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Personal finance experts Ben and Ernie nerd out about all things YNAB to help you get good at money. They share helpful money tips, reflect on their own YNAB journeys, and celebrate your YNAB wins.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Ben and Ernie connect YNAB's budgeting mechanics to the emotional reality of repairs, savings goals, large expenses, and changing plans.
Budget Nerds turns budgeting software into a conversation about the decisions its categories and balances make possible. Ben and Ernie move easily between YNAB mechanics and lived consequences, showing how planning for irregular costs can change the experience of a car repair, a…
A surprise tire bill becomes a victory lap if you like Ben and Ernie's listener wins.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Twenty-two YNAB wins make budgeting feel concrete, from a smaller car repair bill to a Spain trip that stayed within the plan.
Budget Nerds turns 22 YNAB wins into a compact study of what budgeting feels like once the fog starts to lift. Ben and Ernie keep the collection personable by reacting with real curiosity, including a light pause over the username M-S-B-I-T-G before getting to the story.
A month-ahead budget sounds simple, but this episode shows how that cushion can change real decisions.
Budget Nerds finds a small budgeting milestone and treats it like a real one. Ben and Ernie talk through what getting a month ahead can do in practice: it gives people room to make work choices with less panic, takes some pressure off money decisions, and can ease the strain…
Jeremy makes YNAB's changing Rule Three feel practical by focusing on predictable expenses before they arrive.
Jeremy from Personal Finance Club frames budgeting as a way to make uneven costs feel less disruptive. The episode turns YNAB's old Rule Three, save for a rainy day, into the newer idea of embracing true expenses, with Christmas doing the clearest work: December gifts are coming…
A warm batch of YNAB Wins shows preparation turning surprise expenses into manageable decisions.
Budget Nerds frames its recurring YNAB Wins feature as a community ledger of practical relief. Ben and Ernie set up another full episode of listener wins, with Ernie partly grouping a list in the 60s and the hosts planning to get through about half.
A YNAB principle becomes a daily check on whether spending still matches what matters.
Budget Nerds frames "find the money first" as a practical extension of YNAB's rule three: rolling with the punches before the spending happens.
A pair of swim fins gives financial comparison a visible shape.
Budget Nerds uses a YMCA swim to make financial comparison feel simple and concrete. One host notices that another swimmer's speed was not just skill or effort; there were fins working beneath the surface.
Paul Haavardsrud unpacks Canadian money stories, from ski-hill VIP pricing to French butter tariffs.
Real-estate freedom, taught in plain numbers.
Ernie discusses updates to his personal budgeting categories for his family of five in the Midwest, with Ben hosting the conversation on Budget Nerds.
The Budget Nerds podcast hosts YNAB educator Dave to discuss the concept of 'spendfulness' and his long experience teaching personal finance workshops and coaching.
This episode discusses why it's beneficial to start using the YNAB budgeting software at any time of the month, debunking the common misconception that you need to wait for the first of the month.
This episode discusses the concept of 'spendfulness' and updates to the YNAB budgeting method, focusing on financial mindfulness and improved teaching approaches for new users.
This episode discusses five signs that indicate someone might be bad with money, using a parallel parking analogy to explain that it's a skill that can be learned rather than a moral failing.
Ben and Ernie host a live Q&A episode of Budget Nerds, welcoming listeners from around the world and inviting questions on personal finance topics for the new year.
This episode features a YNAB support specialist discussing her budgeting categories and unique multi-currency approach as an expat living in South Korea.
Ben and Ernie engage in a structured debate about classic YNAB arguments by randomly assigning sides to 12 topics for entertainment.
The Budget Nerds podcast hosts interview YNAB CEO Todd Curtis about the future direction of the budgeting app, recent feature releases, and his leadership role in shaping the company's vision.
Ben and Ernie of Budget Nerds host a live livestream replay where they nervously attempt to fix a messy budget created by their support team member Jill, engaging with a global audience.
The hosts discuss the quirky and sometimes embarrassing behaviors that using the YNAB budgeting software encourages, exploring both the humorous and potentially detrimental aspects of these habits.
The hosts discuss how many YNAB users successfully manage multiple financial goals simultaneously, based on community feedback over four years of podcasting.
This episode features an interview with Ben Markley about his Sketchy Advice series, which explores the psychology behind money management and budgeting using research-based insights.
This episode features an interview with Jasmine Green, a PhD student at UC Davis, discussing how she manages variable income and budgeting as a busy graduate student using tools like YNAB.
This live episode from FanFest Minneapolis features an interview with Ashley L.
The hosts discuss the concept of patching versus building sustainable money habits and share updates on budgeting categories.
This episode discusses how to establish and maintain effective budgeting routines using YNAB, covering daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly cadences for both new and experienced users.
This episode analyzes whether the YNAB budgeting app is worth its cost and effort, using data from a 2024 survey to provide insights for both current users and newcomers.
This episode features live interviews with YNAB users sharing their budgeting successes at the YNAB Fan Fest 2024 in Salt Lake City, celebrating the app's 20th anniversary.
This episode is a live Q&A session where hosts Ben and Ernie discuss new YNAB features, cash-only budgeting, budgeting with partners, and other personal finance topics while engaging with their audience.
Ben and Ernie celebrate their 100th episode of Budget Nerds by reflecting on the podcast's unexpected four-year journey since its start in 2020.
In this episode of Budget Nerds, Ben and Ernie discuss Ben's recent significant changes to his budget categories, marking a departure from his usual pattern of talking about changes without implementing them.
