Learn How to Use YNAB's 3 Target Types

Kick back and snack for a few as Hannah breaks down one of YNAB's most helpful tools-targets. Learn how to spend and save efficiently with YNAB's three powerful target types: Needed for Spending, Savings Balance, and Monthly Savings Builder. You've never budgeted like this. We're pretty sure.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
0:38 YNAB's 3 Target Types
0:50 "Needed for Spending" Target
1:39 Monthly Spending Subtype
5:41 Weekly Spending Subtype
7:29 By-Date Spending Subtype
9:27 "Savings Balance" Target
12:30 "Monthly Savings Builder" Target
13:29 Outro
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[@YNABofficial]

First person to list each timestamp where I accidentally say "goal" instead of "target" gets a t-shirt! READY GO. -Hannah 🌻

[@Fayelin449]

I could only find one at 1:46.

[@gribiasfppc]

1:46 8:18 can I have the t shirt autographed by you?

[@cindyngan2305]

1:46 and 8:17

[@KelVarnsen9]

1:47 and 8:18. Also, not said but in definition bubbles for Savings Balance includes "goal" at 9:30 and Monthly Savings Builder includes "goal" at 12:30.

[@Punkylolita]

Cherry on top, "Holiday 2020" category for a spending budget for Dec 25 2021. I would have done the same, 2020 did us all dirty for time perception.

[@thosewhowander5815]

I might be addicted to YNAB and Hannah's Videos.....

[@mx.stoneheart]

Same!

[@gojaviera]

Me too!

[@leelee8311]

ditto! she’s fun to learn from

[@sherrainehiggs7380]

Love her video's too. Educational and entertaining. Thank you Hannah 😊 💓

[@drummyboop]

same 🙋🏾‍♀️

[@ashleyleva9025]

I had to literally pause this video to comment and say how much I love this girl because of how funny she is. She cracks me up man hahahaha

[@reniersoto6257]

Hey, Hannah got engaged! Congrats. That's awesome.

[@YNABofficial]

THANKS! Even more exciting-the wedding is in 15 days!! EEK! -Hannah 🌻

[@Boilers2000]

I tend to use monthly savings builders for even day to day categories (like my household items) so that the next month instead of it bringing it to the total again, I add the full amount. I still spend from it, but this also helps add buffers into each category rather than having to borrow as much. It's a personal preference for me.

[@Natazavrik]

Is it a problem that watch Hannah videos just for fun because she cracks me up (and the financial/YNAB tips are just sort of a nice bonus)? 😆😂

[@YNABofficial]

Only a problem if you don't like to have a good time! 😂 -Hannah 🌻

[@michelle_nolan]

I think Julip should show up in person (or in dog) when she makes it in the video!!

[@YNABofficial]

Fair. Very fair. #noted -Hannah 🌻

[@TamsMarie]

This is a great video and I wished I would have seen it two months ago. You should put this in a Beginners’ playlist.

[@YNABofficial]

Oooh! Great suggestion!! I'll pass that back to our team! 🌻 Hannah

[@yuhz1m1]

Agreed!

[@zhagata]

I don't know Hannah, I've never been to USA, but man.. Hannah is my favorite american for sure!

[@YNABofficial]

🥰🥺 I've never been someone's favorite American! I'll take it! 🌻 Hannah

[@j1mbethmag]

I've been using YNAB for over a year and I FINALLY understand the difference between these Target types!!

[@sethgarnand9158]

Just the answers I needed! I was so confused as to which one I needed.

[@MitchelBurton]

Man, yall are really stepping up your editing game on these videos. Keep up the good work!

[@MassieDesign]

"Chunks." I love it. My mom and I bonded over YNAB and Hannah's videos over the last couple of years. We were BUDGET NERDS together 😂. She passed away last October and as I go into 2023 and think about a Clean Start and another 34 Day Reset for myself and experimenting with a different budget set up... I feel her. 🥰 Just wanted to say that YNAB and Hannah contribute more to this world than just great tools and clever content. TY for all you do.

[@YNABofficial]

Oh my word. This touched my heart to the very deepest of its core. The things we bond over are so real and untouchable, and I'm so glad that you have such a precious reminder of your mom that will never go away. We're honored to be a tiny part of such a beautiful memory of your mom. We'd love if you'd send your mailing address to [e-mail]-we'd love to honor her, too! Thanks so much for sharing 🥰🥰 Bless you dearly! 🌻 Hannah

[@max1492a]

love ynab and your videos!

[@mirandaslakie1188]

I needed this video so bad! thank you hannah!

[@KAFNOR]

I always learn something! This time it's the progress bar (whether stripes or segments) and the info that goes with it. Thanks, Hannah!

[@pmumble76]

Great video, very entertaining and educational. Thanks!

[@VoiceoverElisa]

*Stops everything to add an emoji to every category* 😆🏡💁‍♀️💥

[@YNABofficial]

Don't we all?? -Hannah 🌻

[@sherrylynnbishop8007]

Another great video by Hannah! I used to have goals set up, but I just didn't like it in my budget. Thanks to your video, I am going to try it again!

[@tshep1174]

The algorithm is super scary accurate today. Literally clicked on the "learn more about targets" button today and thought "this would make a good YNAB video for Hannah". Thanks for the info!! Also, I thought chunks was a totally normal word until now. Now I can't say it normally! Hahaha

[@YNABofficial]

By "the algorithm" did you mean my mind reading abilities? -Hannah 🌻

[@taylorwhaley9901]

Love your videos Hannah they are the best!

[@andresfelipelondono9502]

Another masterpiece that will trascend ages. Wonderful video.

