Jesse answers a reader trying to save for a surprise Christmas present for his significant other, but also trying to be faithful to his YNAB budget. Jesse shares a few tricks and some "creative accounting" within YNAB to help you save up for Christmas gifts without spoiling the surprise or the budget. &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at

Ask Jesse: How to Launder Money... for Christmas?!

One of the pervasive messages about money is that "it's just a tool," and Jesse takes issue with that! When money is reduced to a mere tool, like a wrench or a screwdriver, it invites people to be more careless with it, to use it then put it in a drawer and forget about it. Hearkening back to episode #650: It's You All the Way Down, Jesse reminds us that if a dollar is the product of your energies, then a dollar is you! You aren't just a tool -- you are a human, with desires and values which are reflected in your spending. In this light, then, money takes on a much larger role than merely "tool," and it should be treated with the importance and attention it deserves. &nbsp; Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:  &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at  &nbsp; Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook:  Instagram:  Twitter:  Tik Tok:  &nbsp;

Money Is Not a Tool

Mirror, mirror on the wall... which category is the truest of them all? Over the last several weeks, Jesse has explored the idea that money is more than just a tool, it's a reflection of you. Your spending is a representation of your energies and your desires, and therefore a proxy for who you are. So, if you imagined the categories in your spending plan as a mirror -- what would that mirror say about you? Do you like what's in the reflection? &nbsp; Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:  &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at  &nbsp; Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook:  Instagram:  Twitter:  Tik Tok:  &nbsp;

Looking In the Mirror

Jesse shares a story from a YNAB'er who had a major mindset shift about money. For this person, money went from a stressful topic to envisioning it as "young creatures just looking to party." Imagining your dollars as little "you's," searching for ways to improve your life and live out your values takes away the fear and anxiety around money. &nbsp; Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:  &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at  &nbsp; Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook:  Instagram:  Twitter:  Tik Tok:

Young Creatures Just Looking to Party

Jesse is back answering another round of questions from his inbox. Today he responds to listeners asking whether the Four Rules are really rules or rather habits, what his favorite time management tools are, and how to relate to a spouse uninterested in budgeting. &nbsp; Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity  &nbsp; Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals  &nbsp; &nbsp; Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:  &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at  &nbsp; Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook:  Instagram:  Twitter:  Tik Tok:

Ask Jesse: Lavish Praise and Woodchip Gardening (Sort Of)

Jesse argues that the common refrain of a thing having "inherent value" or "intrinsic value" is not actually a thing. As Jesse explains, value is a moving target, constantly shifting along with our desires and material circumstances. To a starving man, food is worth more than gold. To that same man well-fed, it can be worth little. We see this with our own money -- as our circumstances change, the categories we prioritze shift. Rule 3, roll with the punches, acknowledges the ever-shifting nature of our needs and desires, and challenges us to make trade-offs to materialize those changes in our financial plans. To that end, nothing has an inherent value, but rather a variable value, the only certainty being that it will fluctuate over time. &nbsp; Beginning Balance Podcast -- the show Jesse mentions has not aired yet, but will be coming soon! In the meantime, check out more of Jesse's musings about money here: Apple:  Spotify:&nbsp; &nbsp; Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:  &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at  &nbsp; Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook:  Instagram:  Twitter:  Tik Tok:

Inherent Value Doesn't Exist

Jesse answers a question from a listener who argues that becuase he carries enough cash to cover his credit card spending at all times, he is not riding the float and therefore is gaming the credit card companies. Jesse quotes Charlie Munger -- "show me the incentive, and I'll show you the outcome" (he actually said outcome not behavior) -- and observes that financial institutions have big incentives to encourage more spending, because spending increases their fees. So where there's an incentive, there's a behavior they want to encourage, and using credit cards is it. In Jesse's experience, ditching the credit card has made him less likely to impulse spend, and that experience is likely what financial institutions have figured out! &nbsp; &nbsp; Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:  &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at  &nbsp; Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook:  Instagram:  Twitter:  Tik Tok:

Gaming the Credit Card System... Maybe

Jesse answers another round of questions from YNAB listeners. Today someone asks whether there is such a thing as "perfect YNAB" use and if good enough use is OK (yes!). Another YNAB'er is confused on how to calculate tithes for business income, and, as always, there are some questions and comments about credit card rewards. &nbsp; Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:  &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at  &nbsp; Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook:  Instagram:  Twitter:  Tik Tok:

Ask Jesse: Perfect YNAB, Tithing Confusion, and More Credit Card Comments

Let's cut spending! And then... what exactly? The all too common advice that you need to "cut spending" implies that your level of consumption is simply too high. That may or may not be the case, but in Jesse's experience and the thousands upon thousands of people YNAB has helped to regain control over their money, "spending less" is rarely the problem. Most people don't have a spending too much problem, they have a spending on the wrong things problem. For that reason, you'll never hear Jesse give advice to just "cut spending." &nbsp; Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:  &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at  &nbsp; Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook:  Instagram:  Twitter:  Tik Tok:

Let's Cut Spending!

Your biggest single expense happens is one you probably don't think about much... unless you're American and it's April 15th. You may think it's housing, or maybe education, or raising kids, but all those costs are dwarfed by the elephant on your income statement: taxes. We are taxed in hundreds of ways, some obvious like income taxes and sales tax, others more insidious like fuel tax, air travel tax, liquor tax, etc, etc. Jesse points this out to demonstrate something important -- you can be desensitized to almost any expense, even the single biggest expense in your life! &nbsp; Beginning Balance Podcast with Jesse and Mark Butler Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beginning-balance/id1569423517 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7APubdzXN2eeeMdNpCLkiy?si=75eb73f1ac0a49ba &nbsp; Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:  &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at  &nbsp; Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook:  Instagram:  Twitter:  Tik Tok:

Your Biggest Single Expense

Jesse reviews the Four Rules and takes issue with those who say, "yeah must be nice to have extra money to make a plan with... everything I make is spoken for." It's true, there are some people who have a legitimate income problem. But this argument often becomes an excuse to not actually make plans for your money, to not try to follow the rules and start to get ahead on your expenses. After all, what's the alternative? &nbsp; Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:  &nbsp; Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at  &nbsp; Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook:  Instagram:  Twitter:  Tik Tok:

What's the Alternative?

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Ask Jesse: How to Launder Money... for Christmas?!

You Need A Budget (YNAB)

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