...