[@PattyGardner170]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@TurtleMom23]

It's the first of the month which means, it's Budget Time. My husband and I kind of (no, not kind of - DID) slack on our budget this summer, so not only are we sitting down to budget, we're sitting down to learn some of the new improvements. BUT, this video was so helpful and it looks like it will really help us get our budget under control!

[@LupusLifestyle]

This is great! I have been signed up with YNAB for 42 days and love it. I can watch more videos like this to make sure I stay on track. Thanks!

[@mx.stoneheart]

Welcome to the addiction!

[@gojaviera]

Hannah is the best! Very informative video

[@robinvandenbos9741]

Very helpful, thank you

[@dougwagner607]

Bingo! Perfectly addressed my question and more. Thank you.

[@YNABofficial]

Woo hoo!! So glad!! 🌻 Hannah

[@yonallb]

It would be amazing if monthly savings builder could have an amount to stop at. Say i want $4k on hand for car repairs, I then replace my radiator for $1200. It would be great to slowly replenish that money up to 4K again say at $100/month. Right now I have to remember to go disable the savings builder when I hit my amount which is a bit obnoxious. Great video as always!

[@YNABofficial]

Ooh, I'll pass that feedback back to the team! Thanks Terb! -Hannah 🌻

[@DDCaldwellnot1lost]

You're awesome! Fun to watch too 🙂which kinda helps my money stress... Thank You!

[@YNABofficial]

Yay!! I'm so glad! Stress is no fun. #makebudgetingfunagain 🌻Hannah

[@sherrainehiggs7380]

Love your videos Hannah.

[@YNABofficial]

Thanks Sherraine! 🥰 🌻 Hannah

[@RossMcLendon]

Hey Hannah, thanks for these videos. they're great and make learning a joy! One question about this topic - what about monthly expenses that are due early in the month? Like say you have mortgage or rent due on the 1st of the month. If you put a monthly needed for spending target for the 1st, the budget won't bug you to fund that category until the 1st of the month, at which point you need the money already. Likewise, the carryover from previous months makes it tricky to set the target for the end of the preceding month.

[@savannahmudd3532]

You could name it "Next Month's Rent" (or whatever it is) and put it as due by the 31st so when the monthly rollover happens your money is there. You could also prioritize getting a month ahead in your budget, which is what I did.

[@RossMcLendon]

@@savannahmudd3532 yes - I'm likewise budgeting ahead myself so this isn't an issue for me, but it has come up as I help other folks. The issue with labeling it as "next month" and setting it for thr last day of the month is that unless you actually pay it on that last day of the month, the total you built up carries over to the next month so the goal/target shows as being met even after you've paid your rent and now should be saving up for the next month's. It's an artifact of the monthly rollover system that YNAB uses. Budget categories that have monthly "spend by" targets should roll over on the day after the target date, not the 1st of thr month.

[@callistogarnet]

If you have a scheduled transaction for the 1st it will also prompt you that you need the money. Personally, I budget the month a day or two before the end of the previous month because I get paid on the last working day of the month, and my scheduled transactions and “needed by 1st of the month” targets get met that way.

[@YNABofficial]

Hey Ross! This is a great question! My approach to that is actually manually budgeting into the next month. It's not ideal, but since rent is my biggest expense, I always make sure before I even start budgeting out any new dollars that rent in the future month is either fully covered or halfway covered in the future month before funding the current month the rest of the way. I have my rent category at the top of my budget so it's the first thing I see and I immediately ask myself "Has rent been budgeted for next month yet?" It's not a perfect system, but it's been working for me, and makes sure that I fund my most important expense before funding all of my other smaller ones (like eating out or even car repairs). -Hannah 🌻

[@EduardoAntunesPOA]

Hannah, you are awesome and I am a huge fan of your videos. Keep it up the good work, girl!

[@YNABofficial]

Thanks Eduardo!! I appreciate it! -Hannah 🌻

[@ourdreamscollide]

Hannah, you're so great at explaining the ins and outs of YNAB! I'm going back through my budget now to make sure I have it set up properly! I *do* always wish there was a way to add a specific goal to to the monthly savings builder -- for example, if I wanted to save $10 every month until I hit a certain number, not based on a date.

[@YNABofficial]

Howdy there! Oh, I totally hear ya. I just sent your comment back to the team! We have lots of updates and feature requests to work through, but rest assured they will see this request! -Hannah 🌻

[@joanlequi]

Thanks!

[@lesleynyborg2093]

Hannah, thanks!

[@anabelolguin8970]

Reminded me of the store!!!!

[@Andresdha]

About to move into a new apartment so I'm excited to hit that fresh start to let my budget reflect my new priorities. Heard it from Hannah indeed!

[@physiovictory]

Making money fun is a gift! I love it!

[@YNABofficial]

Yes! I agree!! So much more motivating when it's a fun experience! 🌻 Hannah

[@toddhines6526]

This is exactly what I have been looking for to up my YNAB game! Thanks Hannah!

[@YNABofficial]

Oh, well HEY THERE Sir Todd!! I don't know if I knew you were a YNAB user!! Thanks for the watch :) Hope you're doing well! We'll miss you at the wedding! -Hannah 🌻

[@toddhines6526]

@@YNABofficial Yes, I've been a user for maybe 3 years now? I too am sorry we won't be there. Best wishes of course, and we *will* see all of you someday :-)

[@wannabedal-adx458]

Great video Hannah. Informative and you can hold the audience attention with your quirkiness! Good: Improved flexibility on how to set and track progress to different goals. Saves the need to type extra stuff in your Goal( or target now) name field. Bad: awful lot of ways to say and indicate the same thing. I hope you can turn off some of them. It can make your budget screen a little busy. I know I work in UX development!

