What You'll Learn Today:

What It Feels Like to Get Ahead on Your Bills

I want you to imagine it’s a few months from now and it’s the first day of the month. You open up your budget and every single category is already completely funded.

That means every dollar you earn this month will go towards next month’s budget. You will literally have a month’s worth of cash in your bank account. You could go 30 days without getting paid and still feel secure financially. Congrats, this is freedom!

It doesn’t happen all at once, and it definitely doesn’t happen by accident. In fact, it takes some dedication and intention. This month, see if you can take some of the money you earn and put it towards next month’s bills. When more money arrives, push it ahead a little further. Keep going until you’re no longer timing your bills to paychecks.

How old should your money be? It’s up to you. Work your way up to 30 days and then see how you feel. If you have a highly variable income you might feel more secure with an age of money of 60 or 90 days. The bottom line—the choice is yours. That’s because YOU are always in control of your budget!

Happy budgeting,

Teacher at YNAB

Subscribe anytime. You’ll still get your time for your free trial, because free is free. We offer monthly and annual subscriptions.