The hosts discuss their favorite features and processes in YNAB (You Need A Budget) for 2026, revisiting and updating a previous episode topic.
This episode of Budget Nerds explains the recent changes in the YNAB mobile apps and walks through all the ways to manually add transactions.
The hosts discuss seven transformative money habits that can quickly and significantly improve personal finances.
Ben and Ernie discuss Ben's updated budgeting categories, including potential changes like separating yearly subscriptions, in this personal finance podcast episode.
This episode features Budget Nerds answering listener questions about budgeting, starting with a discussion on why matching account balances to category balances (the 'matchy matchy game') is problematic.
The hosts celebrate their podcast's five-year anniversary by sharing 26 inspiring YNAB budgeting success stories from their community.
This episode discusses the three stages of emergency funds for YNAB users, using a personal story about saving for a new van as an illustrative example.
The hosts discuss the weirdest budgeting categories submitted by their community across various platforms, celebrating these unique approaches to personal finance.
This episode features an interview with Lauren, a dedicated YNAB user who manually enters all her transactions and reconciles daily, discussing her budgeting approach and categories.
Two hosts discuss advanced tips for maximizing the YNAB budgeting software, starting with a deep dive into scheduled transactions and their benefits for financial organization.
This episode provides an advanced guide to setting up YNAB (You Need A Budget) with a focus on account management and detailed planning beyond basic categories and targets.
Ben and Ernie discuss whether to prioritize paying off debt or building a month-ahead buffer in personal finances, while sharing a personal anecdote about a van decision.
This episode discusses how to handle major financial setbacks, inspired by a listener's experience with feeling demotivated after a financial hit while using YNAB budgeting.
This episode features a live screen share demonstration where the hosts work to fix a messy budget using YNAB to create a functional spending plan.
This episode explores how to handle financial windfalls, from small extra paychecks to larger unexpected gains, including a discussion on the term's etymology.
This episode features a YNAB team member discussing the company's corporate financial wellness program that provides free budgeting software to employees through their workplace.
Two YNAB experts discuss common mistakes users make with the budgeting software, covering both beginner and veteran issues, starting with the importance of learning the YNAB method.
This episode features Sarah and Amber from YNAB's social team discussing how TikTok and Instagram are influencing Gen Z's personal finance habits and trends.
Ben and Ernie guide listeners through a simple, no-hassle setup of YNAB (You Need A Budget) from scratch, focusing on avoiding overcomplication for beginners.
The hosts discuss their experiment with YNAB budgeting templates and recap their recent FanFest experience in Minneapolis.
This episode features Heidi discussing how she used YNAB to overcome ADHD-related money management challenges and improve her financial habits.
This episode discusses a humane and sustainable four-step approach to paying off debt using the YNAB budgeting method.
Ben and Ernie present 22 YNAB listener wins organized around clarity, peace, preparation, confidence, debt freedom, and partnership.
Ben announces a live episode where he and Ernie will attempt to fix a messy budget on YouTube, inviting listeners to watch.
Ben announces a live YouTube event to discuss changes to the YNAB method and invites listeners to join.
Ben and Ernie announce a live YouTube event and discuss new features, encouraging listeners to participate.
Hosts Ben and Ernie explore the emotional and practical benefits of getting a month ahead in YNAB, sharing user testimonials about reduced anxiety, better decision-making, and increased financial control.
Hosts Ben and Ernie welcome back guest Erin, the lead educator, to discuss her idea for an episode about dreaming bigger than just managing bills.
Ben and Ernie explore the difference between tracking expenses and truly using YNAB, based on common community feedback and personal stories.
Jeremy Schneider of Personal Finance Club describes using YNAB for more than nine years, beginning when his bootstrapped company and income were still modest.
Budget Nerds hosts Ben and Ernie read community YNAB Wins from more than 60 submissions, grouped around partners, control, debt paydown, clarity, stress reduction, and confidence.
Ben and Ernie define YNAB's “find the money first” principle as a proactive version of rule three, applied before spending rather than after overspending.
Ben turns a YMCA lap-swim encounter into a comparison lesson after an older woman in the competition pool passes him, then reveals she has two giant swimming fins.
Alex is saving up to leave a dead-end job after a lawyer said there may be wage theft.
Ben says cash accounts remove the “matchy matchy game” and keep ATM withdrawals out of category bookkeeping.
Ben says a checking-account buffer can be "too vague" if it only exists to avoid making a decision.
Budget Nerds #84 centers on Ben's rule-two idea, "embrace your true expenses," and his blog title "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My True Expenses." Ben and Ernie connect that mindset to car repairs, furnace filters, wills, and home maintenance, using examples from their own budgets and family life.
Budget Nerds hosts Ben and Ernie walk through the YNAB category setup of Kath Younger, a registered dietitian who has blogged at KathEats.com since 2007.
Ben and Ernie answer viewer questions on a November 29, 2023 YouTube livestream of Budget Nerds, starting with Jennifer's question about how many YNAB fresh starts each has done.
Lee Bond, a Boston renter with a husband named Max and two miniature dachshunds, walks Budget Nerds hosts Ben and Ernie through her YNAB categories.
Ben interviews Kat, a YNAB support specialist, about handling credit cards in YNAB and answering community questions.
Ben and Ernie introduce a new YNAB program called YNAB Wellness, which allows companies to offer YNAB as an employee benefit.
Ben and Ernie discuss the challenges of budgeting for groceries and share tips for managing food expenses.
Hosts discuss investing and how to track investments within the YNAB budgeting app.
Ben and Ernie interview YNAB founder Jesse Mecham about budgeting and personal finance.