[@JaesWOverley]

Hannah, I always enjoy your videos, and I found this one personally very valuable. I understood the basics, but this deeper dive into "how" to use each of the target types, is incredibly informative. After watching, I made quite a few changes to my budget for those categories where I want to stash more cash. Thank you and I look forward to your next and many more videos!

[@YNABofficial]

Oh yay!! Jaes, so glad to hear it! Surprised I could teach you something new, your comments have always tended to strike me as coming from someone who knows each and every in and out of YNAB better than I do! -Hannah 🌻

[@JaesWOverley]

@@YNABofficial I would consider myself somewhat of a power user, but seeing how other people use YNAB allows me to make our family budget even better. Your videos are a great help to beginners and experts alike! Keep up the great work Hannah 🌻! ~Jaes 🏊‍♂️🌊🦈🌊

[@YNABofficial]

Yes, that's the spirit! Thanks for always chiming in!! Heres to better budgets! -Hannah 🌻

[@kalilangevin313]

I want to have multiple targets per category. Example: I want one category for all my subscriptions and I want to create targets for each! I like a nice condensed, but accurate and detailed budget.

[@BlueRangerPeter]

Thank you for adjusting the spending target feature!! I hated not knowing which goal to set and whenever i spent from a category with the wrong target/goal itd fight me and say "no dont touch that money you need to touch!"

[@myaccountagain]

Very nice explanation. It was all starting to make sense towards the end. Oh and it might just be me but while watching your video I got flash backs of max headroom 😁 especially the video cutting and the tangent stories 😂

[@mfkfx5807]

Thank you, I finally got it 😅

[@jessicahenry9679]

OMG I LOVE PROGRESS BARS!

[@vincentapa1376]

.... cuz I always do .... those bubbles are the bomb! 🚀

[@wynnewhitten-holmes5090]

To be perfectly honest, although I already planned to hit the like button, I didn't actually do it until you said that 'chunks' is your least favourite word in the English language. THANK YOU.

[@chriskimsey9605]

Comment for the algorithm. keep it up Hannah

[@tanjaschoenbrod6984]

Who knew budgeting could be fun?? Well, painful at first, but getting better with Hannah!

[@einmanaulfur]

Spending by date goals have a repeat function now?! Mind blown ... I have some adjusting to do on my ... targets. ;-D

[@robertalynn3459]

OMG! thanks for being entertaining!

[@YNABofficial]

Oh, you are QUITE welcome. Wouldn't take my budgeting videos any other way! -Hannah 🌻

[@SterianAlinaNicoleta]

Nice View and The lists? The inventar of Life îs easy to do?

[@MichaelSharpTechniSmart]

How could we not subscribe after so much educational fun. We now have YNAB, thanks to Katie and to you, Hannah. Why don't I have emoji's on categories?

[@YNABofficial]

Woo hoo, educational fun is my middle name!! If you're using a phone to budget, you can add emojis to your categories simply by adding one to the category name with your phone's emoji keyboard built into your regular phone keyboard. If you're budgeting from a computer, check out this doc! docs.youneedabudget.com/article/196-using-emoji-in-your-budget -Hannah 🌻

[@meredithwatkins1739]

Looks great! What about bi-weekly spending? Ex: housekeeper come ms every other Friday. How do I set up a target for that? Sometimes there are 3 cleanings in a month, sometimes 2…depends how the “every other” Friday falls.

[@capnkoons]

Instead of using a target, setting this up as a repeating transaction should do the trick - just select the option to Repeat: Every other week. In months where the every other Friday occurs 3 times, the Auto-Assign will prompt you to budget for the right amount

[@PamJernigan]

Split it in half and assign the half-payment every week? That's how I'm handling my bi-monthly hair appointment.

[@futoijosei]

Save for 3 says of housekeeping each month. Then put the leftover in a savings account at the end of the year.

[@kclark7103]

I have been waiting and asking for a bi-weekly option too! We would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that option YNAB Gods!!!

[@JenniferSKinney]

Agreed. We need an “every two weeks” option.

[@faithtownsend6225]

If Hannah could make a video for everything I need to know 1) I would stay awake 2) remember what to do , (not sure about that one, I’m usually to busy laughing!

[@RAde-dy1cw]

Awesome video!! What happens when you spend from the monthly savings builder category?

[@krbmke]

I have the same question!

[@SGast]

I love the new targets and they really made automating my budget a lot easier. However, I have some subscriptions with odd payment schedules like every 3 or 5 or 10 weeks. And I have not yet found a good way to deal with them. Using the weekly needed for spending means I have to remember to always assign the full amount without the budget reminding me. I also cannot set up reoccurring transactions as a reminder either. I think there are a few things you could do to help people like me, so I have one less thing to remember when budgeting for the month: 1. Allow a x weeks option with needed for spending by date. 2. Allow weekly for the savings builder. Might also be good for people that get paid weekly or biweekly and want to save a set amount from each paycheck. 3. Allow more flexibility with repeat transactions similar to how the needed for spending by date allows you the number of years and months.

[@YNABofficial]

Allllll great feedback! I will pass this back to the team! Thanks for sharing :) -Hannah 🌻

[@a8lg6p]

So the second one is for saving up for a specific purchase...so what do you when you purchase it? Delete the target? Then it shows a big "create target" button with a caption "how much do you want X"? I already have it! Yes, I watched the wish farm video... I can do that or just delete it...but it just seems weird that I have to find a work-around to use this target type for what seems to be its primary intended use case. Unless I'm missing something?

