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

Overview

Wall Street Journal Bestseller

Experience a life free of financial stress and transform your relationship to money with this indispensable guide—the first book based on You Need A Budget’s proven method that has helped hundreds of thousands of people break the paycheck to paycheck cycle, get out of debt, and live the life they want to live.

No one should tell you what to do with your money—only you know what’s most important to you. Always guiding you back to your true priorities, Jesse Mecham will fundamentally change the way you think about your money and what it can do for you. His proven method—four, simple rules—will transform money management from a paralyzing burden to a powerful tool, putting you in total control of your life:

1. Give Every Dollar A Job. Be intentional about what you want your money to do before you spend it.
2. Embrace Your True Expenses. Break up larger, less frequent expenses into smaller, more manageable amounts. By saving monthly for insurance premiums, holidays, or car repairs, when the time comes, your money is ready and waiting to do its job.
3. Roll With The Punches. When life changes, so must your budget. Make adjustments and move along. Flexible budgets succeed because they’re guilt-free, realistic, and sustainable.
4. Age Your Money. As you repeat the first three rules, you’ll increase the time between the moment you earn a dollar and the moment you need to spend it. When your money is at least a month old, you’ll have finally broken the paycheck to paycheck cycle for good.

This tried-and-true system has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by teaching them how to take charge, adjust money habits, eliminate stress, and build the life they want to live. Don’t waste another month counting down the minutes until payday....

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062567581
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	12/26/2017
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	105,527
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jesse Mecham founded YNAB in 2004 to help him and his new wife, Julie, watch their money. Studying for his master of accountancy at Brigham Young University at the time, he put his numbers wizardry to work to develop a system to track their expenses, and that became YNAB. He lives in Utah with his family.

Editorial Reviews

10/30/2017
Acknowledging how stressful the question “Can I afford this?” can be, Mecham explains that’s precisely why he wrote this helpful book and invented his four-rule system for budgeting. The primary question, Mecham says, is “What do I want my money to do for me?” To that end, the titular “YNAB” plan is comprised of the dictums “Give Every Dollar a Job,” “Embrace Your True Expenses,” “Roll with the Punches,” and “Age Your Money.” Mecham conveniently addresses readers of all ages (kids included) and family situations (single, childless couples, and couples with kids), taking care to include readers with variable incomes. Cheat-sheet reminders at the close of every chapter are especially helpful. Mecham includes illustrative stories from clients, providing an especially helpful example of one couple’s customized YNAB plan, including their spending before and after “budget detox,” and divides into four sections: bills, everyday spending, goals, and true expenses. One of the keys to success, Mecham points out, is flexibility. But the primary attitude adjustment described here is to stop asking, “Can I afford this?” and start asking, “Does this move me closer to my goals?” Mecham makes it seem simple and his tone is encouraging; even readers who’ve never budgeted before will believe Mecham when he tells them, “You’ve got this.” (Dec.) Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly identified the book's author as a software developer.

Publishers Weekly

When your financial planner sternly says you need a budget,it’s like a door slamming shut on a happy future. When Jesse Mecham says it, it’s like a door swinging open to a free life. He nderstands how financial stress feels. His principles and tools come right out of his own life experience, but also from his CPA training. His system is psychologically and financially sound.You’re going to love this book.” — VICKI ROBIN, coauthor of Your Money or Your Life

“In You Need a Budget, Jesse Mecham gets personal with you, because, as it turns out, ‘budget’ just means making sure you spend your money on your favorite priorities. If you’re ready for a disarmingly casual  yet deceptively persuasive ride into a new perspective that has changed hundreds of thousands of lives, read on.” — PETER ADENEY, personal finance blogger at MrMoneyMustache.com

“Jesse Mecham finally gives budgeting a much-needed rebranding with You Need a Budget. You will learn that the true secret of using a budget is to get more out of life, not to feel restricted.” — ERIN LOWRY, author of Broke Millennial

“Jesse Mecham has achieved the impossible: a book on budgeting  that is fascinating, entertaining, and practical. Read this book, follow his advice, then watch your bank account grow and your financial worries fade. Managing your money doesn’t have to be stressful. Jesse Mecham’s simple rules make it easy to get what you want most by forgoing things you won’t miss.” — JOSH KAUFMAN, bestselling author of The Personal MBA and The First 20 Hours

“A handy guide for readers looking to increase their financial literacy and manage their money carefully and successfully.” — Booklist

“[You Need a Budget] conveniently addresses readers of all ages (kids included) and family situations (single, childless couples, and couples with kids), taking care to include readers with variable incomes. Cheat-sheet reminders at the close of every chapter are especially helpful. Mecham makes it seem simple and his tone is encouraging.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Jesse Mecham has achieved the impossible: a book on budgeting  that is fascinating, entertaining, and practical. Read this book, follow his advice, then watch your bank account grow and your financial worries fade. Managing your money doesn’t have to be stressful. Jesse Mecham’s simple rules make it easy to get what you want most by forgoing things you won’t miss.

JOSH KAUFMAN

In You Need a Budget, Jesse Mecham gets personal with you, because, as it turns out, ‘budget’ just means making sure you spend your money on your favorite priorities. If you’re ready for a disarmingly casual  yet deceptively persuasive ride into a new perspective that has changed hundreds of thousands of lives, read on.

PETER ADENEY

A handy guide for readers looking to increase their financial literacy and manage their money carefully and successfully.

Booklist

Jesse Mecham finally gives budgeting a much-needed rebranding with You Need a Budget. You will learn that the true secret of using a budget is to get more out of life, not to feel restricted.

ERIN LOWRY

When your financial planner sternly says you need a budget,it’s like a door slamming shut on a happy future. When Jesse Mecham says it, it’s like a door swinging open to a free life. He nderstands how financial stress feels. His principles and tools come right out of his own life experience, but also from his CPA training. His system is psychologically and financially sound.You’re going to love this book.

VICKI ROBIN

A handy guide for readers looking to increase their financial literacy and manage their money carefully and successfully.

Booklist