📘 You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want
by Jesse Mecham
Genre Nonfiction ◦ Finance
Publication Harper Business ◦ 2017
Format & Source Print ◦ For review, TLC Tours
Rating ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
📝 My Review
I was all over this book from the moment I heard about it. Not only have I been really interested in finances over the past few years, I had also heard about the You Need A Budget (YNAB) method and system before, and had long been intrigued by it.
YNAB is a popular software program that follows four “rules” of budgeting that will help you get out of that paycheck to paycheck cycle in order to start saving and “aging” your money. I love this concept! I hate waiting for that next paycheck to hit all the time, and lining up bills with paychecks. If I could break that cycle, it would relieve a lot of stress from our lives. Count me in!
I like how this book was pretty short and to the point, but still managed to go into depth on each of the four rules. I also enjoyed Mecham’s casual, friendly writing style and tone. He wasn’t pushy or preachy at all, and believes that you should prioritize your money in a way that makes YOU happy. He doesn’t tell you how to spend, what to buy, how much to save, etc. He only wants you to prioritize money based on YOUR individual wants and needs. I could definitely get on board with that!
A downfall about this book for me was that it seems difficult to really put his methods into practice without the YNAB software. Though I’ve been really interested in checking the software out, I just can’t commit to paying for it right now. Without having that software and seeing it all laid out, it was a bit hard at times imagining how this system would work for me, and envisioning running through these rules in my personal life. Please note that Mecham in no way tries to force the software on you, which I appreciated. He said many times you can use your own spreadsheet or pen and paper, but I personally couldn’t quite see how I could make this work without the software. I understand the gist of the rules and can understand their importance, but beyond that, I think I would personally need the program in order to work this system.
All that said, I enjoyed this book and the advice it offered. I found it to be motivating and inspiring. I actually plan on keeping this book on my shelves for future reference because I do hope to be able to invest in the software one of these days.
“When you ask, what do I want my money to do for me? you’re deciding how you’ll use your money to get closer to the life you want.”
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