[@Nameless-st3vt]

Some unspoken truth is there is a bit of overlap better all the targets

[@williamdaly422]

Loved this video!! I've been waiting for a deeper dive on targets. One question I've had though: if we use monthly save for spending targets for things like groceries, but don't spend all of the money in that category for a given month because of good budgeting (thanks YNAB!) and then want to move the excess money to a different category, how can we adjust the target for that month without impacting our recurring target in future months?

[@josephshield9193]

I'm wondering this too, I move the money out of a category when I don't need it that month, but need to cover something else I overspent on (roll with the punches). But then it turns yellow! ☹️

[@PatrikKron]

You can just reduce the budgeted amount. It will become yellow thought.

[@PatrikKron]

Another alternative would be to wait to the next month, then for the next month you would only need to add less money to reach the target, you can then use the excess for other categories. (Assuming you use a needed for spending goal)

[@amyc585]

Heard It From Hannah is easily becoming my favorite series. Keep it up! For savings categories, is there an option to “hide” these categories? I find myself wanting to pull from these categories (like Christmas spending) to fund my underfunded categories because they are so easy to pull from. What do you recommend? Stronger will power? 😅

[@micahdamsky4914]

I put a blue dot emoji on all the categories I'm "allowed to" pull from! makes it a lot easier visually :)

[@YNABofficial]

Hi Amy! You can collapse any category group by clicking the arrow to the left of the category group title. So if you put all of your savings categories into a single group, then you can hide them all. I've never heard of Micah's idea before, but I really like it! Might have to try that myself... 🤔 - Ben M

[@janedavenport6870]

@@YNABofficial I use 3 emojis: A lock for categories I can never pull from, a broccoli stalk for necessary expenses, and the smiling sunglasses guy for discretionary categories.

[@jdg0928]

I created a category that is exclusively for covering overspent categories. The amount that works for me is $200. Each time I get paid, I top-off that category so it has $200. Then, if I go over a bit in a category, I take money from that $200. Sometimes I use almost all of it between paychecks, and other times I don't use any. It adds piece of mind since I know I don't have a little extra set aside while not making an overage into a big hassle of adjusting other categories.

[@winterdragon464]

We need an updated targets vid to match the app :)

[@martinewski]

It’s May/23. I’m wondering if you got that new car 😂 10:30

[@YNABofficial]

😂 You're on top of it! And no new car here, the Buick's still going STRONG despite literally rusting away. One side mirror is taped on, the other is glued on, the padding on both backseat doors has fully fallen off, and the lights no longer work on the dashboard unless I turn ALL the interior car lights on. But she drives like a dream, so she lives on!! 🌻 Hannah

[@ejprosse]

Instead of chunks, use “slice.” You should do standup!! And FOR SURE have a HannaH channel 😋

[@zyhon881]

Despite that YNAB is a subscription based application, you will end up saving money and build funds for your needs if you follow the rules! I have been using YNAB for years and will for many years to come.

[@YNABofficial]

Absolutely! Starting a subscription for the annual plan means you only have to throw $8.25 a month into the "YNAB Subscription" category in your budget, and I can't even fathom how many hundreds/thousands of dollars it saves us a year, just because we ACTUALLY know what our money is doing and where it's taking us! Game changer for life. 🌻 Hannah

[@bethscott8836]

Are the savings types the only ones that carry over from month to month? For example, if we have leftover money in our restaurent category, I want it to carry over to the next month in case we want/need it. So, should I use monthly savings builder instead of needed for spending?

[@YNABofficial]

Hi Beth! If you have money left over in one month, you will always find it carries over into the next month, regardless of what target you use. - Ben M ✏️

[@ricebowl3]

Hannah is a stand a comedian

[@LukeofAllTrades.]

I feel like I really don't get to choose anymore. They all seem to be those Super Targets with the grocery stores on one end.

[@covergirl8605]

Tell Jesse it’s time for Hannah’s raise

[@ericbeme557]

Great video! I still have questions about overspending with "monthly savings builder". Example: I set of target for buying comic books as a savings builder of $50/month. I just created this target today and put $50 in there, but then tomorrow see a comic book that costs $100 that I need to have now. Can I overspend on this category, but still just contribute my target each month until I turn it green again? How does overspending work with Monthly Savings Builder?

[@YNABofficial]

Hey there, Eric! This is a good exploration in which target type might serve your situation better. If you find you're buying comic books often (like every month or two), I'd go ahead and change it to be a "Monthly Spending Target", because the spending target is expecting you to spend from that money and won't prompt you to "replenish" the money when it's spent out of the category. The "Monthly Savings Builder" target is better for categories where you're not spending from the category very often at all (i.e. saving up money for a new laptop you'll buy one day once you have the money, or saving up for a new car or downpayment on a home or maybe even a trip) because if you remove money (or spend money) from that category, it will prompt you to immediately put the "spent" or "taken" money back into that category in order to reach your savings goal for the month. As far as spending money in a category BEFORE it's been fully funded to support that purchase, we generally encourage people to steer away from that, because we never wanting to be spending money we don't have. HOWEVER, if you only have $50 in your comic book category and want to make a $100 purchase today, what we WOULD encourage you to do is poke around your budget and find what other category (or collection of categories) you could borrow the extra $50 you need from in order to fund that purchase. For example, I might pull $25 from my "groceries" category and another $25 from my "dining out" category and move that money into my comic books category, so now I *do* have $100 in my comic books category. All I need to do now is be aware that both my groceries and dining out categories are a little underfunded for the month, and make sure to adjust my spending in those categories accordingly. Hope this was helpful to you! 🌻 Hannah

[@davidhart4789]

Couldn’t figure out what the shape of the new tattoo on your upper left shoulder was supposed to be. Then when you made a move to the right and the tattoo didn’t move I realized it was a crumb of a biscuit I was eating laying on my iPad. 🤪

[@BobBridgesbob]

This is great! I'm just a few days in (still on the trial) and I've been wondering on how to properly use the Targets. I do have one question though. In your example of "Available For Spending" weekly (like Doggy Day Care), how should we do that we have those expense every TWO weeks instead of every ONE week. Would it be better to just put the entire amount in the Target as Monthly? Or divide the bi-weekly cost by two and put it in as Weekly? Feature Request: Wouldn't it be great when using the BY DATE and REPEAT feature that we had the option to choose WEEK in addition to Month and Year? That way, it would solve my problem and I could use a by date and then repeat every TWO weeks! Hmmm......

