ynab coaching
Align your spending with the life you want.
Plan your spending in advance, know where every dollar went, and spend it without second-guessing. The best part of YNAB is that it encourages you to spend. It’s proactive rather than restrictive.
you're not bad with money...
you just don't have the right pieces in place yet.
Making a budget isn’t really that complicated…at least in theory. It’s just a bunch of numbers, right? So why do so many high-earning, intelligent, incredibly capable people find sticking with a budget so challenging?
Because there’s a gap between understanding the rules behind using YNAB and having a budget you actually trust. There’s a learning curve, both with the actual logistics, but also with understanding and shifting your mindset around what a budget is (and isn’t). You feel like you should be better at this, but making money and managing it are two different skills.
Maybe some of these struggles sound familiar.
Money
Avoidance
The biggest initial challenge people face is often simply looking at their financial situation.
Don't Know Where to Start
You've signed up, you've read enough to know it works, and then the blank plan just sits there.
Limited Time
Availability
At first, it takes time to set up and learn a whole new system. And creating habits can be hard!
Variable
Income
If a substantial portion of your income varies in amounts or timing,it can be hard to plan ahead.
Overspending
Often, people report that they simply don't know where their money is going every month...it's just...gone (hint: it's usually Amazon and eating out).
Underspending
On the other hand, anxiety around whether you have enough and are saving enough for retirement causes some to feel guilty spending at all.
Understanding Credit
Cards
I will admit that figuring out how credit cards work in YNAB is...not exactly the simplest task.
when we work together...
we'll make sure you have what you need to succeed.
The YNAB method works. That’s not why you’re struggling with it. In the ten years that I’ve used YNAB, I’ve watched a lot of smart, capable people get stuck in the same places when it comes to budgeting.
What I’ve found is that there are a few key things make all the difference in getting past the initial learning curve: setting up a plan that will help you actually make decisions, learning how to choose between priorities, and creating habits and processes that help you stick with it.
Here’s how coaching can help.
Reduce
Overwhelm
We'll start with a detailed step-by-step process to set up your YNAB budget. Once your plan structure is in place, we'll focus on one thing at a time to ensure that you're able to make progress on your spending.
Foster
Clarity
Sometimes, we just need a second set of eyes. We'll walk through your plan together so that you can ask questions, know exactly what to look for and stay focused on the most important tasks in your budget.
Personalized
Education
We'll make sure you thoroughly understand each aspect of your money. There are plenty of great YNAB tutorials out there, but none of them are specifically focused on your unique situation.
Provide
Accountability
Regular meetings ensure your financial goals are consistently prioritized and make sure that you have access to the resources and information you need (not to mention getting rid of those excuses!).
We’ll meet over Zoom, and I’ll share my screen (or you’ll share yours) so we’re looking at your actual budget together. Sessions are generally one hour, and we’ll schedule them at whatever pace fits your life: a few close together while you’re setting things up, then spaced out as you settle into a rhythm.
Before our first session, I’ll ask a few questions about your situation and what’s been tripping you up, so we can start on the thing that matters most to you instead of a script. Everyone’s YNAB plan is difference (variable income, credit cards, a business mixed in with personal spending) and we’ll build around yours.
No two coaching plans look the same, which is why I offer a few different ways to work together.
Hourly
YNAB Help
Coaching - 1 hour of live coaching
- 2 additional months of YNAB
- Email support for an additional 2 weeks
YNAB Set Up
Package
Coaching + Specific Resources - 2 live coaching sessions (60-90 minutes) over a 4-week period
- Set up of category groups/categories, accounts, and processes
- YNAB Setup & Use Guides, Cash Flow Tracking template
- 2 additional months of YNAB
- Email support for an additional month
Complete YNAB Coaching
Coaching + All Resources- $895 up-front fee (includes 1-hour weekly meetings for the first month)
- Bi-monthly 1-hour meetings after initial month
- 3-month minimum commitment
- Set up of category groups/categories, accounts, and processes
- YNAB Setup & Use Guides and all Personal Finance Bundle templates
- 2 additional months of YNAB
- Email support for an additional 2 months
- Bonus: assistance with W-4 tax withholding
- Bonus: guidance on calculating your retirement funding goal
who you'll be working with...
hi, I'm Kathryn!
I’ve been a CPA since 2008, a CFP® since 2023 and have been writing about all things money here since 2016 (around the same time that I discovered and started using YNAB!). It’s fair to say that I’m a nerd. And also that I like money.
The thing I keep coming back to: it’s not really about money. It’s about being able to live your life without money sitting in the back of your mind all the time, so you can pay attention to the parts that actually matter to you.
The longer I do this work, the more I realize how much money can change people’s lives. Not just in the long-term, but on a day-to-day basis.
have more questions?
No. If you’re not sure whether YNAB is the best tool for you, send me a message or schedule an initial consultation and I’ll give you my honest opinion (even though I think it’s an amazing budgeting app, I know it’s not right for everyone).
While it makes it a little easier sometimes to use YNAB Together, if you don’t want to share your entire budget, we can work from your screen while you share it.
I have a detailed meeting schedule mapped out for clients to make sure we’re able to consistently make progress on your YNAB budgets, but we will modify this schedule based on:
- Your previous knowledge and experience with YNAB
- How much time you have between sessions to work on your YNAB plan
- Whether you have additional circumstances that complicate your personal budget (such as business, variable income, etc.)
Month 1
Weekly sessions
- Week 1 Discovery and values — what you want your money to do
- Week 2 Set up YNAB together
- Week 3 Review your setup and adjust it to fit your life
- Week 4 Check your progress and build the habit
Month 2
Every other week
- Week 6 Review YNAB, plus how your spending lines up with your values
- Week 8 Review YNAB, plus your money past
Month 3
Every other week
- Week 10 Review YNAB, plus write your financial purpose statement
- Week 12 Review YNAB, revise your goals, and see how far you’ve come
After month 3 — monthly check-ins, if you want to keep going
The goal of YNAB coaching is to enable you to have the tools, resources and habits to be able to eventually manage your budget on you own. As such, doing work between sessions is essential.
When you have questions between sessions, you should email me right away and I’ll keep you going. If needed, we can schedule an additional appointment to ensure you don’t get stuck.
If you’re not sure whether YNAB coaching is right for you, schedule an initial consultation and we can make sure it’s a good fit.
Disclaimer: I am a YNAB Certified Budgeting Coach, which means that I have been trained to coach people on using YNAB software and the YNAB budgeting method. I have met select requirements of You Need a Budget LLC in order to receive this certification, which means that I have the ability to competently coach YNAB to others. I am not an employee of YNAB, and all non-YNAB related opinions and recommendations are my own. My views do not reflect the views of YNAB and its employees or its affiliates.