You Need a Budget

I have been using YNAB for years and the YNAB method for years before that, so I am not really the target audience for this book. I wanted to read it anyway as a huge fan of Jesse, his company, his software, and—most of all—his brand and style of budget philosophy.

Unfortunately, there wasn't that much in this book for me. I picked up a few interesting tips in the budgeting for couples and budgeting for parents chapters, but not enough to recommend this highly to YNAB users, unless, like me, you're a super-fan.

But I tried to put myself in the shoes of someone who has never heard of YNAB. And from the perspective of a newcomer looking for high quality books about an ordinarily unappealing topic, I can easily rate this book at five stars.

Regardless of whether the idea of budgeting makes you squeamish, or you've tried dozens of budgeting systems but just haven't found the right one, this book is a fantastic introduction to the YNAB system. It is not a how-to guide or a lengthy sales pitch for his software. Instead, Jesse ensures anyone can feel confident using his system for free with pen and paper or the spreadsheet software of your choice.

But since Jesse won't say it, I will: the YNAB software is fantastic, and if you like what you find in this book, it's definitely worth at least trialing the software.