[@YNABofficial]

Bob! That's a GREAT question. Personally, I would use the weekly goal and just divide your every-other-week amount by two, that way if you're using the "assign money" feature at the top of the budget, you budget will know to prioritize that expense sooner rather than later. That is an excellent feature request idea!! You should absolutely submit that here and our team will review it: youneedabudget.typeform.com/to/Pt6cek -Hannah 🌻

[@bwrangham]

This would be helpful for me too!

[@AUSSIEYNABBER]

I prefer the term 'Targets' it makes more sense to me

[@aleeshahyatt1277]

I don’t like the new way to do goals, but I’m TRYING! Can you show me how to do this on the mobile app? I tried the edit button and it takes it from my “assigned” categories

[@YNABofficial]

Aleesha, I plan to do more tutorials and demonstrations on the mobile app from here on out! So keep an eye on future videos! But, anytime you're struggling to figure something out, always feel free to scan our help docs or reach out to customer service! They'll help ya and they love to do it :) -Hannah 🌻

[@joranger7389]

Newbie question here! How do you categorise transactions that were made before starting the app and setting up a budget, but haven’t yet cleared (due to bank delays, weekends, etc)? For example, I’ve just bought travel tickets which have yet to clear my account, but when they do in the next few days, I’ll have to categorise them as coming from my “Travel” pot (which I set a spending goal date on and have yet to assign money to in the app). When I do this it’ll tell me I’ve overspent, even though I essentially assigned that money to my travel before I started YNAB. Is there a way to stop this giving me an “overspending” alert?

[@YNABofficial]

Hey Jo! Adding past transactions is super easy with the "Add Transaction" button-enter the payee, outflow/inflow, category, and memo as usual, and make sure to select the correct date in the date-picker. I hear ya on your travel situation! Even though you bought your tickets days or even weeks ago, the transaction hasn't cleared the bank yet which means you haven't actually paid for them yet. That being said, you still need to have enough money in your travel category to fund those tickets when you do officially "pay" for them, otherwise it will be considered overspending. To cover this overspending, you'll want to either move money from your "Ready to Assign" category into your "Travel" category, or move money from other various categories and into your "Travel" category until you have enough money moved into it to cover the overspending. I know it's a bit of a brain bender, having to think back to the past while waiting on those transactions to clear, but it's all part of YNAB's method-making sure every dollar that goes in or out is accounted for and budgeted for. My husband and I booked a hotel back in May and the transaction didn't clear until SEPTEMBER when our trip was. We were super grateful that we entered that transaction into our budget RIGHT away (even though it wouldn't clear at the bank for months), because it already "took" the money from our vacation category, meaning we never had the option to accidentally spend that money that we would need for our hotel later. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions! 🌻 Hannah

[@Childlikewondr]

I just want to know which one I use for everyday bills! 😩

[@YNABofficial]

Hey there! I always use the spending target for my bills. If I know how much I'll need for the month and what day I'll need it by, this target type will help the Auto Assign feature (at the top of your budget) prioritize those bills over other bills that are less important. Also, with this goal, if I need to make multiple payments throughout the month (like paying twice monthly for something ,or every friday) then I won't lose my "progress" on my progress bar (like I would with a savings target). I hope this helps! Please ding me back if you need more tips or explanations! You can also check out this handy dandy article on target types: docs.youneedabudget.com/article/128-targets -Hannah 🌻

[@ktrails]

So I have to make 4 estimated quarterly tax payments, but good old Uncle Sam didn't do it every three months. Example: 1K by April 15, 1K by June 15, 1K by Sept 15, 1K by Jan 15. Should I have a budget item for each and targets for all four? Or just do one Quarterly Estimate / Target at a time? Or is there a better way? Thanks!

[@CodrutaChira]

I use the monthly savings builder for gas and electricity because during winter time the bills are.. Triple. So every month I put a sum in those categories and they build up. For example I put 150 dollars on the electricity category even tho it might be 80 dollars so that when the winter bill of 300 dollars comes it will not consume all my salary. Hahahaha... Well it's not fully, but what can you do? 😅😅😅

[@shaunnichols8170]

I actually take the most expensive month I've had in the past 12 months +10% and make it needed for spending monthly. That way no matter what I spent last month I can just fill it up the next month.

[@CodrutaChira]

@@shaunnichols8170 good idea! ❤️ The thing is I can't afford that. For example last winter the gas bill was almost half my salary. Crazy, right? So now I have to save money all year long for the winter months.

[@gamefreakneo]

On 9:54 you say that the difference between an NfS-Target and an SB-Target is that the latter one will set your progress back when you spend „or borrow“ money from that category. But won’t borrowing Money from your NfS-Target set your NfS-Target back as well? If I understand it correctly, only spendings won’t set your NfS-Target back. Is that correct? Edit: At 4:28 you borrow money from your NfS-Target Category and it indeed sets your progress back. Could you please elaborate wether the only difference between NfS and SB targets is regarding the crediting of spendings? Thank you! :)

[@YNABofficial]

Yes, *borrowing* money from a Needed for Spending target type *will* set back your progress, you are right! Good point! But if you've fully funded a Needed for Spending category and spending out of it, it won't set your progress back since you're spending the money on what it was intended for. Thank you for that clarifying question! I'll have to watch how I explain that in the future! -Hannah 🌻

[@okgreat252]

Waiting for a fortnightly option on all targets…..please

[@JenniferSKinney]

Yes! Me too.

[@alexanderw4971]

Hi How do you add the symbols you are using in front of all your categories? I think they help a lot in keeping an overview (especially if they are also available in the transaction list?) but I couldn't find and option to add these :/

[@YNABofficial]

Ohhhh, the emojis? Yeah! Get some color in your budget, my friend! You can add them on your phone using your emoji keyboard. But you can also add them on desktop. Here's a breakdown on how to do it depending what operating system you're using! docs.youneedabudget.com/article/196-using-emoji-in-your-budget ~BenB

[@alexanderw4971]

@@YNABofficial Thx for the fast response :D

[@hoofhearted4]

i really wish YNAB took into account when you got paid. Knowing how much i need to put in monthly is cool, knowing how much i need before my next paycheck is better. if i need $400/mo for groceries, but i get paid 3 times this month (usually i dont realize its a 3 pay month), id rather know what i need to allocate from this paycheck to groceries to meet my monthly target. obviously, i can just take the number its telling me and divide it manually, but still. would love if YNAB could do this. would be super helpful. or at least being able to do bi weekly targets.

[@YNABofficial]

Hey there! I saw one of your comments on another video, and I think YNAB can actually help you do exactly what you're saying! If you add targets to each of your categories (aka: telling each category how much you want in it by when, whether it's a bill with a due date or just a weekly groceries target you want to hit), YNAB can tell you exactly how much money you'll need each month to "fulfill" all those targets. Also, if you're adding due dates or a certain day you want that category fulfilled by (i.e. the 1st of every month, every Monday, by the end of the month, etc) YNAB's "Assign" feature will help you fund your categories based on which categories need the most attention first. For example, it'll fund your internet bill due on the 4th before it funds your electric bill due on the 12th, and if your paycheck only covers part of your expenses for the month, it will simply fund one or two weeks worth of groceries or gas and make sure to satisfy all of your other bills' due dates and category needs before funding the third and fourth weeks of groceries and gas. If that sounds complicated, I bet one of our workshop videos would be super helpful to helping you figure out how to hack YNAB to get it to do exactly what you need, because I believe it can do exactly what you're describing! If you're a newer user, this video may be a good place to start, and you can ALWAYS write in to our support team with questions or sign up for one of our live Q&A's with our teachers where you can ask them specific questions (just like you did in your comment!) and they'll help you understand the solution. (It's super low pressure-just type your question in a text box and they'll demonstrate the solution live according to your circumstances until you feel like you've got the hang of it!) I hope this helps!! Here's the "Setting Up Your Budget" workshop which may help answer some of your questions about targets and how they can help you accomplish exactly what you're wanting! Setting Up Your Budget: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXe7en2ZrttghsU Here's where you can sign up for the live Q&A's to get all your questions answered! www.youneedabudget.com/free-workshops/ You got it, friend!! YNAB is an amazing tool that will give you so much clarity and confidence in your money-I just know it! 🌻 Hannah

[@hoofhearted4]

@@YNABofficial appreciate it. I've been using YNAB for a couple of years but every now and then I like to refresh to make sure I'm using it how it's designed and not just bare minimum so I've been on a bunch of videos recently, and likely commented similar things, while I was looking for information and learning. Thanks again for the reply!

[@YNABofficial]

Ha! No problem!! Comment any time, I'm glad to help! 🌻Hannah

[@StephanieMaggs]

Groceries are tough. This is what REALLY helped me. I divided my groceries into 4 weeks and it definitely helped me budget. I also started delaying my shopping day. I used to pick them up every Monday (and online shopping saves me LOTS), but in 2022 I started extended by 2 or 3 days and I think it definitely lowered the overall spending. Some stats: 2020 (one grocery category for the month) $8748.32 (average $729.03) 2021 (with categories 1-4 weeks) $7646.06 (average $637.17) 2022 Jan - March (with categories 1-4 weeks AND extending shopping by 2 or 3 days (average $566.69) I am curious to see if 2022 overall continues with this trend. Hope these little tweaks help you with your grocery category.

[@YNABofficial]

Steph 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 This is AMAZING!! Would you mind if I shared your groceries tip in a future KZbin Short? You'd get full credit! I LOVE seeing the numbers on this!! Just lemme know here in the KZbin comments or at [e-mail]! 🌻 Hannah

[@wendykerr4140]

Monthly, weekly, By date. Wish there was a quarterly option as well.

[@YNABofficial]

I feel ya! In instances like that, I usually use the monthly target but just divide what's needed quarterly by three. So if I pay a $300 HOA fee every quarter, I'll just set a monthly target for $100 so I can make sure to meet that goal right on time! 🌻 Hannah

[@zyhon881]

Yeah and a bi-weekly option as well.

[@bd1a210]

Where can I go to get that mug?

[@YNABofficial]

It was on 3-day 2020 Swag Sale! We will have more swag sales in the future, but the items will change every time! Make sure to keep up with emails or social media to learn when the next swag sale is announced! -Hannah 🌻

[@giuliacolombo8714]

If I'm setting aside 100$ every month, forever, to go into a sinking fund - which for me sits in a separate bank account than my checking account - should I use Needed for spending (because once I set aside the 100$, I move them to the other account, which would be an expense/outflow transaction from my checking account), or Monthly savings builder?

[@YNABofficial]

Great question! If you have the bank-account-where-you-dump-your-sinking-funds linked up to YNAB, then you'll use a Monthly Savings Builder target! Because, just as you said, the money is staying in the budget-it's just being moved to a different account. If you *don't* have the bank-account-where-you-dump-your-sinking-funds linked up to your budget, then you would want to use a Needed for Spending target so that the category doesn't turn red when you move that money out of your budget. Hope that helps! 🌻 Hannah

[@Nameless-st3vt]

@@YNABofficial I dont understand Hannah. Can you please give an example, a walk through

[@cristelmariebuenafe]

Done.

[@martinhansen1693]

Food n Stuff... we see you.

[@YNABofficial]

"It's where I buy all my food. And most of my stuff." -Hannah 🌻

[@nicol2104]

confused about something. I have a category - vet for my sport horse. this can be very unpredictable. Let's say I think it will be about $4000 / year based on the last few years. But I might spend 3000 in the first few months. I never know when those expenses will come or how much they'll be. how do I set up this target? needed for spending? $333.33 / month? and then what happens in march when I have to spend $2000 instead of 333.33? will that mess up my budget, or what? or do I set up this target in a diff way?

[@MassieDesign]

Hey there. I was reading through the comments and some ideas occurred to me on how you might handle your situation. One thought, for the first 1-3 months, after you have allocated dollars to all your absolutely necessary bills, throw all the $ you can into your vet category. This would help you build up a good amount early on in the year. You could still set up your annual target needed for spending, you may just be going over the amounts it wants you to save each month. The target would update and later months you'd be given a smaller amount to allocate each month. Second, if you end up with a bill that exceeds the amount you have in that category bc it hit you earlier in the year than you were prepared for, hopefully you can cover that with money you have in other savings categories, like an emergency or home repair category. Your target should automatically update and adjust the amounts you need for each month after. If you don't have other savings to cover it, when you document that transaction, your target will not change but you'll see a red progress line in that category bc you "overspent before it was there." It will still want you to allocate the target $ amounts each month, but at that point, if you want, you can delete and/or change the target to whatever will work best for you at that time. If you have to throw it on a CC bc you don't have $ saved, YNAB has several videos on 1) how to ensure the money you DO have in your vet category gets moved to your credit card payment and 2) how to work on paying that amount off over time with future money you throw into the vet category. I hope my ideas help. Best wishes to you.

[@jonbrownisamazing]

Newbie here. Two questions. 1. Re: spending target date. Do I set the date to the day before I "need" the money? ie If I'm targeting for $1000 for rent, and it's due on the 1st, do I set the target for the 1st or for the end of the previous month? 2. Why did you set your grocery target using monthly instead of weekly? I'd assume that would not be accurate since there are a different number of weeks in each month. Or does it not matter because each month is approx. the same amount of days?

[@robertalynn3459]

regarding #2 I did here her say that the program knows how many Mondays (or whatever day) are in the month. So if it has 5 instead of 4, it adjusts for that. It was when she talked about doggy daycare, right about 6:00

[@jonbrownisamazing]

@@robertalynn3459 I guess my thinking is that if you know you're spending $150/week on groceries, why would you set a monthly target? Wouldn't you want a weekly?

[@willcyrier915]

Hey there @Jon Brown. For #1 it's personal preference. #2 most people average their grocery budget on a monthly basis - again pick what works best for you. If your routine is purchasing $50 of groceries every Monday, then the weekly option may work better.

[@robertalynn3459]

@@jonbrownisamazing might depend on how often you want to shop...seems like a personal preference to me really.

[@YNABofficial]

Hey Jon! Great questions!! I set the date for the day I NEED the money by, because when using our "Assign Money" feature at the top of the budget, it will prioritize funding categories that have more urgent due dates than others. So if I get a paycheck at the end of September, it will prioritize funding my rents Oct 1st due date over my internets Oct 8th due date. Great question on why I set a monthly goal for groceries 😂 No real reason, I've just always done it that way. But you're totally right, if I shopped every Monday and knew I wanted to spend $150 a week on groceries, a weekly goal would be best! We're not so organized in our family so I tend to grocery shop sporadically, and the monthly spending goal has worked fine for that. But truly you can set it either way! -Hannah 🌻

[@NickBeenham]

I find more people dislike "moist" over "chunks" ;)

[@jessicaelenbaas387]

Ok...not essential, but is there a way to get the fun icons by our categories?

[@YNABofficial]

Oh, absoluuuutely essential. This doc should help you learn all you need to know about getting those emojis into your categories! You can click the submenus of Web, iOS, or Android depending on which device you like to use YNAB on! support.youneedabudget.com/en_us/how-to-use-emoji-in-your-budget-SJTNIyQAc 🌻 Hannah

[@jessicaelenbaas387]

@@YNABofficial YESSS! Thank you!

[@S1r3mAccount]

The first type is good, yet a slight improvement might make it perfect. Leftover money should be transferred and accounted for the next month. Let's say I didn't spend all the groceries money and now have the first week of the next month filled. YNAB tells me that I didn't meet my goal this week, yet I see it fully covered. And even more! I don't feel like putting money there at all! So, now I have to battle either the yellow sum in the category or dealing with the extra money. Substructing extra doesn't help either. Only tweaking the target seems to be the answer, but that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid! Who knows, next week I might not be as lucky as before.

[@Nameless-st3vt]

That's what happens already. Left over money is transferred

[@S1r3mAccount]

@@Nameless-st3vt Yeah, it is. Yet it's not accounted for the next month's goal. Maybe it's just a weekly Needed for Spending. No, I've just checked. Let's say I set Needed for Spending, monthly, for $100. In October there were leftovers, like $20. So, this month I need to budget only $80 to meet the goal of $100 for a month. Yet the app says "$100 more needed this month". If I budget as the app says I'll have $120 in "Available", but I "needed for spending" just $100. Hope you get the idea.

[@Nameless-st3vt]

@@S1r3mAccount I agree with you. and so yes, if you check your needed for speeding in november you are going to see "100 dollars needed this month". even though you potentially have 20 dollars leftover. BUT ONCE YOU ENTER NOVEMBER, that left over is carried over, so you have only 80 dollars to budget with. Because the truth is, YNAB cannot know if you will spend that 20 dollars on 31 october at 11:59pm

[@Iwitrag]

How do I deal with groceries when I get paid by 15th ? Do I need to starve first two weeks of the month?

[@Simba.Luna.]

Best way to deal with this is to save up to be one month or one paycheck ahead so it's already there before you get paid. If you get paid 2x per month, best way to use this is to save to be one month ahead then at the beginning of the month you can budget everything all at once. That is the best way to budget everything. Have saved up to be one month ahead so you have everything before you get paid and it will be amazing how you can just hit the budget button at the first of every month and get it all done at once and not have to deal with it every paycheck.

[@ForgiveMyMadness]

@@Simba.Luna. right but like how do you save up a whole months expenses to use the best month when you need to spend your entire pay check on bills?

[@mindysmith3388]

You either need to earn more income or reduces expenses so you have money to save.

[@CodrutaChira]

Think of it as your month starts in the 15th of the current month and ends on the 14th of the next month. Only use the monthly you have now and when budgeting.

[@jenniferday2051]

I have noticed that if I have any left in a category that is needed for spending, and it rolls over, it counts that for next month's target. What if I want to keep that overall for months where my spending is higher? For example, this month my electric bill was $160, but I budgeted $200 because that is the average for the last 12 months. How can I save that $40 for the colder months when my utilities are higher?

[@DortamurIRL]

If you want to always put aside a set amount, you can use the Monthly Savings Builder. Then if you spend under that in the month, the savings builds up over time. Alternatively you can use Needed For Spending and put a higher cap on it. For example, I may spend on average $100/month on fuel, but if I have a Needed For Spending target of $200, then if I do a lot of driving one month I'm covered, otherwise the savings counts towards next month. It's similar to allocating "Spent Last Month", but uses the targets to cap it at a limit. The problem I have though, is if you're budgeting in advance (next month and beyond), the "Needed For Spending" will budget the full amount, since it doesn't yet know the carry-over. So I have to reset and reallocate on the first of the month for the carry-over to count towards the target.

[@jenniferday2051]

@@DortamurIRL Thank you, that is very helpful. I will switch it to the Monthly Savings Builder and see if that works better for what I'm trying to do.

[@jdg0928]

@@jenniferday2051 I use the Monthly Savings Builder method mentioned by Trevor. The one thing I'll add is that I will either A) tweak the target amount about once a year or B) make a one-time movement of funds to another category if I notice I'm building up more or carrying over less than I prefer. It's kind of a combo of a Needed for Spending and a Sinking Fund. The total amount of the target is a combination of a NFS monthly baseline plus extra to cover the variability of expenses in the category. The best way this has helped me is with the category for my dog. I know about what his monthly expenses are, but the Monthly Savings Builder target is about double that amount. When we have unexpected or irregular expenses -- boarding, trip to the vet, etc. -- there is always money available to cover the cost. It's difficult to measure the amount of stress this has reduced in my life.

[@taniab2018]

Question: How is it impacted if you're like me & only get paid once a month?

[@YNABofficial]

Hi Tania! When you're setting up your targets, we recommend checking your total "Underfunded" (the amount needed to fund your entire budget) against your monthly income. If your targets require more money than your monthly income provides, then you'll want to adjust some of your targets down until you're at or below your monthly income. So long as your monthly income matches or exceeds the amount required by your targets, you're golden (regardless of how often your pay comes in)! (Just make sure that some of your categories are helping to prepare you for those non-monthly expenses that pop up, so that you're not just funding this month's expenses without preparing for the future.) Hope that helps! 🙂 - Ben M

[@YellowheadHomestead]

YNAB Please! We need a WEEKLY saving's builder! Functions the same as the monthly builder but it prompts you for weekly contributions. Please?

[@YNABofficial]

Hey Audrey!! I hear your passion!! 😂 You can submit any feature requests you have to this link: youneedabudget.typeform.com/to/Pt6cek?typeform-source=docs.youneedabudget.com -Hannah 🌻

[@JoshSTatum]

I pay estimated taxes in (usually) the same amount April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15. Anyone figured out the best way to set up targets? For now I've settled on a repeating Needed for Spending target starting on March 15 and repeating every three months. I'll have funded each payment on the due date or a month ahead. Anyone have tips for a better approach to this?

[@piluj]

You could also set up a monthly target of 1/3 of those quarterly amounts. I pay condo maintenance of $915 Jan 1, Apr 1, July 1, and Oct 1, and I just set up a monthly target of $305 to make it work.

[@callistogarnet]

I have an annual service charge for my flat that I have to pay in 6 month chunks. I have it set as an annual Needed for Spending target so I can spend the first 6 months without it setting my progress back. But to be honest, your way accomplishes the same thing!

[@ColeDeRuse]

We do groceries with a weekly goal instead of monthly. We shop every Sunday for groceries. Yeet

[@YNABofficial]

#yeet #cole #yeet -Hannah 🌻

[@ColeDeRuse]

@@YNABofficial 😂🤣😂🤣